Remote and hybrid work arrangements have become a permanent feature of the Bangladeshi business landscape. A 2024 survey by the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) found that 62% of IT companies now offer some form of remote or hybrid work. Beyond IT, BPO companies, consulting firms, media organizations, and even financial institutions have adopted flexible work models. This shift creates specific management challenges — how do you track attendance without physical offices? How do you maintain productivity without micromanaging? How do you ensure compliance with Bangladesh's labor laws for remote workers?

Remote Attendance and Time Tracking

GPS-Based Mobile Check-In

For employees working from home, coworking spaces, or client sites, GPS-enabled mobile attendance captures location data at clock-in and clock-out. This verifies that the employee is at an approved location without requiring them to commute to an office. The GPS coordinates are logged alongside the timestamp, providing auditable records.

IP-Restricted Web Check-In

Some organizations restrict remote check-ins to specific IP addresses — the employee's home broadband connection, for example. While less common in Bangladesh due to dynamic IP allocation by ISPs, it works well for organizations with VPN infrastructure that assigns static IPs to remote workers.

Selfie and Geo-Tagged Attendance

A practical middle ground used by several Bangladeshi companies: the employee takes a selfie through the HRM mobile app, which attaches GPS coordinates and a timestamp. This provides identity verification (preventing someone else from checking in) and location verification in a single step. Ultimate HRM supports this method alongside traditional biometric and web-based attendance.

Productivity Monitoring: Finding the Right Balance

Output-Based Measurement

The most effective remote work management approach focuses on output rather than hours. Define clear deliverables, deadlines, and quality standards. Use project management tools to track task completion rates, turnaround times, and work quality. This approach respects employee autonomy while maintaining accountability.

Activity Monitoring Tools

Some organizations deploy tools that track application usage, screenshot capture, or keyboard activity. While these provide data, they also carry risks — employee resentment, privacy concerns, and a false sense of management control. These tools measure activity, not productivity. An employee can appear busy on screen while producing low-quality work, and a highly productive employee may take breaks that trigger inactivity alerts.

The recommended approach for Bangladeshi companies is to use output-based metrics as the primary productivity measure and reserve activity monitoring for specific roles where it is contractually agreed upon, such as BPO and call center operations.

Communication and Collaboration Infrastructure

Essential Tool Stack

  • Video conferencing: Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams for meetings and check-ins. Bangladesh's improving 4G/5G infrastructure makes video calls viable even outside Dhaka.
  • Instant messaging: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat for real-time communication. Establish norms around response times and availability hours.
  • Project management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or ClickUp for task tracking and sprint management. These tools provide visibility into work progress without requiring constant check-ins.
  • Document collaboration: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for shared documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with real-time co-editing.
  • Knowledge base: Confluence, Notion, or similar tools to document processes, decisions, and institutional knowledge that remote employees can access independently.

Managing Across Time Zones

While most Bangladeshi companies operate within BST (UTC+6), teams working with international clients span multiple time zones. Establish core collaboration hours — a 3-4 hour window when all team members are expected to be available — and allow flexibility outside those hours. Document decisions in writing so that team members in different time zones can stay informed asynchronously.

Compliance Considerations for Remote Work

Labor Law Applicability

The Bangladesh Labour Act does not explicitly address remote work, which creates a gray area. However, the employer's obligations regarding working hours, rest days, overtime compensation, and leave entitlements apply regardless of where the work is performed. HR software must track these compliance parameters even when employees are not physically present in the office.

Workplace Safety for Remote Workers

While the Act's workplace safety provisions are written for physical establishments, responsible employers extend health and safety considerations to home offices — ergonomic guidance, equipment provision (monitor, keyboard, chair), and mental health support. HRM systems can track equipment issued to remote workers and schedule periodic check-ins on work-from-home conditions.

Data Security

Remote work expands the organization's security perimeter. Ensure that remote workers access HRM and other business systems through VPN connections, use two-factor authentication, and follow data handling policies. Ultimate HRM supports role-based access and secure authentication methods suitable for remote access scenarios.

Building a Remote-Ready HR Infrastructure

The transition to effective remote work management requires three layers: technology (attendance, communication, and project tools), policy (clear guidelines on work hours, availability, and performance expectations), and culture (trust, autonomy, and outcome-oriented management). Nexis Limited helps organizations build all three layers through technology deployment and consulting services. Explore our product suite to see how Ultimate HRM supports distributed workforce management.