I have a remote employee. What to know about it? Remote work: innovations Employer forcibly sends to remote work

Recently, remote work has become an increasingly common form of employment, in which the employer and the employee maintain contact at a distance from each other, and the transfer terms of reference, results of work, and often, payment is made using payments via the Internet.

The concept of remote employment was first applied in the 1970s in the United States. The advent of the Internet has contributed to an increase in the number of employees doing work at a distance.

Today, many people mistakenly believe that remote employees and freelancers are one and the same.

In fact, a freelancer is de facto an individual entrepreneur: he provides himself with work, while interacting with several employers, he pays taxes and contributions to the pension fund.

A remote employee is part of the staff of a particular enterprise or company, and his relationship with the employer is regulated. "Remote" obeys specific manager and fulfills his orders, receives the agreed salary. The employer also makes all necessary fund contributions from wages. From other employees of the company remote employee differs only in that it is not geographically located in the office.

official registration labor relations has many benefits. First of all, these are completely legal incomes, social security and guaranteed receipt of insurance payments. Remote worker based on employment contract can defend its interests in emerging disputable situations.

Official registration of remote work

At the beginning of 2013, an additional Chapter 49.1 appeared in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation on the specifics of regulating the work of remote employees. The articles in this chapter describe in detail the mechanism of employment of an employee on remote access.

For the official registration of an employee, an employment contract is concluded between him and the employer, which spells out the rights and obligations of both parties. The same document allows you to formally resolve all issues that arise in the process labor activity. The law also provides for mandatory social and medical insurance for employees who work remotely.

The formalization is as follows:

  1. The applicant provides the hiring party standard set documents for employment: passport, documents on education received, data on an individual personal account, etc. (in electronic or "paper" form).
  2. The employer draws up and sends it to the applicant for review.
  3. After agreeing on all the rights and obligations prescribed in the contract, the contract is concluded, and an electronic signature can be used.

After signing the documents, the official place of work of the employee is the location of the hiring party. If necessary, the employer provides the employee necessary equipment or software, technical means of information protection.

The law does not spell out mandatory, therefore this moment is negotiated by the parties separately. More details on the provisions of the Labor Code governing remote employment can be found in the relevant chapter.

Features of concluding an employment contract

Official remote work differs from work in the office in the absence of "live" control of the employer over the activities of a remote employee. Therefore, the contract can clearly stipulate the modes of work and rest, describe the mechanisms of management and control. The more detailed the conditions for remote work are spelled out, the less disputes will arise in the process of interaction between the parties.

Thus, the contract may clearly state work time. This is necessary for and so that the employer can contact the employee without problems within the specified period of time. At the same time, the schedule may coincide with the company's work schedule or differ from it if the employee is in a different time zone.

So that the employer does not have suspicions about a possible failure to meet deadlines or improper performance of the task, the contract may stipulate the periodic provision of a report on the work done.

In some companies, remote employees are involved in planning meetings and meetings in order to be involved in the work process, both in person with the arrival of the "remote worker" at the office, and using video communication tools. The contract may also provide for additional distance learning.

In cases where the employer does not provide his equipment, software and others technical means in order to carry out labor activities, the size and procedure for paying compensation for the depreciation of equipment owned by the employee may be prescribed in the contract.

Remote recruitment

Before you start looking for a remote employee, you should clearly define the list of requirements for the applicant and indicate the duties that will be assigned to him in case of employment.

The next stage of selection is an interview with applicants. It can take place in several stages: performing a test task, express testing by phone or video interview.

In the selection process, one should take into account the specifics of remote interaction with an employee and the lack of full control of activities. For this reason, in addition to general requirements, it is recommended to discuss with the candidate whether he has such qualities as the ability for self-organization and self-discipline, purposefulness, responsibility.

THIS ARTICLE IS A CHAPTER OF THE AVAR BOOK LABOR LAW OF RUSSIA

New law introduces serious changes to the Russian labor law. Now there is a legal opportunity to organize remote work employee at his home. Previously, the Labor Code provided for the so-called “work from home”, but the conditions for its application were very limited and in fact could not be applied in a situation where an employee was hired to work remotely at home or in another place remote from the office. The old rules on home work, which are still in force, regulate the situation in which a worker performs duties related to the production of consumer and craft goods from materials and using tools of the employer or purchased at the expense of the worker. Thus, these rules could not be applied to regulate the labor of various categories of workers. In Russia, there was an urgent need to regulate the remote work of such categories of workers as IT specialists, sales representatives, consultants, translators, etc. The changes provide an opportunity to legally consolidate relationships with such employees.

According to the new law, remote work is the performance of job duties outside the location of the employer, its branch, representative office or other place under the control of the employer. The new law indicates the need to organize communication through the use of information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet, to perform work and interact with the employer. An important provision of the new law is the provision that the existence of remote worker does not entail the obligation of the employer to register a separate structural unit for these purposes.

Teleworking regulations provide opportunities for more flexible work regulation. For example, they allow for special conditions termination of the employment contract.

Below we will describe in more detail the innovations about teleworking and briefly name the close modes of work at home and shift work, as well as the ability to conclude civil law contracts instead of employment contracts.

remote work

The President of the Russian Federation signed the Federal Law on Amendments to the Labor Code, introducing a new chapter on remote work. It entered into force on April 8, 2013.

Remote work is understood as the performance of labor duties outside the location of the employer, its branch, representative office or other place under the control of the employer.

A necessary condition for remote work is the use of information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet, to perform work and interact with the employer.

An important point of the new law is the provision that the presence of a remote worker does not entail the obligation of the employer to register a separate structural unit for these purposes. This conclusion can be drawn from the provision of the legislation that a separate structural unit must be registered with the tax authorities if the employer organizes stationary jobs in a geographical area remote from its location (Articles 81.1 and 11.2 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) at a time when under remote worker stationary workplace not organized. The regulation of the work of remote workers has some peculiarities. In an interaction between a teleworker or telecommuting candidate and an employer in an exchange electronic documents enhanced qualified electronic signatures are used. However, this provision becomes binding only by agreement of the parties. If such an agreement has not been reached, the parties may use the paper form of documents (Article 312.1 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

At the conclusion of the contract, the condition for remote work must be included in the employment contract with the employee. The contract may provide for an additional condition on the obligation of the remote worker to use equipment, software and hardware, information security tools and other means provided or recommended by the employer in the performance of his duties.

The employment contract must provide for the following conditions:

Procedures and conditions for the use of equipment, software and hardware, information security tools and other means provided or recommended by the employer;

Procedures and conditions for reporting on the work performed;

Conditions for compensation for the use of equipment, software and hardware, information security tools and other means belonging to the employee;

Rules for compensation of other costs that an employee incurs in connection with the performance of remote work.

The employer's obligations to ensure safe conditions and labor protection for remote workers are limited. Unless otherwise provided by the employment contract on remote work, the mode of working time and rest time of the remote worker is established by him at his own discretion.

An employment contract and agreements on changing the terms of an employment contract may be concluded by exchanging electronic documents. In this case, the location of the employer is indicated as the place of conclusion of the employment contract on remote work, agreements on changing the terms of the employment contract on remote work. The employer no later than three calendar days from the date of conclusion of the employment contract is obliged to send to the remote worker by mail by registered mail with notification, a duly executed copy of this employment contract on paper. Sending documents presented at the conclusion of an employment contract in accordance with Art. 65 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation is carried out by sending copies of them in electronic documents. However, at the request of the employer, the applicant is obliged to send him by registered mail with notification notarized copies of these documents on paper.

Familiarization of an employee with documents related to work, including local regulations and orders of the employer provided for by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, can occur through the exchange of electronic documents. In addition, in cases where, in accordance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an employee has the right or obligation to apply to the employer with a statement, provide the employer with explanations or other information, the remote worker can do this in the form of an electronic document. By agreement of the parties, information about remote work in work book are not paid, and a work book is not issued to a person who first got a job.

The parties also have the right to conclude an employment contract on remote work without the use of electronic documents in the traditional manner. In this case, the contract indicates the place of actual conclusion of the contract. The applicant submits the original documents presented at the conclusion of the employment contract. In addition, in this case, the employer retains the obligation to issue a certificate of state pension insurance for a remote worker who is getting a job for the first time. The employee also has the right to demand the proper execution of the work book.

Remote work in some cases requires the proper execution of written documents, which are sent by registered mail with notification. The employer, even in the case of concluding an employment contract through the exchange of electronic documents, is obliged to send to the remote worker a duly executed copy of this employment contract on paper. To provide compulsory insurance coverage for compulsory social insurance in case of temporary disability and in connection with motherhood, a remote worker sends the employer the originals of the necessary documents.

Upon termination of the employment contract, even if familiarization with the dismissal order is provided in the form of an electronic document, the employer, on the day of termination of this employment contract, is obliged to send a duly executed copy to the remote worker said order on paper. In other cases, the use of paper media is not mandatory.

The parties may provide in the employment contract for remote work (as well as when working at home) special conditions for terminating the employment contract, not limited to the relevant list of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Home work In addition to new provisions on remote work, the Labor Code contains rules on the so-called “home work” (Chapter 49 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). However, the conditions for its application are quite limited and in fact cannot be applied in a situation where an employee is hired to work remotely at home or in another place remote from the office. The Home Work Rules, which are still in force, regulate the situation in which a worker performs duties related to the production of consumer and craft goods from materials and using the employer's tools or purchased at the worker's expense. Thus, these rules could not be applied to regulate the labor of various categories of workers.

Home work is regulated by general rules; however, there are some peculiarities. A homeworker can involve members of his family in the work, but no labor relations arise between them and the “employer” (Article 310 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

In an employment contract for the performance of work at home, the employer and employee agree on which of the parties provides the equipment and materials necessary for work. If the homeworker uses his own materials or equipment, the employer must pay compensation for their wear and tear.

An employment contract for home-based work must contain the procedure for paying the homeworker for the work performed.

When working at home, you must follow the rules of safety and health protection.

The norms of the legislation on home work provide for the need to specifically establish in the contract the grounds for its termination (Article 312 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

Job on a rotational basis

Work on a rotational basis is a form of implementation of the labor process, when employees are at a considerable distance from their place of permanent residence and, due to geographical conditions, their daily return to their place of residence cannot be ensured (Chapter 47 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). This form of labor is used in cases where work is carried out in sparsely populated areas with severe natural conditions. Shift workers must return home at least once a month, and in exceptional cases - once every three months (Article 299 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

With this form of labor, working hours, days, rest periods, etc. are taken into account in a special order, which is called the summarized accounting of working hours (Article 300 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). When working on a rotational basis, all the time spent at a remote workplace is taken into account. In any case, the total working hours must not exceed the normal number of working hours.

Civil law regulation of labor

An individual in Russia can provide services and perform work as under an employment contract, in which case relations with the employer are regulated by the rules labor law, and under a civil law contract in accordance with civil law.

The concept of a civil law contract is reduced to an agreement under which a company uses the services of an individual without the intention of concluding an employment contract with him. The main difference between a civil law contract and an employment contract is that the employee is not entitled to use the guarantees provided for by labor law (protection against unilateral withdrawal from the contract, rules on working outside working hours, payment for sick leave and holidays), and is not subject to the rules of the internal work schedule customer.

Civil law contracts are used when a person is hired for temporary work on a project or occasionally performs extra work, which is usually not performed by employees of the organization. One of the most typical cases is the conclusion of a civil law contract with freelance translators.

When concluding a civil law contract, the parties are guided by the norms of civil law, which provide for the equality of the parties and freedom of contract. However, certain restrictions are imposed by the imperative norms of chapters 37 and 39 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. In particular, the parties are obliged to agree on the specific subject of the contract, which must be spelled out in detail in such a contract, indicating its scope and quality. In addition, it is necessary to indicate the date of completion of the work (for the contract paid provision services) and the date of commencement and completion of work (for a contract). A prerequisite is the determination of the price of the contract and the procedure for paying remuneration.

In most cases, the main reason for concluding a civil law contract is the desire of the parties to avoid the effect of labor law norms. However, in the event that a real labor relationship has developed between the parties, and the employee carries out labor activities in accordance with the labor schedule and on the territory of the employer, the employer bears the risk of the civil law contract being reclassified by the court into an employment contract in accordance with Art. 11 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. At present, there is a large arbitrage practice for the application of this article. As a rule, if there is evidence of an employment relationship, the court resolves such cases in favor of the employee.

When reclassifying relations, the courts take into account a set of criteria, among which the following can be distinguished:

1) Systematic renegotiation of civil law contracts or extension of their validity, for example, in the Decree of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Moscow District dated August 28, 2008 N KA-A40 / 7019-08 in case N A40-59304 / 07-90-332.

2) Subordination of the employee to the internal labor regulations, for example, in the Decree of the FAS of the Moscow District dated 19.06.2009 N KA-A40 / 5330-09 in case N A40-66166 / 08-76-271 or the Decree of the FAS of the Moscow District of 13.11.2008 N КА-А40/10488-08 in case No. А40-59261/07-14-314.

3) Dates and frequency of payment of remuneration, for example, in the Decree of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Moscow District dated June 19, 2009 N KA-A40 / 5330-09 in case N A40-66166 / 08-76-271.

4) The relationship of payment under the contract with the volume and frequency of work performed, for example, in the Decree of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Moscow District dated 19.06.2009 N KA-A40 / 5330-09 in case N A40-66166 / 08-76-271.

Thus, despite the fact that civil law contracts are not the basis for the emergence of labor relations, in some cases they are able to regulate the performance of work by an individual who acts as an equal and independent party to the contract.

Civil law contracts may be concluded, among other things, with individual entrepreneurs. If such an entrepreneur provides services in accordance with his type of activity, the risk of re-qualifying the contract as an employment contract is significantly reduced.

There have been changes in the Labor Code. Now it has a new chapter regulating relations between employers and remote workers 1 . What is the practical significance of such changes, as well as who can be classified as remote workers, read the article.

Currently, hundreds of thousands of people work outside the location of the employer's offices. More often, remote workers are designers, programmers, translators, analysts engaged in online commerce and the like, which does not require the presence in the employer's office. Until recently, such relations simply could not be formalized by an employment contract that meets the realities of existing relations. As a result, such activities were formalized in several ways: as with a homeworker (which, most likely, did not correspond to reality, since homework involves the production of some kind of product), or such labor relations were “covered up” by civil law contracts, but it also happened that labor relations were not formalized at all.
The risks of such "unformed" relations fell on the shoulders of both parties, but the employee was in a less protected position. Agreements with the employer on pay and working conditions were not supported by a bilateral document, and, accordingly, the person was deprived of guarantees for the promised earnings, pension and social protection. If the employer needed to represent its interests in another region, it was required to register a separate division of the company, which meant the cost of renting, equipping the office with everything necessary, etc. All this imposed on the employer often unrecoverable financial costs. Therefore, many companies shied away from registering such a legal presence and risked being "caught" tax office or Rostrud. At the same time, the conclusion of an employment contract with a homeworker also did not solve the problem, because the home of a remote worker could be recognized separate subdivision companies with all the ensuing consequences. In addition, in this situation, a conflict arose over the payment of personal income tax. The budgets of several subjects legitimately claimed the tax. Looking ahead, let's say that the employer's place of work is prescribed in the employment contract, respectively, personal income tax will go to the budget of the subject of the Russian Federation where the employer is located.

New in the Labor Code
On April 8, 2013, the Federal Law of April 5, 2013 No. 60 FZ came into force, aimed at “integrating” many remote workers into the system of labor relations. A separate chapter 49.1 has appeared in the Labor Code, which combines the features of the employment of remote workers.
In particular, Article 312.1 of the Labor Code defines what constitutes remote work. There are two essential features of such work: it is the execution labor function outside the location of the employer or its separate subdivision and the use of information and telecommunication networks for the implementation of activities and interaction between the employer and the employee common use(Internet networks).
The same article defines the general provisions on remote work. It has been established that persons who have concluded an employment contract on remote work are considered remote workers. Such employees are subject to labor law and other acts containing labor law norms.
Particular attention is drawn to a new way for Russian law of interaction between a remote employee and an employer - this is the exchange of electronic documents. Moreover, the parties are obliged to use enhanced qualified electronic signatures 2 .
The remaining four articles new chapter reveal the features of the conclusion of an employment contract on remote work, the performance of such work, labor protection, working hours and termination of the contract.
The parties to the employment contract are given ample opportunities to determine its conditions. Below are some confirmations of what has been said.
According to the new norms, an employment contract can be concluded both on paper and by exchanging electronic documents. In the second case, the employer is obliged, no later than three calendar days from the date of conclusion of the electronic labor contract, to send a paper copy of such contract to the remote worker by registered mail with notification. At the same time, the location of the employer is indicated as the place of conclusion of the "remote" contract or agreements on changing its conditions. In this case, there is no need to register a separate subdivision. This is another clear difference from the homeworker, whose address is in without fail spelled out in the employment contract.
Documents required for employment 3 can be presented by a remote worker at electronic form. In this case, the employer has the right to demand notarized copies of them, which we advise you to do, due to the likelihood of forgery of a document.
Please note: when concluding an employment contract for remote work by exchanging electronic documents, a person entering into such an agreement for the first time must independently obtain an insurance certificate of state pension insurance. Recall that, according to general rule 4, this certificate is issued by the employer.
Note that not only the signing of the employment contract itself, its annexes, but also familiarization with the internal local acts of the employer can occur through the exchange of electronic documents.
As for the provision by the employee of the work book and its completion, in this matter there are the following options for action:

  • the work book is provided by the employee personally or by registered mail with notification;
  • a work book is not provided, and a record of remote work is not entered into it.

And when concluding a “remote” contract for the first time, a work book may not start at all. As for the second option, it is possible only by agreement of the parties. The law does not establish in what form such an agreement should be reflected - in written or oral. In our opinion, it is better to reflect it in the concluded employment contract. In this case, the confirmation of the work experience of the employee will be a written copy of the remote work agreement.

Conditions of an employment contract for remote work
One of the conditions of the "remote" contract may be the obligation of the employee to use equipment, software and hardware and other means provided or recommended by the employer. By agreement of the parties, the procedure and deadlines for the submission of reports on the work performed by remote employees are established. In addition, the parties independently determine the amount, procedure and terms for paying compensation for the use of equipment and other means belonging to them or rented by them, as well as the rules for reimbursement of other expenses related to remote activities.
Due to the specifics of remote work, an abbreviated list of labor protection requirements for remote employees has been defined for the employer 5 . Yes, from general list Only three of the employer's occupational health and safety responsibilities 6 remain with respect to teleworkers:

  • provision of sanitary and preventive services for employees in accordance with the requirements of labor protection, as well as the delivery of employees who fall ill at the workplace to medical organization if necessary, to provide them with urgent medical care;
  • compulsory social insurance of workers against industrial accidents and occupational diseases;
  • familiarization of employees with the requirements of labor protection.

A special regime of working time and rest time has been established for a remote worker. A “remote worker” can distribute his working time and rest at his own discretion, unless, of course, the employer has special wishes in this regard and unless otherwise provided by the employment contract 7 . For example, the contract may state that the employee is required to be online for eight hours a day on the Internet or perform certain work for four consecutive hours during the day.
The procedure for granting annual paid leave and other types of leave to a remote worker is determined by the employment contract in accordance with the Labor Code. That is, with regard to vacations, the new chapter does not provide for any special features for remote employees.
As for the termination of an employment contract, the legislator has established the possibility to provide in the contract itself the grounds for its termination, in addition to those specified in the Labor Code. If the remote employee is familiarized with the order to terminate the employment contract electronically, then the employer on the day of termination of this contract must send the employee a copy of the order on paper by registered mail with notification.
It should be noted that the dedication of a separate chapter to the regulation of the labor of remote workers in Russian labor law was the first time. At present, the practice of its application has not been formed, and it is too early to say whether it will solve frequently occurring issues. Nevertheless, this is a serious step towards regulating the labor relations of remote employees with certain specifics. The positive effect of the adoption of the new chapter is seen in the redistribution of labor forces and, in particular, in regions where there is a shortage of specialists in a particular industry. We believe that there is also a positive trend for small and medium-sized businesses. After all, small companies often cannot afford the necessary space, and by hiring remote workers, this problem can be solved. We should not forget about poorly protected groups of citizens, for example, people with disabilities, mothers who are caring for a small child. They get the opportunity to work officially, counting on the guarantees of Russian labor legislation. The new provisions of the law also remove the problem of transferring employees, if necessary, from one city to another, and, accordingly, the cost of such a transfer.

Remote workers usually incur certain costs associated with the performance of their work duties. Including - and in connection with the use of personal property for these purposes. Can an employer reimburse an employee for such expenses? What problems arise in this case? If we turn to articles 188 and 310 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, then we can conclude that the parties to the employment contract have every right to independently determine the procedure for reimbursement of such employee expenses. Moreover, the amount of compensation must correspond to the degree of depreciation of the property owned by the employee. The Government of the Russian Federation in its own way makes one exception to this rule: this is the depreciation of an employee's car. If the parties to the employment contract decide to fix in this document other grounds for reimbursement of the employee’s expenses, then in accordance with the letters and the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated 11.04.13 No. attention!) with differentiation of the degree of wear and tear for the use of property for labor and personal purposes. Thus, the tax authorities get certain opportunities to challenge such compensations. Those expenses of an employee that are difficult to differentiate according to their goals can become controversial: to separate depreciation as a result of using property for personal needs from depreciation when the owner performs his own professional duties. For example, any employee can use Internet access both for personal purposes and for professional activity. And the proportion of its use for certain needs can be difficult to establish and, accordingly, questions arise regarding the payment of such expenses.

"Remoteness" and "isolation" - is it the same thing?

For tax purposes, it may matter where the employee works, can the place where he performs his labor duties be considered a separate division of the enterprise? As a general rule, a remote workplace cannot be considered a structural unit. fixes the requirements that apply to a stationary workplace. When remote work stationary place absent. And if there is no workplace, then, therefore, there is no separate place of work. The same, but in other words, is also stated in clause 2 of article 11 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. It says that the activities of the organization should be carried out in a separate unit. The work of an individual homeworker does not meet this definition. But there is one exception, which follows from the letters of the Ministry of Finance of Russia (dated May 23, 2013 No. 03-02-07/1/18299 and dated March 18, 13 No. judicial practice: the location of remote work (homework work) may in some cases be recognized as a separate subdivision of the organization if the employer creates stationary jobs for such workers for a period of at least a month.

Homeworker in the office - is it a business trip?

An employee who performs his duties remotely visited the office of his employer in connection with the performance of his labor function. Is it possible to say that he is on a business trip and, accordingly, pay him travel expenses? The Ministry of Finance of Russia repeatedly (see letters dated 08/01/13 No. 03-03-06/1/30978, 08/08/13 No. 03-03-06/1/31945, dated 04.14.14 No. 03-03-06/1/ 16788) gave a legal interpretation of articles,, and 312.1 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. These documents explicitly state that all guarantees of labor legislation, including those related to the employee's stay on a business trip, including reimbursement of expenses incurred by him in connection with the trip, such as travel and accommodation, as well as daily allowances, also apply to those who performs their labor function remotely, remotely, with a home-based way of performing the duties enshrined in the employment contract. At the same time, there is a conflict of labor legislation that arises when interpreting the provisions of Art. 209 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The tax authorities sometimes consider that, since the workplace of a homeworker may be considered the place of his residence (and for those who work remotely, the place of work may not appear in the employment contract at all), so the payment of expenses in connection with the trip to the head office and living in foreign locality can be made in accordance with the provisions of Article 188 of the Labor Code, but not as payment for the expenses of a seconded employee. In cases where the place of remote work and the location of the head office coincide within the same locality, this point of view is likely to be supported in a controversial case by the court.

How to correctly account for the results of remote work as expenses in the form of a salary

There are two polar points of view on this matter, since there is a certain competition between the norms of labor and tax legislation. Let us designate both positions that can become the basis for resolving disputes in court. One of key principles labor law is a ban on discrimination of certain categories of workers. That is, remote employees of the organization cannot be required to do what is prohibited in relation to office workers. And the features of the working conditions of workers "at a distance" are enshrined in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Going beyond these limits will mean discrimination.

Article 312 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. General provisions(extract) Remote work is the performance of a labor function determined by an employment contract outside the location of the employer, its branch, representative office, or other separate structural unit(including those located in another locality), outside a stationary workplace, territory or facility directly or indirectly under the control of the employer, provided that it is used to perform this labor function and to interact between the employer and the employee on issues related to its implementation, information - public telecommunications networks, including the Internet. Remote workers are persons who have concluded an employment contract for remote work. Remote workers are subject to labor legislation and other acts containing labor law norms, taking into account the specifics established by this chapter. If this chapter provides for the interaction of a remote worker or a person entering remote work and an employer by exchanging electronic documents, enhanced qualified electronic signatures of a remote worker or a person entering remote work and the employer are used in the manner prescribed by federal laws and other regulatory legal acts Russian Federation. Each of the parties to the specified exchange is obliged to send in the form of an electronic document confirmation of receipt of an electronic document from the other party within the period specified by the employment contract on remote work.


The general rule states that the proof of the costs incurred by the employer for the remuneration of employees are the relevant provisions of employment contracts and job descriptions. Consequently - no additional reports, other evidence of the employee's performance of his labor duties. There is also judicial practice on this matter (see, for example, the decision of the Federal arbitration court of the North-Western District dated April 17, 2013 No. A13-6626/2012). At the same time, clause 1 of Article 252 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation states that expenses (including those for paying salaries) need to be documented. In relation to office workers, such confirmation is the data personnel records, including how much time is actually worked out by a person. And established in Art. 312.4 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the right to independently determine the working hours for those who work remotely does not at all cancel the employer's obligations to record the hours actually worked. Since there is no relevant data for "remote workers" - please, provide other evidence. No discrimination, but only a forced reflection of the specifics of this kind of labor relations. One of the ways to solve this problem is to fix the methods of accounting for hours worked directly in the employment contract. As such methods, you can use printouts of control telephone conversations. This is not a troublesome business, but it will help save the employer from unnecessary disputes with the tax authorities in the future. Sales Generator

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Many managers have probably had to deal with the fact that their employee wants to “work from home”. How did you react to this? Most likely, you imagined how fun an employee is having a good time, not thinking about work at all.

Modern technologies allow the employer not to worry about the fact that their subordinate "shirks" from performing his duties. The emergence of smartphones and free Wi-Fi zones allow you to keep this issue under control. Therefore, it will be better if you take care of maintaining the integrity of the company.

From this article you will learn:

  1. 5 options for finding remote employees
  2. Step-by-step instruction the right recruitment of employees
  3. 6 best tools managing remote employees

Who are remote workers

remote employee

This is a specialist hired to perform certain duties. Moreover, these can be both full-time employees with whom the company has concluded an employment contract, and freelancers, that is, private specialists who are attracted to perform any specific work (for example, the development of a specific project).

In fact, the concepts of a remote employee and a freelancer are significantly different from each other and should not be confused.

According to forecasts, up to 20% Russian citizens by 2020 will acquire the status of "remote worker at home". Even today, some companies practice this form of work.

Pros and cons of an employee working remotely

Not so long ago, a survey was conducted in which 500 remote employees took part. The researchers were faced with the task of comparing the level of satisfaction of remote and office employees.

The experts were very surprised by the results. Remote workers have identified a number of advantages in their system of work:

  1. About 91% of respondents believe that they work more productively at home.
  2. People like to work more seven days a week but be less busy during the day (fewer hours). They feel happier than people who work in a non-standard mode (for example, at night, from Saturday to Wednesday, etc.).
  3. Assessing their level of job satisfaction (on a scale of 1 to 10), the average score for remote workers was 8.1 and for office workers 7.4.
  4. In terms of whether they are valued by management and peers, the remote worker score was 7.9 and the office worker 6.7.

Criticism from the management and analysis of the performance of remote employees is perceived much easier than when working in the office (as a rule, this process is quite painful and is associated with certain problems).

However, remote work also has disadvantages, which are often not given due attention either by management or by the employees themselves.

Below are the results of the study, the purpose of which was to identify negative impact remote work on corporate culture:

  1. So, 27% of remote employees could not fully work due to the lack of support from colleagues (correspondence and chat will not replace simple human communication).
  2. Assessing the relationship with other employees, the remote employee gave 7.9 points, and the office employee - 8.5 points (on a scale of 10).
  3. Employees who were "forced" to work remotely felt more unhappy than those who did so voluntarily. This fact once again testifies to the social nature of a person, confirming the need for habitual interaction with colleagues and other people.

According to the results of the survey, it can be concluded that the use of a remote work system is moving to new stage development. Now a remote employee can do much more in less time than an employee who is in the office can do in the same time.

Of course, management will have to make a choice between a slight decrease in productivity and a deterioration in corporate culture, which is a consequence of the fact that employees do not know each other and are deprived of the opportunity to discuss their ideas and consult.

3 common misconceptions about hiring remote employees

Remote workers put company data at risk

Some believe that information leakage is inevitable if it is transmitted through third-party servers. However, the risk of leakage can be minimized by using the services of a highly qualified IT specialist.

In the arsenal of professional IT teams there are quite a few methods that have received worldwide recognition. Such remote employees can protect the computer of any manager from unauthorized intrusion, as the use of cloud technologies makes it possible to work with special programs. In addition, information will be more secure if you use a VPN and two-factor authentication.

Naturally, if an employee wants to steal data, he will do it regardless of where he works: at home or in the office. So, the office mode of operation does not guarantee 100% safety, everything here depends on human qualities.

Remote work raises costs

There is a common belief among employers that a remote worker is expensive because they need to use additional technology. But this is usually not true. Of course, sometimes management has to spend some money on the purchase and delivery of equipment. But these costs are justified.

This is quite understandable. First of all, the employer is exempt from rent (office and furniture), from providing additional benefits (coffee, tea, copiers, etc.). In addition, there are countries where the reduction in the company's carbon gas is reflected in taxes, and remote employees do not need to use transport every day to get to the workplace.


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Remote work kills company culture

A remote employee cannot fully experience the corporate spirit - it's true. However, the success of the company directly depends on the attitude of management towards their subordinates, and not on how often they can “chat” with each other. Therefore, only properly organized communication contributes to the preservation of corporate culture.

The task of the manager is to show that the employee is very necessary for the company and means a lot to it (especially if he works remotely). So, it is not at all necessary to regularly personally communicate with subordinates in order for the employees to be positive and the company to have a friendly atmosphere.

Who is most likely to seek remote work?

A remote worker typically falls into one of the following categories:

Women on maternity leave

Young mothers who want to earn extra money. They can live in any city, and not necessarily in Russia. They are most suited to work with a free time schedule, to which they can devote about five hours a day.

This regime allows them to combine child care, family life and earnings. Such women can be involved in administrative activities, and in the collective. The main thing is that the duties performed do not require adherence to a clear schedule (for example, communicating with customers by phone, accepting applications, etc.).

Main criteria: women under 38 living in the regions.

Preferred vacancies: social network administrator, operator of incoming/outgoing calls.

Likely risks: lack of work experience, non-compliance with the terms of the assignment.

People restricted by the labor market

We are talking about people who cannot find offline work due to the fact that they live in small towns or are disabled. Often the possibility of employment of such people is practically equal to zero. Of course, life does not stop there, so they have to look for a way out of this situation, and remote work is very difficult. good decision Problems.

These can be specialists of completely different orientations and qualifications, who are suitable for any work schedule, since often this is the only way to earn and survive. For the employer, such a remote employee can be a real "find". Often they have to retrain, as their previous work experience may not match that required for online.

Main criteria: men and women of any age, without restrictions on the place of residence.

Preferred Jobs: Any work. The main thing to pay attention to is the desire to work and the potential of the applicant, since these people are characterized by high self-organization and a sense of responsibility.

Likely risks: low professional skills.

freelance artists

This category includes people who need to be free in a given period of time, or they like to travel. They feel comfortable when they can do work with a cup of coffee in their hands, sitting in a cozy cafe.

Such a remote employee is able to combine personal life and the process of "earning" for its worthy provision. For some time we observed such people and came to the conclusion that they, as a rule, master such a field of activity where “direct” communication with people is not required.

Main criteria: men and women of any age, without restrictions on the place of residence, with creative thinking.

Preferred vacancies: marketers, content managers, technologists or executive assistants.

Likely risks: low level of self-organization, violation of deadlines for delivery of work, decrease in labor efficiency.

Experts

These are highly qualified specialists, true masters of their craft. Such employees use every opportunity for self-improvement and self-development. Of course, they can work equally effectively both at home and in the office, because the only thing they are interested in is their work. They guarantee a quality result, because they have high professional skills.

Main criteria: most often, men who are responsible for work and have high level self-organization. Guaranteed high quality work.

Preferred vacancies: programmers, intellectuals, technicians, managers who manage remote employees, specialists with a narrow focus.

Likely risks: there are no professional risks, but they need to provide high wages.

Search for remote employees: 5 options

Labor exchange

Various sites with job offers. It is obligatory to specify in the announcement: work at home or the remote employee is required. On some resources and sites aimed at employment, there are separate sections that are marked as “remote work”. For example, "From hand to hand", HH.ru, Rabota.ru and some others.

Social network

A fairly effective way if you need employees to work remotely. You will be required to develop a banner with a message about the vacancy. Then you launch targeted ads in popular in social networks(Facebook, VK and OK). Also, you can place paid and free ads about hiring in the thematic community.

In addition, you can visit the communities where job seekers post their resumes and get acquainted with the materials of users leading groups whose topics are similar to your field of activity.

Territory of job posting

It is very important to observe the geographical aspect of the search. For example, companies located in Moscow, when recruiting remote employees for regular positions, should pay attention to the regions. But, if you need a high-class specialist, then, of course, focus on major cities, because you are interested, first of all, in the professionalism of the applicant.

If you need an IT specialist, then it is better to use Ukrainian sites, practice shows that a large number of very smart programmers are concentrated there.

If you need remote employees to work in a call center or other specialists whose duties will include communicating with customers by phone, then, of course, only Russian resources should be used here. It makes no sense to look for literate and pure Russian speech in any other country or in the Russian outback (dialects, peculiarities of dialect and pronunciation may not have a good effect on work efficiency).

Specialized Resources

There are many portals and resources that facilitate the search for highly qualified specialists, experts in their field. Finding them is easy if you enter the appropriate query into the search engine. Among them are such as Zarplata.ru, VC.ru and many others.

Freelance exchanges

Today, labor exchanges are becoming more and more popular, thanks to which it is possible to recruit employees for remote work. Of course, specialists working “from order to order”, in other words, freelancers, are most often registered there, but it is also worth a look there.

When writing a job posting, note that you are counting on long-term cooperation, and not on short-term work. In addition, we advise you to mention that you do not welcome part-time work in other companies.

Popular freelance exchanges are recognized such sites as freelance.ru, work-zilla.com, FL.ru and some others.

The Right Recruitment of Remote Employees: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 0. We decide for ourselves: why we hire remote employees

Before you start looking for your remote worker, you should answer the following questions:

  1. What is the purpose of hiring an employee? What responsibilities will the remote worker perform? What production tasks will be solved?
  2. What qualities should an employee have? so that he successfully solves the tasks assigned to him? What should be the education, qualifications, work experience?
  3. What salary are you willing to pay? Set the minimum and maximum earnings (the amount should not be announced in the ad or at the interview, you must determine the allowable limits, first of all, for yourself).

Step 1. Compose a job description

If a job is opened by a popular company like Google, then the need for a detailed introduction disappears by itself. Job seekers understand that a decent company will offer a decent job. But if you are not yet one, then people will only know about you what you tell them in the vacancy.

The text should be positive, honest and informal in order to evoke appropriate emotions in the reader. For example, you run a company whose team consists of young people, and the relationship between team members is more like friendship than business. So dry formal business style text for your ad just doesn't fit.

Present the vacancy as you would invite a good friend to become a member of your team. Do not forget to finish with the words: "We are waiting for your resume at the address ...".

Also, remember to be honest. Agree, you will have a "pale look" if the employee is disappointed, not having received what was promised and convicting you of deceit.

Step 2. We study the received resumes

Some are sure that a resume cannot be of any value to an employer. We want to challenge this misconception. We believe that a resume is the first thing a candidate should submit for vacant position. First of all, you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with some facts of the applicant's work biography: education, seniority and experience, previous place of work, etc.

At first glance, the presence of the "Hobby" section is not at all necessary. But we do not agree with this, because the interests of a person, what he does in free time, can characterize it much better than any labor characteristics. Because this is what is really interesting for a person, since he does it “for his own pleasure”. It is this section that can reveal the true motivation of a future employee.

In addition, you should pay special attention to how the resume is designed. For example, what would you think if a future remote worker sends you a document with a completely different addressee? Most likely, you will decide that he is not attentive enough or absent-minded.

Or maybe he is simply not interested in your offer, and he sent the document "on the machine"? After all, for some reason he did not correct the name of the addressee company. Are you interested in this candidate? Hardly. So, it will be quite logical if you just thank the person for the information provided and participation.

So, the summary should be requested, but you should not believe everything that is written in it. Quite often it does not correspond to reality: someone can talk very beautifully about himself and be “no” specialist, and someone, on the contrary, is an extra-class professional, but he could not draw up a resume correctly.

Step 3. We conduct a survey, narrowing the circle of candidates

If you are interested in someone's resume, invite candidates to answer the questionnaire. You can use Google Drive to create a form. It should not be too voluminous (10 questions are enough), information content is first of all.

The questionnaire should contain situational questions in order to have an idea of ​​some of the candidate's professional skills before the interview. For example, “What would you do in such a work situation?”.

In addition, ask what salary the applicant expects. We are sure that a person should receive as much as he wants for work. Therefore, if he voices a figure that exceeds the one that you are ready to offer, then further conversation does not make sense.

Even if you find a compromise, one of the parties will be unhappy: either the employee, receiving an unsatisfactory salary, or the employer, "does not fit" into his budget. The outcome of such relationships, as a rule, is predetermined from the outset.

Ask what working hours (Moscow time) the remote employee prefers and see how many working hours you have the same (preferably at least a four-hour coincidence of the schedule).

As a result of the survey, you should have 3-5 people who you consider the most promising candidates. Do not forget to thank everyone who took part in the survey, and with the rest, we move on to the next stage - the interview.

Step 4. We conduct an interview

Given that you need a remote employee, we are not talking about a face-to-face meeting. The interview can be conducted, for example, via Skype.

Before the start of the interview, you should have a list of questions ready to be asked to absolutely all applicants (this will make it possible to objectively evaluate the candidates). You can offer situational questions and inquire about the person’s past accomplishments (education, previous places work, etc.).

It is advisable that during the interview you conduct a small test to determine the key professional skills and skills.

Suppose you need a remote employee − programmer. Ask him to solve the corresponding problem, for example, let him share a Google document. You watch his work right there, being on the air.

If you need support worker, then his main qualities should be accuracy, literacy and attentiveness. So, as a test, you can offer a text in which mistakes are made, and see what and how quickly he sees and corrects.

Candidate for marketers offer a theory case. For example, a company is engaged in the production of slippers that it plans to sell to hotels. What is the best way to approach this task?

remote employee analyst will be engaged in the processing of information, which means that the applicant can be provided with some (fictitious) statistics and asked to analyze according to some parameters (for example, set the time spent on the site, the most popular pages, etc.).

It's hard to tell how honest sales agent, salesman approached writing a resume, if not to ask him to "call a potential client now and try to sell your products."

During the interview, you should take into account:

  • Candidate is anxious. The stressful situation will negatively affect the quality of the tasks being solved.
  • You must identify core professional skills Therefore, testing should include tasks inherent in a particular specialty.
  • Don't neglect feedback. After completing the task, it is necessary to evaluate the work done (check positive points and mention something that didn't go quite smoothly).
  • Take the opportunity to test in a relaxed environment. Offer to work from home. For example, "Solve this problem and send the result by 11:00 tomorrow." Important: set specific deadlines (you will find out how punctual a person is).

Moments that can ease the "pangs of choice":

  • Record your impressions immediately after the interview. If you're dealing with multiple applicants in succession, it's easy to get confused.
  • Trust your intuition. If one of the applicants is in doubt, stop dating. Practice shows that such premonitions are justified.
  • Do you need one remote employee, and you have two worthy applicants? Conduct additional testing, verification. People can be told that you need time to make a final choice between two candidates.

Large companies practice paid probation, after which the most suitable employee is selected. During the internship Feedback should be done at least once every two days. Ask what your colleagues think about the intern.

  • When hiring an employee, pay more attention to his attitude to work. Professional skills are acquired, but the attitude is almost impossible to change.

How to register a remote employee

Registration of a remote employee is carried out after the provision of certain documents provided for Article 65 of the Labor Code:

  • Identification document (passport).
  • Employment book (except for cases of first employment or part-time employment).
  • Certificate of state pension insurance.
  • A military ID or a document on military registration (mandatory for those liable for military service and people of military age).
  • Diploma or other document on education, indicating the presence of certain professional knowledge (if the job requires special knowledge).

To employ a remote employee, the employer must:

  1. Accept the documents listed above from the employee.
  2. Submit for review regulations which an employee must know in order to perform their duties.
  3. Conclude an employment contract for a remote employee.
  4. Issue an order to hire a new employee.
  5. Fill out the T-2 form (personal card).
  6. Make an entry in the work book (except in cases of mutual agreement that an entry on remote work will not be made).

A remote employee must be included in the company's staff and have the same rights as other employees. The laws of the Russian Federation do not provide for any “special provision” or exceptions.

However, remote work provides one, fundamentally new form interactions: exchange of documents in electronic form.

Both the employer and the subordinate must provide confirmation that an electronic document sent by the other party has been received. The terms for sending the confirmation must be stipulated in the employment contract.

In order for such a document flow to be possible, it is necessary to obtain an electronic signature. An electronic document can be considered information confirmed electronic signature, since it is equivalent to the signature and seal that are put on paper copies.

Electronic document management opens up the following opportunities for the employer:

  1. Conclusion of an employment contract (if this applies to remote work).
  2. Obtaining a signature on regulations sent to a remote employee for review. According to Article 68 of the Labor Code, the internal regulations, the collective agreement, the regulation on payroll and some other local regulations are sent, according to which remote employees will be monitored.
  3. Drawing up an additional agreement, on the basis of which changes can be made to the employment contract.
  4. Familiarization of the employee with the orders and orders of the head, with other documents, after reading which the subordinate must put his signature.

Electronic document management allows an employee to send various documents (applications, explanations, etc.) to his employer.

The employment contract must indicate the place of its conclusion. As a rule, this is the address where the employer is located.

The contract must specify the place where the remote employee will work.

IN Article 312.1 of the Labor Code it says that it is allowed to indicate his address of residence as the workplace of a remote employee.

An employment contract for remote work may include additional conditions. For example, about the use in their work of certain data protection tools, programs, equipment and other tools that the employer considers necessary. Moreover, equipment and facilities can be provided by the company's management, or they can simply be recommended.

On the territory of Russia in relation to individuals working remotely, there is a generally established taxation system (personal income tax).

Thus, working on the Internet as a remote employee is equivalent to working in any other company.

Employees who work remotely are entitled to all compensation and guarantees provided for by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation if they work on the basis of a concluded employment contract (that is, they are officially employed). These include:

  • Paid holiday duration of 28 calendar days (at least), which must be provided annually.
  • Additional and educational leave.
  • Payments of benefits for temporary disability(sick leaves due to illness, childbirth, etc.).

How to organize remote access for employees

Make sure you have internet access

If your company works remotely, then the Internet is your space. All work processes are connected with it: informing, data exchange, communication, accounting, control.

For us, it was a real find. cloud CRM. This virtual environment is available anywhere in the world. In order to enter it, it is not at all necessary to have a server or wires, it is enough to have some device that supports the Internet.

There is Internet access, the appropriate speed - you can get to work.

Use cloud programs

For effective work you will need to manage the business process: set tasks, take into account time and control the performance of work, take care of the safety of information.

In fact, a lot of cloud programs have been developed. The main thing is not to get confused and choose the one that best suits your needs. In this case, you can be guided by the following principles: simplicity, speed and accessibility.

In addition, pay attention to the presence of "reminders" (sometimes this is simply necessary). Often schedulers are equipped with many options that are absolutely useless, so the functionality should be as simple as possible.

A plan has been drawn up, tasks have been set - proceed to their implementation.

Use IP Telephony

The main part of successful sales is carried out by telephone (33 - 92%). If you lose it, you risk losing customers. Familiar telephone sets imply a constant presence in the office, which means that a remote employee is not your option. Using mobile phones for regular calls is expensive. Moreover, once outside the coverage area of ​​the network, you can miss the call.

Virtual telephony is the ideal solution to the problem:

  1. The cloud is involved, so it does not matter where exactly the employee is located.
  2. A single number that can be used anywhere in the world.
  3. Provider support may be needed at any time, and you will receive it (technical assistance, answers to questions, a hint for action).
  4. The exchange of electronic documents can be carried out without personal communication, simply by sending the original documents.

The checklist required by the manager for effective use ATS:

  • Listen to calls(you must know how an employee works, for example, an online store remotely).
  • Keep track of missed calls(you will understand why not all customers can get through).
  • Connect with CRM.
  • Set up forwarding(your subordinates will be in touch around the clock).
  • Follow the statistics(you will see the "big picture" of the company's work).

Set KPIs

Suppose you hired two employees, for example, Fedya and Kolya, to perform identical tasks. They work according to the generally accepted schedule (eight hours a day from Monday to Friday). And one day you notice that Fedya "works hard" for all eight hours, and Kolya always has a couple of hours left, which he spends "on himself, his beloved."

Naturally, you come to the conclusion that you no longer need Kolya's "services" and say goodbye to him. However, later it turns out: Kolya coped with the task in six hours, and the rest of the time he was engaged in self-education, and Vasya is not able to fulfill the daily norm even in eight hours. It turns out that your decision was hasty.

For any leader, the result is more important than the amount of time spent to achieve it. Therefore, if you are moving into a remote work mode, it is wise to set key performance indicators (KPIs). Moreover, the assessment system should be understood not only by you, but also by the remote employee.

The principle of operation is as follows:

  1. An employee enters his monthly and quarterly plan into a Google Docs spreadsheet.
  2. At the end of the reporting period, a summing up is carried out (the employee notes completed and outstanding tasks).
  3. The manager, looking through the data, sees how things are going for each employee.
  4. A remote employee knows what to focus on and what the management's expectations are.

In addition, you will be able to know about the tasks completed for a specific period if you regularly conduct operative reports and get acquainted with the reports of subordinates. This approach to the organization of accounting and control will avoid the risk of dismissal of a really valuable employee.

Work on team development

It may happen that remote employees have different qualification levels - this is not very convenient, so it is worth training them. Track thematic online courses and educational programs, especially since at present there are quite enough of them - this is copywriting, and SEO, and marketing, and much more.

You can learn:

  • Online university "Netology". Specialization: Internet marketing of various levels (from beginner to expert).
  • Lecture hall "Theory and Practice". Specialization: business, art, design.
  • Interactive courses "HTML Academy". Specialization: HTML and CSS.
  • Online catalog "Coursera" offers the most numerous list of training courses (and not only Russian, but also other countries).
  • Academic educational project"Lectorium".

Don't forget that communication involves two-way communication: you and the remote employee must be in regular contact. This will help you to verify the effectiveness of the chosen system and suggest ways to improve the company.

Ask, conduct online meetings and surveys. All in your hands!

Remote Employee Management: 6 Best Tools

  • Basecamp

Basecamp is a service that provides a platform for organizing and discussing collaboration. Here, a remote employee can find not only like-minded people and support, but also tools to help organize work: file sharing, tasks, time control.

Free use is not provided. The cost of one month of use is $29.

  • PivotalTracker

PivotalTracker is a project management service. It is designed to plan and control the work of remote employees, tracking the effectiveness of each of them. Using PivotalTracker allows you to follow the development of the project at each stage.

The service offers analytics and visualization tools, which helps to quickly identify and evaluate problem areas, set the most successful moments and stages that are ahead of schedule.

The service can be used by a team of three people for free. In other cases, you will have to pay from 12.5 dollars.

  • Kanbanery

Kanbanery is a service used by team members. It is a "task board" that can be used for any type of work that requires close collaboration between employees. By using this service you can identify problems and errors, generate reports, search for information about any stage or section of the project.

The trial period - 30 days - is provided free of charge.

  • Jell

The trial period - 14 days - is provided free of charge. Monthly tariff - from 4 dollars.

  • Proofhub

Proofhub is a service suitable for both remote employees and freelancers. It has a rather advanced functionality and it is possible to carry out managerial functions (task management, performance monitoring, time tracking). Proofhub allows you to integrate other programs. Also have mobile app, thanks to which the remote employee can always be in touch.

The trial period - 30 days - is provided free of charge. The most profitable is the individual tariff, which allows you to simultaneously manage 10 projects with a different number of participants. The monthly cost of using the service is $18.

  • Jira

Jira is a tool that includes many various functions for efficient project management. It is suitable for teams with a different number of remote workers (from a few people to 50,000 employees). With Jira, you can create a plan that suits every team member.

Among the variety of tools, there is an accurate assessment function, thanks to which a remote employee can work “in time” with the rest of the team. Using the reporting system, you can control the project at any stage of work.

There is no free period. The monthly cost of using the service is $10.

How to control remote employees

Regardless of the field of activity and the complexity of the tasks, each remote employee must follow the structure of the process, and you must control this. Only with a well-established management system can you know how your subordinate solves the tasks assigned to him, how effective his work is, how the work on the project is progressing, etc.

If each employee has a clearly formulated task (with a description and a deadline), then it will be quite difficult to do something wrong. You can create a visual work plan and streamline the sequence of tasks using the scheduler or CRM system.

But it is important not to go too far with the degree of control. Keep in mind that a remote employee consciously chooses this form of work, he wants to feel more or less free in his actions. Such employees are ready to provide the company with their abilities, to offer original solutions therefore, excessive control can cause them negative emotions, dissatisfaction and push them to quit.

In many ways, it is the nature of the tasks to be solved that determines the level of control. Sometimes you can just check the progress of the process and request statistics. It’s easier if the employee works “for the result”: use the deadline and check compliance with the established criteria. That's all control.

Naturally, many managers are afraid that a remote employee is slacking off from work, resting a lot, and so on. But competent employees plan their work in such a way as to spend less time on it. So don't get hung up on HOW MANY people work. The main thing is HOW he does it (does he meet the deadlines, does the quality match, etc.).

Dismissing a Remote Employee

The dismissal of a remote employee is regulated by chapter 49.1 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The dismissal procedure is similar to that which an employee goes through during normal work: first of all, a remote employee must write a corresponding application in any form.

The structure of the application is standard:

  • In the upper right corner, the employee writes to whom the document is intended (name of the company and full name of the head) and indicates his data (full name and position).
  • Centered "Statement".
  • The text should include the reason for dismissal (own desire or mutual consent of the parties).
  • Date and signature below.

In order to avoid controversial issues, the application is certified by a notary, a color scan is made and sent to the employer.

The remote employee must inform the manager of his intentions no later than 2-3 days before submitting the application and work for two weeks from the date of its submission (if necessary, and the employee leaves without good reason).

In addition, the manager has the right to send the employee's work book by mail only if he has an application indicating the delivery address.

It happens that the employer is the initiator of termination of the employment contract (this option should be provided for by the terms of the contract). Article 312.5 of the Labor Code states that such a dismissal will be legal if the employment contract is signed by both parties. This fact is taken into account in the case of resolving disputes in court.

According to Article 57 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a remote worker should not be infringed on his rights: he has the right to protection from arbitrary dismissal and payment of compensation. The dismissed “remote worker” is entitled to a severance pay in the amount of monthly salary(this will reduce the risks of litigation and maintain a loyal attitude towards the company).