Rider University Telecommuting Policy 9/21/15 Purpose Rider University believes that our students and other constituents can best be served when University employees are physically on campus. As a result, the expectation is that staff work-time will generally be spent on campus, where access to others during core hours can easily be accomplished. However, there may be times when it is in the best interests of the department and the University to allow telecommuting. Any such formal arrangement must be defined in writing prior to the start of the assignment and all required approvals must be obtained. Overview Telecommuting is an alternate worksite arrangement in which eligible employees perform their regular job responsibilities away from their primary business location for a defined period of time. This arrangement may be established for regularly scheduled, sustained periods of time and may represent a portion of the employee s work week, not to exceed one day per week. Formal arrangements beyond the supervisors approval are not needed for temporary assignments in which work has been approved to be performed away from the primary work place. The ability to telecommute is a privilege based on the needs of the job, work group and organization, and may be determined by the employee's past and present levels of performance. Therefore, it is not a right. Not all employees and not all jobs are suited to telecommuting. Typically, telecommuting relationships should not be established during the first six months of employment or when an employee is experiencing performance problems or requires close supervision. Telecommuting arrangements must comply with federal and state and laws and University policies that apply to employees at Rider University. This includes, but is not limited to, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Therefore, telecommuting arrangements do not change salaries, benefits, job responsibilities, leave policies or other basic terms or legal requirements associated with employment. In those rare instances in which a department is hiring a new employee into a telecommuting status, the telecommuting requirements must be spelled out as a condition of employment during recruitment for the position. Manager and Employee Responsibilities A successful telecommuting arrangement must work for both the department and the employee. Managers determine telecommuting feasibility by evaluating the following: The work to be accomplished. The anticipated benefits to the department. The interactions required between the employee and other staff members or customers. The employee s demonstrated skills. The scope and management level of the employee s role. The level of department coverage required during normal business hours. Employees should realistically assess their ability to accomplish work in the home environment.
Can the employee ensure that they are complying with applicable laws and regulations regarding the protection of confidential and sensitive data, and that the data is being used only as required by his or her job? Is the hardware and software at the home location sufficient to ensure that normal productivity can be maintained - e.g., reliable high speed internet connection, current and compatible hardware and software, availability to talk with supervisor, colleagues, clients, etc.? Will the work require access to resources that are not currently available at home: fax machine, scanner, photocopier, etc.? Can unplanned interruptions be controlled? Telecommuting Principles 1. Telecommuting is an arrangement between management and employee, not an entitlement, and is based on the needs of the job, work group and organization, and the employee's past and present levels of performance. To be eligible to telecommute, the employee should have achieved an overall performance rating of at least the Accomplished level. 2. Telecommuting is open to employees in non-support staff roles. 3. An initial 90 day review period of telecommuting shall be required. The arrangements should be reviewed every 6 months thereafter. The employee is responsible for completing a new telecommuting form every 6 months for review with his or her manager. 4. Normally, new hires must be employed for at least 6 months prior to being eligible for telecommuting, except in special circumstances. Employees must display strong performance for the time employed with the University thus far. 5. Telecommuting is a voluntary arrangement that may be terminated at any time by management or employee. 6. Telecommuting privileges are limited to a maximum of 1 day per work week, which must be taken in full day increments. 7. Any changes to the normal schedule or work site must be reviewed and approved by the manager in advance of the change. 8. Telecommuters should be reachable during their work hours and must notify their managers if they will not be reachable or available, as expected. 9. Staff must be able to assure their managers that potential at-home distractions (e.g., children or dependent day care) are addressed and does not interfere with the work to be done through telecommuting. 10. Managers should be prepared to measure and monitor the productivity of telecommuting arrangements and establish goals for completion of tasks, assignments, and deliverables. 11. Telecommuting does not change the basic terms and conditions of employment with Rider University, nor the compensation, benefits, or workers' compensation benefits available to the employee. 12. Telecommuters remain subject to all Rider University policies. 13. Telecommuters are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect any University property from theft, damage or misuse. This includes maintaining data security and record confidentiality to at least the same degree as when working at the regular University worksite, and adhering to the Rider University Information Security Policy to ensure protection of confidential and sensitive University data.
14. On-going telecommuting arrangements must be defined in writing and address: a. The business reason for the decision to telecommute. b. Length of time the telecommuting arrangement will continue. c. The specific day of the week that the employee will telecommute. d. A description of the impact to customers in terms of service and quality of work. e. An explanation of how necessary communication with management, the department, and customers will be maintained. f. List of general duties to be performed while telecommuting (Note: other duties or accountabilities may be added/deleted as necessary). Procedures 1. Employee and Manager complete the Telecommuting Assignment and Agreement. 2. Manager approves and submits the form to OIT to determine the adequacy and security of the technology resources available for the home work site. 3. Once OIT approves, the request is sent to the Division Head. 4. Upon obtaining approval from the Division Head, the request is forwarded to HR for final review. 5. Once all approvals have been obtained, the Manager and Employee finalize arrangements for Employee to begin telecommuting.