If you expect people to do their best work from home, they need more than a laptop at the kitchen table. The data shows this clearly: in one survey, 56% of respondents said their company did a poor job supplying hardware (computers, printers, etc.), and 52% said the same about basic office equipment (desks, chairs, and so on).

When companies don’t step in, two things tend to happen:

• Productivity drops because people are working with inadequate tools.
• Burnout and frustration rise, which can lead to higher turnover.

At a minimum, plan to provide or reimburse for:

• A work-only computer or laptop (with the right software and security controls).
• A printer where the role genuinely requires it.
• Essential office basics (desk, chair, monitor) via direct purchase or an approved-expense model.

If you use an expense model, put clear approval guidelines in place so you don’t end up paying for unnecessary “extras.” The goal is to create a baseline standard for every remote employee so they can work effectively and safely without having to personally fund the company’s infrastructure.

Burnout is one of the biggest risks in remote work, especially when people aren’t used to working from home. In one survey, 78% of respondents said they were working from home five days a week. Without structure, that can quickly feel like being “at work” 24/7.

The core issue is blurred boundaries between work and home. To address this, you can:

• Encourage clear routines
  Help employees define specific work hours and stick to them. Simple practices like shutting down the laptop at a set time or “commuting” with a short walk before and after work can make a difference.
• Promote physical and psychological boundaries
  Even if space is limited, suggest cues like “When the office door is closed, I’m at work,” or using a particular corner or table only for work.
• Support communication at home
  Coach managers to talk with employees about how they’re coordinating with family or housemates, so expectations at home are realistic.
• Normalize self-care
  Encourage breaks, movement, and time away from screens. Managers should model this behavior so it feels acceptable, not risky.
• Allow flexible schedules where possible
  Many people are juggling children, caregiving, or other responsibilities. As long as work is delivered on time and quality is high, consider focusing on outcomes rather than strict 9–5 hours.
• Keep communication channels open
  Make sure employees know who they can talk to when they feel overwhelmed—whether that’s a manager, HR, or a peer support resource.

By reimagining how you structure time, communication, and expectations, you can make remote work sustainable instead of exhausting.

Moving to remote or hybrid work means you need to rethink both security practices and how you measure performance.

Security foundations for remote work

Remote workers are often on home networks you don’t control, so you’ll need to:

• Use enterprise-grade VPNs for anyone transmitting sensitive data from home.
• Train employees on encryption if they handle highly sensitive information.
• Strengthen password hygiene by teaching staff to change default router and Wi‑Fi passwords to strong, unique ones, and by rolling out a password manager.

These steps help protect company data even when the physical environment is outside your office.

KPIs that fit remote work

Traditional “butts in seats” metrics don’t translate well to distributed teams. Instead, focus on KPIs that reflect how people actually work remotely, such as:

• Self-discipline: Can the employee stay on task and work independently with less supervision?
• Effective communication: Do they communicate clearly and promptly with teammates and clients via video, audio, and email?
• Learning agility: Can they learn new tools and processes without heavy hand-holding?
• Remote vs. local task fit: Are they handling tasks that can realistically be done remotely, and flagging those that can’t?
• Accountability: Do they reliably deliver on commitments and deadlines?
• Collaboration: Are they able to work productively with others in a virtual environment?
• Manager availability: Are managers accessible during business hours, even if employees have some flexibility in when they do focused work?

By combining stronger security practices with KPIs tailored to remote work, you can reshape your operating model so it’s both safer and more transparent—without relying on constant physical oversight.