Working hours and remote work policy template for a handbook: free
Also known as: Remote work policy template, Hybrid work policy template, Working hours policy template, Work from home policy template
A free working hours and remote work section for an employee handbook. It covers standard hours, breaks, overtime, time recording, flexible hours, who may work remotely, working from another country, home office equipment and availability, with bracketed placeholders for your own rules.
Teams that work from different places still need shared answers to simple questions: when are we expected to be reachable, how is overtime handled, who may work from home and on which days, and can someone work from another country for a month. This section sets those rules in plain language. The working-time limits and the overtime rules come from local law, so the template asks you to fill them in rather than assume them. The question of working from another country has tax and legal consequences, so the template makes employees ask first.
SECTION HEADER
[COMPANY LEGAL NAME] Working Hours and Remote Work Version: [1.0] Effective date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Applies to: [ALL EMPLOYEES / THE GROUPS LISTED] Owner: [HR / PEOPLE TEAM / ROLE]
1. STANDARD WORKING HOURS
The standard working week is [NUMBER] hours, [MONDAY TO FRIDAY], from [START TIME] to [END TIME] local time, including a [NUMBER]-minute break. Your contract states your exact hours if they differ. Working time never exceeds the limits set by the law of the country in which you work.
2. BREAKS AND REST
You are entitled to a break of at least [NUMBER] minutes when you work more than [NUMBER] hours in a day, and to at least [NUMBER] hours of rest between working days and [NUMBER] hours of uninterrupted rest each week, or the periods the law requires if they are longer. Please take your breaks.
3. OVERTIME
Overtime must be requested by you and approved by [MANAGER] before you work it, except in an emergency, when you tell [MANAGER] as soon as you can. Approved overtime is compensated by [PAYMENT AT [RATE]% / TIME OFF IN LIEU AT [RATE] / EITHER, BY AGREEMENT], within [NUMBER] [WEEKS / MONTHS], and as the law requires. Work on public holidays and rest days is compensated as [DESCRIBE]. Overtime that is not approved in advance [IS NOT COMPENSATED / IS REVIEWED CASE BY CASE]. Where the law requires overtime to be paid, we pay it.
4. RECORDING WORKING TIME
[Employees record their working time in [TIME TRACKING SYSTEM / TIMESHEET] by [DEADLINE] each [DAY / WEEK / MONTH]. Managers approve it by [DEADLINE]. / Working time is not recorded for employees on a fixed monthly salary, except for overtime and absences.]
5. FLEXIBLE HOURS
With your manager's agreement you may start and finish at different times, provided that you are available for the core hours of [START TIME] to [END TIME] and meet your goals. Flexible hours do not change your total weekly hours or your right to rest.
6. REMOTE AND HYBRID WORK
Eligibility: [ROLES OR TEAMS THAT CAN WORK REMOTELY, AND ANY CONDITIONS, SUCH AS COMPLETED PROBATION]. Pattern: [HYBRID: [NUMBER] DAYS IN THE OFFICE AND [NUMBER] DAYS REMOTE EACH WEEK / FULLY REMOTE / TO BE AGREED WITH YOUR MANAGER]. [On-site days are [SET DAYS / SET BY THE TEAM].] Remote work is a way of organizing work and not a change to your employment terms. Your pay, hours, benefits and duties stay the same. The company may change the pattern with [NUMBER] days' notice for business reasons. Either you or the company may end a remote work arrangement with [NUMBER] days' notice, unless your contract or the law says otherwise.
7. WORKING FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY
You must work from the country named in your employment contract. If you want to work from another country, including for a short time, ask [HR CONTACT] at least [NUMBER] weeks before you travel. We will check tax, social security, immigration and legal requirements, and we will tell you if we can approve the request and for how long. Do not start working from another country before you receive written approval.
8. HOME OFFICE
You need a safe, quiet place to work with a reliable internet connection. The company provides [LIST: LAPTOP, MONITOR, KEYBOARD, HEADSET, CHAIR] and [PAYS / DOES NOT PAY] [AN ALLOWANCE OF [AMOUNT] PER [MONTH / YEAR] / A SHARE OF INTERNET AND UTILITY COSTS]. Equipment remains the company's property and is covered by our Equipment and Security policy. Report any workplace accident or health problem linked to your work to [HR CONTACT].
9. AVAILABILITY AND COMMUNICATION
During your working hours you are reachable through [CHAT / E-MAIL / PHONE]. Set your calendar and status so that colleagues know when you are available. We do not expect replies outside working hours, except for on-call duties that are agreed in your contract. Respect colleagues' working hours and time zones when you schedule meetings.
When to use this template
- You moved from office-only to hybrid or remote work and the rules live in chat messages
- Managers apply different expectations about hours and availability
- You employ people in several countries and need one structure with local working-time limits
What to decide
- Standard hours and the maximum weekly hours that local law allows
- Breaks and daily and weekly rest periods required by law
- How overtime is requested, approved and compensated (pay, time off in lieu, or both)
- How working time is recorded, and by whom
- Which roles can work remotely, how many days and from where
- What is expected of availability and communication when people work in different time zones
- Who provides and pays for the home office, and what the employee must do to keep it safe
Customization notes
Section 1: check the legal limit on weekly hours and the minimum rest periods in each country, and make sure your standard week fits inside them. Section 3: overtime rules and premium rates are set by law in many countries and by collective agreements in others. Write down the rule that applies, not an average. Section 4: some countries require employers to record working time for all employees. Check before you drop the recording. Section 6: say clearly that remote work does not change terms of employment, and say who can end it. Unclear rules lead to disputes when you later ask people back to the office. Section 7: involve your accountant or an adviser before you approve long stays abroad. The consequences can be considerable for both sides. Section 8: some countries require the employer to reimburse certain home office costs or to assess the home workplace. Check the local rule.
Frequently asked questions
What should a remote work policy include?
Who is eligible, the work pattern, the approved work location, rules for working from another country, equipment and expenses, working hours and availability, data security and health and safety at home.
Does remote work change an employee's contract?
It does not have to. A well-written policy treats remote work as an arrangement within the same terms. If you want to make remote work a contractual right, or to remove one that has become routine, check the local rules on changing contract terms.
How should overtime be handled?
Require approval in advance, record the hours, and compensate by pay or time off in lieu as the law and your contracts require. In many countries overtime pay and limits are mandatory, so check them before you set your rule.
Can employees work from another country?
Only with approval. Working from another country can create tax, social security and immigration obligations. Put a request process in place and check the rules for the destination before you say yes.