Employer and Employee Resources for Remote Work

COVID-19 has changed ways people live and work across the world, and all businesses have been in some way affected. There are an overwhelming amount of tools, resources, and information available to help guide us through this time, and we have consolidated helpful employer and employee resources  in this post. Included are guides for remote work and management, along with other resources for employers and employees. 

Keeping Your Business Running  Remotely

At Cross Campus we understand that the benefits of in-person collaboration are unparalleled and that unexpectedly having to work with or manage a team from home can be difficult to navigate. Below, we have summarized video conferencing options and tips, remote project management tools, time tracking software, and other helpful resources to keep you engaged with your team. 

Video conferencing platforms for virtual meetings 

• Google Hangouts & Google Meet: The free version of Hangouts supports video calls with up to 25 participants. This helpful post from Zapier breaks down the differences between Hangouts and Meet. 

• Did you know? If you are an existing G Suite customer Google is offering Hangouts Meet advanced features for free through July 1, 2020. 

• Zoom: The free version of this platform has a 40-minute time limit. You can upgrade to a “Pro” plan for $14.99/month. Find more details on all plans including their “Business” and “Enterprise” options here. 
• Skype: With the free version of Skype you can have up to 50 people on a call at once. Learn the difference between Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Skype for Business here. 
• GoToMeeting: Plans now start at $12/month (typically $14/month) for up to 150 participants, and $16/month (typically $19/month) for 250. For more details check out their website.
• There are plenty of other video conferencing options, and if you’re interested you can check out TechRadar and G2’s reviews on these video conferring platforms and more. 

Project management software for visually organizing, assigning, and executing tasks

• Asana: If you don’t need to share many files on the platform, Asana is free! Check out other Asana options here, and take advantage of their free 30-day trial. 
• Notion: Notion also has a free version, and some pretty helpful resources for setting up a remote team using their platform.. 
• ClickUp: Fully customizable. Starting price is $5/month per user. Learn more here. 
• Trello: The free version allows up to 10 “Team Boards.” Learn more here. 
• For more options check out Techradar’s top 6 project management softwares of 2020, and TechnologyAdvice’s buyer’s guide with reviews of their top 10. 

Helpful links for newly-remote employees

• Google released “Distributed Work Playbooks” based on internal and external research that has guides for employees, managers, and leaders. 

• This article from Liberationist.com summarizes 7 secrets of successful remote teams from Google’s research, which includes choosing video calls over plain, old audio because, “non-verbal language is as important as the words we say.”

• Google also has some tips on making “work from home” work for you, and how to have better video calls using Hangouts Meet. 
• Inc.com has published 23 essential tips for working remotely that are separated by categories of self-care, communication, and morale. 
• One of our members recommended the Pomodoro Technique and the free Tomato Timer to help stay on task and better manage time while working from home. 
• TIME Magazine published 5 tips for staying productive and mentally healthy while you’re working from home, including finding a buddy to chat with throughout the day. 

Working from home with kids 

• When schools are closed getting work done at home can be tricky, so one of our members recommended the Time Timer app, which  is a visual timer that can help keep your kids on track with schoolwork and other activities. 

• If you’re interested in any of their clocks, etc. they are offering free shipping while schools are closed! 

• VirtualVocations.com published a Parent Guide to At-Home Learning  with tips for facilitating remote learning for your kids during COVID-19, and some additional at-home learning if they don’t have enough schoolwork. 
• Fast Company published some advice on getting things done when you’re working from home with kids of all ages. 
• Keep kids busy with free virtual academic tutoring, foreign language lessons, music, and more. TakeLessons.com just introduced a weekly series of free online classes for kids and adults, with new subjects offered every day. Register for free classes. 

Setting up & managing remote teams

• Notion’s Remote Work Wiki page has compiled helpful resources in one place that help teams manage a remote workforce. The resources range from helpful articles about transitioning to working from home to HR resources and health tips. 
• Techstars created a downloadable remote work guide for company leaders, managers and employees. 
• Zapier has been remote since 2011, and their Ultimate Guide to Remote Work is a helpful resource.
• Business.com offers 10 ways to improve video conferences. Find out more here about “going around the horn” and more. 
• Silicon Republic writes about 5 key practices for successfully leading remote teams, the first of which is understanding your team’s different personalities. 
• For tracking remote employee hours check out Toggl, TSHEETS, Harvest, Clockify, and more: 

• Zapier reviews other options here. 
• Business.com reviews some time tracking software here too! 

• Zipdev knows all about managing remote workers, and has summarized some of their wisdom on how to get started with remote teams in this short and sweet post. 

Human Resource support for employers

• HR Executive provides the latest news updates and insights to how HR can best respond for the betterment of their employees during COVID-19. 
• Fisher Phillips published an awesome comprehensive and updated FAQ for employers on the Coronavirus. 
• Workable has downloadable documents for policy templates, email templates from HR to staff, and more in this post: COVID-19: All the resources you need to survive and succeed.
• SHRM has links to HR forms, policies, and a helpful Q&A section that answers questions like, “What is the difference between a furlough, layoff, and reduction in force?” 
• Entrepreneur.com posted 5 tips on how your small business can survive COVID-19, including using it as a time to “upskill” your staff. 

Did you find this helpful? Let us know what other topics, resources, and information you're interested in by emailing sm@crosscampus!