Question 1

What is a Remie?

Accepted Answer

A Remie is a remote assistant with solid administrative experience. A Remie's goal is to assist your current in-office staff and ease their workload. This allows your team to achieve a better work-life balance, leading to enhanced workplace satisfaction and improved service delivery.

Question 2

Who is REMIE?

Accepted Answer

REMIE is Australia's pioneer outsourcing organisation, initially dedicated to remote healthcare assistance, which expanded to the other business sectors of the workforce industry. REMIE has first-hand knowledge of the remote assistants we recruit, and the onshore experience of the Australian healthcare and business industries. Our management team is composed of Filipino and Australian professionals.

Question 3

Why the name REMIE/Remie?

Accepted Answer

The name was derived from Australia's culture of shortening words, thus "REMIE/Remie" from the word remote. We use capitalised REMIE to refer to our organisation. According to Dr. Nenagh Kemp, a Psychologist at the University of Tasmania, Australians make words shorter to save time and effort. A Remie endeavours to help practices and businesses save time and effort on daily tasks. Lastly, it is also a gender-neutral name, making it suitable to refer to your Remote Assistant as "Remie."

Question 4

Is REMIE a software company?

Accepted Answer

REMIE is a human resource solutions organisation through remote (virtual) assisting. We do not provide software for workflow systems. Our Remies use the software and systems already in your practice or business: your tool is our Remie's tool. We also do not store any data related to your business or practice.

Question 5

Where is REMIE located?

Accepted Answer

Our head office is located in Melbourne, Australia and our remote assistants are based in the Philippines. We use modern technology to communicate and conduct our business operations.

Question 6

Do you have a minimum contract for hiring a Remie?

Accepted Answer

Typically, there's no fixed commitment period, and you can end the service whenever you wish. However, just like hiring in-office staff, it takes time to determine if your Remie is a good fit for your practice. We recommend a minimum of 6 weeks of collaboration, allowing for the establishment of effective communication, rapport building, clarity on roles and responsibilities, and ultimately, evaluating productivity and performance.

Question 7

What is the employment/contract arrangement of a Remie?

Accepted Answer

Remies are independent contractors (individual business entity) selected through our organisation, REMIE. They are required to have suitable resources like reliable computers, high-quality headphones, stable internet, and ready-to-use back-up equipment, which are checked and audited regularly by our IT team for compliance. They mostly work in a safe and secure home office setup.

Question 8

Is it permissible to request a replacement for my Remie?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can request a replacement for your remote assistant if you find that the initial match isn't suitable. We understand that sometimes it may not be a perfect fit on the first attempt, and we are committed to ensuring that you have the right support for your practice or business. We will work more diligently to understand your specific needs and preferences to make a better match the next time.

Question 9

How can I terminate my Remie?

Accepted Answer

You can request a replacement or termination of your Remie with 14 days' notice.

Question 10

Do REMIE and our Remies comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and Data Privacy Act of 2012?

Accepted Answer

The Australian Privacy Principles provide guidelines to Australian entities that disclose data to an overseas recipient who is subject to a law similar to the Privacy Act 1988. The Philippine Government enacted the Data Privacy Act of 2012 to provide guidelines on individuals handling personal and sensitive information. This act has strict regulations under which your valuable information is protected from unauthorised use, and prosecutes individuals who compromise that information. We make sure that our Remies understand the consequences of a data breach. In fact, one of the reasons the law was enacted by the Philippine government is to support, build trust in, and protect the country's outsourcing industry, being one of the main drivers of its economic growth.

Question 11

What else do I need to know about data privacy and security?

Accepted Answer

Only you and your dedicated Remie will have access to any information related to your practice. Our Remies are required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012) in addition to their Overseas Contractor Agreement (Australian Privacy Act 1988), and to provide a police check prior to acceptance into our organisation. As a proactive measure, prior to handling health and sensitive information, all Remies are required to pass an internal privacy test as an additional requirement.

Question 12

Aside from legal compliance, what other measures are in place to ensure data privacy?

Accepted Answer

Before your Remie starts working with you, our IT team performs system checks on their computers to make sure that best practices in technology and internet security are employed on their devices, including antivirus and firewall properly installed. Our IT team also monitors and audits compliance, which includes regular system checks, software updates, and VPN (Virtual Private Network) connections that stay active whenever your Remie is working with you.

Question 13

What about the privacy and security of protected health data?

Accepted Answer

We at REMIE consider data privacy and compliance as the most important aspect of our service structure, and we know it is your biggest concern. Our Remies are not ordinary remote assistants. They are qualified healthcare professionals experienced in handling healthcare accounts. We guarantee it won't be the first time your Remies are handling secured health data. Most assistants you will work with have previously worked for Australian or North American healthcare systems for many years, where they were strictly guided by HIPAA principles in health data privacy. In addition, we purposely choose Remies with a healthcare educational background. Those who are locally registered have sworn an oath to protect patients' rights prior to receiving their licence, and a culture of privacy is embedded during their bachelor's training in college or university. Remies who are Philippine-registered are required to hold a current licence issued by the Professional Regulation Commission, the health regulation agency in the country.

Question 14

What is HIPAA and does it relate to Australia?

Accepted Answer

HIPAA means the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a law in the United States that provides guidelines on patient privacy and confidentiality. It is essentially the counterpart of Australia's Privacy Act 1988. HIPAA is the universally accepted gold standard in health data privacy and security used by international healthcare organisations and reputable software companies. However, Australia does not provide certification similar to HIPAA. As a proactive measure, REMIE applies HIPAA principles and advocates the use of HIPAA-compliant software.

Question 15

Australian Digital Health Agency and Australian Cyber Security Centre

Accepted Answer

We closely follow training and updates provided by the Australian Digital Health Agency to accelerate familiarisation and understanding of the Australian healthcare system among our Remies, in addition to our in-house training and education. This allows us to make our goals and services even more pertinent for Australian healthcare providers. We subscribe to and closely monitor updates from the Australian Cyber Security Centre to make sure we are aware of any issues that may affect our services, and we follow their instructions and advice to strengthen our cybersecurity practices.

Common questions about working with Remie

About REMIE

Employment & Contract

Data Privacy & Security

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