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TCN PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL FALL 2021
What Should Your Church or Ministry Know about Employees Who Work Remotely ?
by Erik Stanley
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS CREATED A BOOM IN REMOTE WORKERS FOR MANY CHURCHES , AN ARRANGEMENT THAT MAY REMAIN IN PLACE FOR AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME . UNTIL THE TIME COMES WHEN IT IS SAFE FOR CHURCH EMPLOYEES TO RETURN TO WORK , EMPLOYERS NEED TO EITHER UPDATE THEIR EXISTING EMPLOYMENT POLICIES OR DEVISE NEW REMOTE WORK POLICIES FOR EMPLOYEES UNABLE TO RETURN TO WORK DUE TO HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERNS .
When developing a remote work policy , church employers should anticipate these significant elements for COVID-19-related and other remote work arrangements :
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIORITIES
The work location may have changed , but your expectations of your employees probably have not . While flexibility is called for in these unusual times , employees should still be reminded of their employer ’ s expectations and employees should be encouraged to communicate any difficulties they may encounter in meeting those expectations so everyone is “ singing from the same hymnal .”
TECHNOLOGY Remote workers may lack the same technology resources at home that they have at work . To do their jobs effectively , they still need a computer , a phone , and
Internet access . If employees do not have employer-provided computers and are allowed to use their own devices , then they will need to comply with the same data privacy policies that are in place at work . The church may need to consider investing in new technology to support its remote workers .
PAY Employees should be expected to maintain the same work schedule they had prior to working remotely and be paid accordingly . A remote work policy should require employees to record their work hours . Workers who are paid an hourly wage should be required to obtain permission prior to working any overtime hours .