Starting Off on the Right Foot: Key Considerations for Onboarding Remote Workers

Over the past five years, many municipalities have transitioned to remote work models and, in doing so, have encountered new challenges, such as workplace culture issues related to isolation, as well as time theft and online harassment. While remote workplaces present novel challenges at every stage of the employment lifecycle, the earliest and perhaps most effective opportunity to address them lies in the onboarding process. A well-designed onboarding process can mitigate risks for the municipality while fostering a positive work experience for the employee, setting the stage for a productive employment relationship.

Setting the Foundation

Effective onboarding begins well before an employee’s first day. Municipalities must coordinate several key steps, such as ensuring employees have the necessary equipment to work remotely and obtaining signed employment agreements and policy acknowledgments from non-unionized employees. For these employees, securing signed copies of agreements before their first day is essential to ensure enforceability. Careful planning is required to determine which documents employees need to sign and the equipment they will need.

Certain legal requirements in Ontario apply uniformly to all employers. For instance, under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 [ESA], all employers must provide employees with a copy of the employment standards poster prepared by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (“MOL”) within 30 days of their start date. Similarly, the Occupational Health and Safety Act mandates that all employers prepare a written occupational health and safety policy and make it accessible to employees.

Other requirements depend on factors such as the employee’s role. For example, employees who are non-exempt under the ESA may only work beyond statutory limits on hours of work if specific conditions are met, including receipt of the MOL’s information sheet on hours of work and overtime pay.

Beyond logistics and legal compliance, the onboarding process is an excellent opportunity to showcase the municipality’s workplace culture and help the employee feel connected to it. This may include designating a point of contact the employee can turn to with questions, scheduling a department-wide virtual welcome meeting, or sending an onboarding package with a welcome gift.

Managing Time Theft, Moonlighting, and Online Harassment

While remote work offers flexibility, it also reduces oversight, which can lead to challenges. If not properly managed, this lack of oversight may create workplace challenges that go unnoticed by municipalities.

A growing concern is time theft, where employees report working more hours than they actually do, leading to inflated compensation. Similarly, moonlighting—when an employee takes on a second job or side work—can create conflicts of interest and performance issues. Additionally, online workplace harassment and sexual harassment often go undetected in remote environments, making it harder for municipalities to intervene.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for addressing these risks, but clear contractual and policy terms can set expectations. Municipalities should establish well-defined policies on remote work, conflicts of interest, workplace harassment, and progressive discipline. These policies provide an objective framework for addressing misconduct and, when necessary, imposing discipline or termination. The onboarding process offers a key opportunity for municipalities to train employees on these policies and align them with expectations.

At the outset, municipalities should consider how they will monitor an employee’s performance, productivity, and use of municipality-supplied devices and equipment. This is crucial not only for managing risks and protecting the municipality’s financial health but also for supporting the employee’s well-being. The shared benefits for both the municipality and employee become especially clear when considering the risk of online harassment, which, if undetected and unaddressed, can devastate affected employees, create legal risks, erode morale, reduce productivity, and increase turnover.

In some cases, it may be appropriate to use software to track time or detect problematic communications among employees using municipality-supplied devices or equipment. However, municipalities must ensure any monitoring complies with privacy laws and collective agreements, where applicable. Additionally, any monitoring should be clearly communicated to employees and outlined in an electronic monitoring policy, as required by the ESA.

Evaluating and Improving the Onboarding Process

A successful onboarding process requires ongoing refinement. Municipalities should solicit feedback from new hires and adjust their approach based on insights gathered. Employees who have experienced the process firsthand are well-positioned to suggest improvements.

While no onboarding process is perfect, proactive planning and continuous evaluation can help municipalities start the employment relationship on the right foot.