How to write a remote work agreement (free template)

Published 4 October 2026 · Hiring and HR letters

A remote work agreement sets out how an employee works away from the office: where, when, with what equipment and under which rules. It sits alongside the employment contract and changes how the work is done, not the job itself.

Fully remote, hybrid or occasional?

Fully remote means no regular office days. Hybrid means set office days each week, with the rest worked from home. Occasional work from home is often covered by a company policy instead of an individual agreement. Say which one applies, and name the office days for a hybrid arrangement.

What to include

1. The arrangement: fully remote or hybrid, its start date and any trial period.
2. The work location, and a rule that the employee asks before working from anywhere else.
3. Hours and availability: working hours, any core hours, time zone, and how to reach the employee.
4. Equipment: what the company provides, who maintains it, and returning it when the arrangement ends.
5. Home office costs: any allowance, which expenses are reimbursed and how to claim them.
6. Security and confidentiality: company devices, secure connections, printed papers, and reporting a lost device.
7. Workspace and safety: a suitable place to work, and reporting injuries during work as at the office.
8. Review and ending: when the arrangement is reviewed, the notice either side gives, and the return to the office.

Why the work location matters

An employee who works from another state or country can bring the employer new payroll tax registrations, a different set of employment laws and insurance questions, even for a few months. That is why the agreement should require approval before any change of work location, including long temporary stays.

Hours and overtime

Working from home does not change overtime rules. In the US, non-exempt employees must still be paid for all the hours they work, so say how hours are recorded and that overtime needs approval in advance. Core hours (for example 10:00 to 15:00 in the employee's time zone) keep meetings possible without fixing every working minute.

Equipment and expenses

List what the company provides, and say the employee uses it for work and returns it at the end. Some places require employers to reimburse necessary work expenses; California does so under Labor Code section 2802, which can include part of a personal phone or internet bill used for work. A fixed monthly allowance is simpler to run than itemised claims, but check it covers the real costs where reimbursement is required.

Health and safety at home

In the US, OSHA's policy is that it will not inspect employees' home offices and does not hold employers liable for them, but work-related injuries at home are still recorded like any other. Other countries can expect more, such as a workstation assessment. Either way, ask employees to keep a safe workspace and report any injury during work promptly.

Free templates

The free remote work agreement template covers each item above, with options for hybrid office days, core hours, a home office allowance and the notice to end the arrangement. Use the expense reimbursement form for claims, and the employee NDA if the role handles confidential information.

General information, not legal advice. Employment, tax and safety rules differ between countries and states.

Sources

• OSHA Directive CPL 02-00-125: Home-Based Worksites

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