Procedure IV.4005.A.a, Remote Work

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Associated Policy

Policy IV.4005.A, Remote and Alternate Work Schedule Arrangements

Procedures

INTRODUCTION

Remote Work is a cooperative arrangement between the College and the employee. The remote work arrangement is based on the needs of the position, work group or department, and the employee’s overall performance. The remote work arrangement can be short term (up to three months) or long term (three to five months) and allows eligible full-time employees to work remotely a maximum of two days per week. Positions best suited for remote work include the following descriptors:

• The position has tasks or phases of work in which the employee spends most of the time working independently;
• The position requires independent work. Face-to-face interaction with coworkers, leaders, and/or students is not required on a daily basis;
• The presence of a leader at the work site is not required on a daily basis;
• A majority of the work product is quantifiable and/or results can be measured by work product or output or by compliance with a deadline; and/or
• The employee will benefit from quiet and uninterrupted work time.

Work activities should be portable and should involve tasks that can effectively be performed away from the on-site work location. Any technology and equipment needed to perform the job off-site must be readily available.

ELIGIBILITY

This procedure applies to all full-time San Jacinto College staff and administrators. Teaching faculty will utilize the teaching schedule and delivery methods established each academic semester.

Positions requiring specific skills, as designated by the respective Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) member, may allow for additional flexibility in scheduling. The productivity of employees in these positions is tracked by available technology that is inherent in the work performed.

CONSIDERATIONS 

Staff and administrators who have an established record of high performance and self-motivation are strong candidates for remote work. The employee must have a track record of using good judgment and must have above average job knowledge and technical/computer knowledge. In addition, the individual must have exhibited valuable or above on performance evaluations with no documented performance or behavioral concerns within the six-month period preceding the request to work remote.

Setting performance expectations and evaluating work output are critical to a successful remote work arrangement. Work schedule, expectations, and a plan for evaluation should be in writing. A written agreement will address how output will be tracked or measured.

The employee’s home or other designated location must provide a suitable working environment. The employee must demonstrate specialized knowledge and expertise to work unsupervised.

REQUIREMENTS

All requests and approvals pertaining to remote work must be in writing. Offering the opportunity to remote work is a decision among the employee’s successive levels of leadership, including the SLT member. The SLT member must be informed of and approve all remote work requests. Documentation should include the following:

• The remote work schedule and
• Conditions and duration of arrangement.

Any changes to the schedule or workspace should be reviewed and approved by the leader in advance.

The leader must provide written notice to the employee that the remote work arrangement is being terminated or modified.

Modification or termination of a remote work arrangement may include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Business needs are no longer being met; current coverage or staffing needs changed (i.e. an unexpected staff shortage develops).
2. Job requirements changed.
3. Employee performance fell below a valuable level.

The conditions of employment for employees who are doing remote work with the College remain the same as for College employees who work on site. The employee is subject to all Board of Trustees’ policies and procedures, including policies relating to the confidentiality of records and restrictions on outside employment, as are other employees. Employee salary and benefits will not change for an employee who works remotely. However, any non-exempt employee who is approved for a remote work arrangement may not accrue overtime/compensatory time without leadership approval. In the event a non-exempt employee needs to work more than 40 hours in a work week, the approval of overtime will be documented before commencement of the work.

To ensure that a safe and secure work environment exists, the College may inspect the employee’s off-site work space, including the home office, at mutually agreed-upon times.

Employees must also follow the standard break and lunch schedule established by the department.

College equipment in the home may not be used for personal purposes and College-owned software shall not be duplicated. To ensure hardware and software security, the leader, before installation, should approve all software used for remote work and only approved websites and College systems may be accessed. All employees working remotely should adhere to security measures and computer firewalls used to protect confidential information at the remote site.

Unless otherwise agreed to in writing prior to any loss, damage, or wear, the College does not assume liability for loss, damage, or wear of employee-owned equipment.

Reasonable office supplies will be provided by the College and should be obtained during the employee’s on-site work schedule. Out-of-pocket expenses for supplies normally available in the office will not be reimbursed, except by prior arrangement and with the leader's approval. The College will not provide office furniture.

Remote work is not a substitute for dependent care. Employees who work remotely with dependents must plan for dependent care during the agreed-upon work hours, just as the employee would do if were working at a College facility. If the College determines that an employee has responsibility for the care of a dependent during work hours, then the remote work arrangement is subject to immediate termination. Employees should contact HR Benefits for available leave options when needing to provide care for a dependent.

Offering the opportunity to work remotely is a leadership decision; working remotely is not a standard employee benefit.

While working remotely, the employee must be accessible via phone, e-mail, or through other communication methods including technology provided by the institution and during agreed-upon work hours. The employee must be available for emergency situations and may be asked to return to a College facility on short notice. Employees must respond to the request within one hour of notification.

Departmental On-Call Procedures must be adhered to and are separate and distinct from this procedure.

DEFINITIONS

Remote Work Arrangement: An authorized work agreement that allows eligible full-time employees to work remotely a maximum of two days per week of the regularly assigned on-site work location. The work arrangement can be short term (up to three months) or long term (three to five months).

On-site Work Location: A designated work location either on College Property or other location authorized by leadership where normal work, meetings, or related business activities are performed on behalf of the College.

Dependent: A parent or spouse who is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability. A biological, adopted, foster child, stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is either under 18 years of age or is 18 years of age or older and is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

Please refer to links below for information regarding ITS Technology.

Visit the Support Blog

Login remotely from anywhere (home, for example) via the VPN

Use technology to communicate via Audio/Web Conferencing

Remote Work Form can be accessed by clicking here.