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Remote Work Policy

Flexible remote work designed to maximize productivity and quality of life while maintaining team cohesion and operational effectiveness.

개요​

Remote work is a capability, not a perk. Done well, it enables access to global talent, reduces office overhead, and improves work-life balance. Done poorly, it creates isolation, communication breakdowns, and performance issues.

Kyndof's remote work policy is built on trust and accountability. We don't track hours or require employees to be online at specific times. We care about outcomes, not activity. But remote work requires discipline—communication, self-management, and proactive collaboration.

This policy applies to all employees. Some roles may have location or timezone constraints based on operational needs.

Work Location Options​

Employees can choose their work arrangement:

Fully Remote: Work from anywhere with reliable internet and alignment with company working hours (see timezone policy below). No expectation to come to an office.

Hybrid: Split time between office and remote location. Specific cadence varies by team (e.g., 2 days in office, 3 days remote).

Office-Based: Primarily work from company office. May work remotely occasionally (e.g., sick kid, repair person coming).

Digital Nomad: Work while traveling. Requires advance approval, stable internet, and reasonable timezone overlap with team. Subject to tax and legal considerations.

Location-Specific Roles: Some roles require physical presence (e.g., lab work, hardware engineering, in-person customer support). These are identified during hiring.

Timezone and Working Hours​

Async-first communication enables distributed teams, but some synchronous overlap is necessary:

Core Overlap Hours: All team members should be available for synchronous communication during defined core hours. This varies by team but typically 3-4 hours of overlap with the majority of the team.

Timezone Constraints: For most roles, employees should be within +/- 3 hours of their team's primary timezone. Larger timezone gaps create collaboration friction and should be discussed during hiring.

Flexible Scheduling: Outside core overlap hours, employees set their own schedules. Some people work 7am-3pm, others 11am-7pm. Choose what works for your productivity and life.

Respecting Boundaries: Don't expect immediate responses outside someone's working hours. Use Slack scheduled send for off-hours messages. No one should feel obligated to respond to Slack or email at 10pm.

Global Teams: For teams with members across continents, rotate meeting times to share the burden. Don't always schedule at convenient times for one timezone.

Equipment and Workspace​

Kyndof provides equipment for productive remote work:

Standard Equipment:

  • Laptop (MacBook or equivalent)
  • Monitor (2 monitors if requested)
  • Keyboard, mouse, webcam, headset
  • Desk and ergonomic chair (stipend or direct purchase)

Internet Stipend: $50/month toward home internet costs. Employees are responsible for ensuring reliable internet (minimum 25 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up).

Workspace Requirements: Dedicated workspace that is quiet, well-lit, and professional for video calls. You don't need a home office, but you can't work effectively from a busy kitchen table long-term.

Security: Home networks must be secured (WPA2 or WPA3 encryption). Don't use default router passwords. Public wifi is acceptable for low-sensitivity work but requires VPN for accessing company systems.

Ergonomics: Kyndof covers ergonomic assessments and adjustments (standing desk, lumbar support, monitor arms) if needed. Don't suffer through back pain—request what you need.

Communication and Availability​

Remote work depends on proactive communication:

Presence Indicators: Set Slack status to reflect availability (in meeting, focusing, lunch, away). Update calendar to block focus time or personal appointments.

Response Time Expectations: See Communication Norms for detail. General rule: acknowledge messages within 24 hours during work week.

Video in Meetings: Default to video on for team meetings to build rapport. Video off is fine for large all-hands or if bandwidth/privacy is an issue.

Overcommunicate Context: In remote settings, you can't rely on hallway conversations or body language. Write clear messages, link to relevant context, explain your reasoning.

Timezone Transparency: Include your timezone in Slack profile. When scheduling, specify timezone ("2pm EST") or use UTC.

Performance and Accountability​

Remote work requires self-management:

Outcome-Based Performance: We measure performance by results (features shipped, projects completed, problems solved), not hours logged or Slack activity. If you're hitting your goals, we don't care when or where you work.

Proactive Communication: Remote employees must communicate progress, blockers, and needs without being prompted. Managers can't "see" your work, so you need to share it.

Self-Direction: Remote work suits people who can prioritize, manage their time, and solve problems independently. If you need constant guidance or oversight, remote work will be challenging.

Trust and Verification: We trust you to work effectively. But trust is verified through outcomes. Consistent underperformance or missed deadlines triggers check-ins to understand root causes.

Meeting Commitments: If you commit to a deadline or deliverable, hit it or communicate early when you can't. Remote work requires reliability—teammates depend on you even when they can't see you.

Collaboration and Team Cohesion​

Remote work risks isolation:

Regular Check-Ins: Managers hold weekly 1:1s with direct reports. These are protected time—don't skip them.

Team Rituals: Each team establishes rituals to stay connected (daily standup, weekly demo, retrospective). Consistency matters.

Informal Interaction: Create space for non-work chat (#fun-random in Slack, virtual coffee chats, game sessions). Remote work loses spontaneous social interaction—replace it intentionally.

In-Person Offsites: Kyndof holds team offsites 1-2x per year for distributed teams. These build relationships, align on strategy, and reinforce culture. Attendance is expected unless exceptional circumstances.

Onboarding: New hires spend first 1-2 weeks in person (if feasible) or have intensive virtual onboarding with daily check-ins. Remote onboarding is hard—compensate with structure and support.

Remote work creates legal complexity:

Employment Location: Employees must notify People Ops of their primary work location (city, state/province, country). This determines tax withholding, benefits eligibility, and legal compliance.

Location Changes: If you move to a new city/state/country, notify People Ops at least 30 days in advance. Moves may affect salary (cost of living adjustments), taxes, and legal entity.

International Employment: Hiring employees in new countries requires legal entity setup. We support remote work in established countries (US, Canada, Korea, UK, Germany) but expanding to new countries requires business justification.

Tax Implications: If you work remotely in a different state/country than your official employment location, it may create tax obligations. Consult a tax advisor—Kyndof provides guidance but employees are responsible for compliance.

Business Travel: Temporary travel (conferences, customer meetings, personal travel while working) doesn't change employment location. Extended stays (>30 days) require approval and may create tax/legal issues.

Visa and Work Authorization: Employees must have legal authorization to work in their location. Kyndof doesn't sponsor visas for remote work in new countries without exceptional business need.

Working from Unapproved Locations​

Flexibility has limits:

Vacation: If you're on PTO, you're on PTO—not working from the beach. Combining work and vacation creates neither good work nor good vacation.

Unapproved Countries: Don't work from countries where Kyndof doesn't have legal entities without prior approval. This creates tax, legal, and data security risks.

Temporary Disruptions: If you need to work from a different location temporarily (family emergency, home repairs), inform your manager. Short-term (1-2 weeks) is usually fine.

Extended Stays: Working from a different location for >30 days requires approval. Consider timezone impact, internet reliability, and legal/tax implications.

Remote Work for Hybrid/Office-Based Employees​

Even office-based employees work remotely sometimes:

Ad-Hoc Remote Days: Office-based employees can work remotely as needed (sick kid, home repairs, focus time). Coordinate with your team so someone is in the office if needed.

Extended Remote: If an office-based employee wants to work remotely for an extended period (>1 week), discuss with manager. Consider team impact and role requirements.

Hybrid Schedules: Some teams establish hybrid schedules (e.g., Tuesdays and Thursdays in office). Coordinate schedules so in-office days have critical mass for collaboration.

Office as Opt-In: Kyndof offices are collaboration spaces, not obligation. Come to the office when it's useful (brainstorming, socializing, change of scenery), work remotely when it's better for focus.

Home Office Expenses and Stipends​

Kyndof supports remote work financially:

One-Time Setup: $1000 stipend for home office setup (desk, chair, lighting, etc.). Use for equipment that makes you productive.

Monthly Stipend: $100/month for ongoing remote work expenses (internet, electricity, office supplies, coworking space membership).

Expense Policy: Submit receipts for reimbursement. Equipment purchased with Kyndof funds belongs to Kyndof and should be returned if you leave.

Coworking Spaces: If working from home isn't viable (roommates, noise, space constraints), Kyndof covers coworking space membership up to $300/month.

Upgrade Requests: Need a second monitor? Better chair? Noise-canceling headphones? Request it. We'd rather invest in your productivity than have you suffer.

Health and Wellbeing​

Remote work can blur work-life boundaries:

Set Boundaries: Define start and end times for your workday. Physically disconnect (close laptop, leave workspace) when done.

Take Breaks: Step away from your screen. Walk, stretch, eat lunch away from your desk. Remote work makes it easy to chain meetings for 6 hours straight—don't.

Use PTO: Remote workers sometimes skip vacation because they're "already home." Take time off—mental health requires real breaks.

Ergonomics: Don't work from your couch long-term. Invest in ergonomic setup. Your back, wrists, and eyes will thank you.

Social Isolation: Remote work can be lonely. Maintain social connections outside work. Join communities, cowork occasionally, or work from coffee shops for variety.

Mental Health Resources: Kyndof provides mental health benefits (therapy, coaching). Use them if remote work is causing stress or isolation.

Hybrid Meeting Best Practices​

Hybrid meetings (some in person, some remote) are challenging:

Everyone on Camera: If some people are remote, everyone joins individually from their own device—even people in the same office. This equalizes participation.

High-Quality Equipment: Office conference rooms need good cameras, microphones, and speakers. Remote participants shouldn't struggle to hear or see.

Intentional Inclusion: Meeting facilitators explicitly invite remote participants to speak. In-person conversations can dominate otherwise.

Visual Whiteboards: Use virtual whiteboards (Miro, Mural) instead of physical whiteboards. Remote participants can't see or contribute to physical boards.

Remote Work for Contractors and Freelancers​

Contractors follow similar principles:

Time Zones: Contractors should have reasonable overlap with their team for communication.

Equipment: Contractors provide their own equipment. Kyndof may provide software licenses if needed for the project.

Availability: Contractors set their own schedules but must meet deadlines and communicate availability clearly.

Communication: Contractors use Kyndof's communication tools (Slack, Notion, GitHub) and follow same norms as employees.

When Remote Work Doesn't Work​

Remote work isn't for everyone:

Performance Issues: If someone consistently underperforms remotely (missed deadlines, communication gaps, poor quality), manager intervenes. Solutions might include more structure, switching to hybrid, or role change.

Role Requirements: Some roles genuinely require physical presence. Be honest during hiring about remote viability.

Team Dynamics: If a remote setup creates persistent team friction (timezone challenges, communication breakdowns), re-evaluate. Maybe hybrid or office-based is better.

Personal Preference: Some people thrive remotely; others hate it. If remote work isn't working for you, talk to your manager about alternatives.

Why This Policy Exists​

Remote work policies fail when they're too rigid (micromanagement, mandatory office days) or too vague (no expectations, no structure). This policy balances flexibility and accountability.

Flexibility: You choose where and when to work, as long as you meet your commitments and communicate effectively.

Accountability: Remote work requires self-management. If you're not hitting goals or communicating well, we address it directly.

The policy works because it's paired with async-first communication, outcome-based performance, and a high-trust culture. Without those foundations, remote work devolves into either surveillance or chaos.

Managers play a critical role. They set expectations, provide feedback, and create team cohesion despite distance. If managers default to "I can't see you working, so I don't trust you," remote work fails. Great managers focus on outcomes and create environments where remote employees thrive.

Remote work is a competitive advantage. It gives us access to talent anywhere, reduces overhead, and improves retention. But it's a capability we have to build intentionally, not a perk we offer passively.

관련 문서​