Last week we shared 11 Rules You Need to Know for Working Remotely [add link], whether occasionally or full-time.  As we noted, 70% of workers around the world are remote at least one day per week, and more than 50% work remotely at least half of the time.  That means that more and more managers now supervise people working remotely. Whether you supervise employees who work remotely once in a while or people who are hired specifically to work remotely every day, the task requires different considerations – and often being more intentional – than supervising people you see every day.  As I shared last week, I’ve worked remotely full-time for about four years in various environments, remotely 10-30% of the time for about eight years, and have been location-independent for the last year. Having been supervised by staff both in a physical office and who were also remote, and having supervised employees who were always or partially remote, I’ve seen it all in terms of what to do . . . and what not to do.  Here are 11 rules to make managing remote employees better for everyone.

With summer approaching, the ability to work remotely can loom as the Holy Grail of benefits, making possible shorter days (minus the commute), focused attention on long-delayed projects, longer vacations thanks to the ability to work while the family relaxes, and lower childcare costs.  As we work with our career transition clients, the ability to work remotely – whether occasionally or regularly – is one of the items must often on their wish lists, whether as a proxy for a flexible workplace, or as a critical component to make their lives work.  This isn’t a unique desire; 70% of workers around the world are remote at least one day per week, and more than 50% work remotely at least half of the time.