Why you need one
- It sets clear expectations about hours, availability and output.
- It records what equipment the company provides and who pays for what.
- It explains how attendance is recorded and what is monitored, which the Data Protection Act, 2019 expects you to tell staff.
- It gives HR a fair, written basis for decisions.
1. Purpose and who it covers
Sample clause: "This policy explains how [Company] employees work remotely. It applies to every employee approved to work from home or another location outside our offices, whether full time or on certain days."
2. Eligibility and approval
- Which roles can work remotely, and which cannot.
- Whether remote work is a right or a privilege that can be reviewed.
- Who approves it, in writing.
- A probation period or trial for new remote arrangements.
3. Working hours and availability
Sample clause: "Employees must be available during core hours of 9:00 to 16:00 East Africa Time, Monday to Friday, unless a different shift has been agreed. Employees must respond to messages within [two hours] during core hours."
- State the core hours and the time zone.
- Explain how breaks work.
- Say how overtime is approved in advance and recorded.
4. Attendance and timekeeping
Sample clause: "Employees must clock in and out each working day using the company attendance system. The system records the time, a photo and the location the device reports at that moment. Attendance records are used for payroll and to confirm working time."
- What happens if someone forgets to clock in.
- How lateness is measured, including any grace period.
- How timesheets are submitted and approved.
5. Communication and reporting
- Which tools are used for what: chat, tickets, email, video.
- A short daily report or weekly update.
- Attendance at team meetings with camera on or off.
- How to raise problems early.
6. Workspace, equipment and costs
- What the company provides, such as a laptop, and who owns it.
- Any internet or data allowance, and how to claim it.
- The employee’s duty to keep equipment safe and to return it when employment ends.
- Reporting loss or damage straight away.
7. Security and confidentiality
- Use strong passwords and two-factor login.
- Do not let family members use company devices.
- Do not work on confidential material in public places.
- Report suspected security incidents immediately.
8. Data protection and monitoring
Sample clause: "To manage working time and protect the business, [Company] records attendance and, where stated in our monitoring notice, certain work activity. We collect only what is needed, keep it for the period set out in the notice, and handle it under the Data Protection Act, 2019. You can see what is tracked, and ask questions or make requests, through the Privacy page."
- Link to your monitoring notice.
- Say that monitoring is limited to working time.
9. Health, safety and wellbeing
- Employees should set up a safe and suitable workspace.
- Encourage regular breaks and normal working hours.
- Explain how to report an accident or illness while working remotely.
- Offer a way to ask for support.
10. Leave and absence
Remote work does not change leave entitlements. Explain how leave is requested and approved, and how sickness is reported on the first day.
11. Performance and review
- How goals are set and measured.
- How often managers meet each employee.
- That poor performance, or breach of this policy, may lead to the arrangement being withdrawn or to disciplinary action under company rules.
12. Ending or changing the arrangement
State that the company may require an employee to return to the office with reasonable notice, and that the policy will be reviewed each year.
Before you publish
- Have a Kenyan employment lawyer check it against your contracts.
- Share it with staff and record that each person has read it.
- Keep it short enough that people actually read it.