Telecommuting refers to an agreement in which an employee works from home or from another non-academic location that is away from the usual workplace thanks to telecommunications technology. Depending on the details of the agreement, telework is part of the employee`s work schedule or the entire party. Telecommuting can benefit not only the employee, but also the supervisor, the team, and the university in general. Telework is consistent with institutional objectives, including: Managers should avoid distributing work based on „availability” as measured by physical presence. It`s also important for managers to avoid the trap of assuming that someone present and looking busy is actually doing more work than someone who isn`t on site. Good performance management practices are essential for telework to operate effectively and fairly. Ultimately, decisions about how to equip employees and telecommunications services to be provided are made by the agency and/or individual managers. Therefore, managers should familiarize themselves with these guidelines as well as their organization`s equipment policy. Within these constraints, the challenge for managers is to find the right balance between budget, security and efficiency. Factors to consider include technological requirements based on the employee`s work, agency security requirements, and budget constraints.

Documenting the telework agreement A telework agreement is a written plan that describes the understanding and commitment to telework as mutually agreed upon by the employee and his or her department, and that is required for regular telework arrangements. A telework agreement should at least follow the general provisions of the telework agreement – hybrid or casual (MS Word) and define at least the following: The suitability of a position for telework is based on the operational needs and the tasks and responsibilities of the position as defined in the employee`s job description. It is the ministry`s responsibility to mark positions as teleworkable or ineligible for telework. Positions that can be described as teleworkable are those in which all or a significant portion of the duties of a position can be performed by teleworking. Telework as an accommodation for persons with disabilities Requests for telework as accommodation for persons with disabilities or accommodation for pregnant women are dealt with as part of the accommodation process. Employees should discuss their concerns about telework requests related to accommodation with their recruiter or the Office of Disability Services. Managers and supervisors must commit to using telework as much as possible if federal telework programs are to be successful. The success of a company`s telework program depends on regular and routine use by employees at all levels.

Experience is the only way to enable managers, employees, IT support, and other stakeholders to solve technology, equipment, communication, workflow, and related issues that can compromise the transparency of remote working. Individuals who are expected to telework or who should telework in an emergency situation, including managers and supervisors, should be encouraged to telework with some frequency under non-emergency conditions. Managers and supervisors should make it a point to participate regularly in telework to lead by example and become familiar with the dynamics of management in a telework environment. It is important to note that performance standards for employees who telework must be consistent with the performance standards for employees who do not work remotely. Management`s performance expectations should be clearly reflected in the employee`s performance plan, and the performance plan should be reviewed to ensure that the standards do not create inequalities or inconsistencies between teleworkers and non-teleworkers. Like non-teleworkers, teleworkers are held accountable for the results they achieve. Good performance management techniques practiced by the manager mean a smoother and easier transition to a remote working environment. For more information, see opM`s Results-Based Management and Performance Management. Equipment The employee must create an appropriate and safe work environment that meets the guidelines set out in the telework agreement.

Teleworkers are expected to ensure that information security expectations are met and that university assets are secure. The University assumes no responsibility for the costs of the teleworker in connection with Internet service, heating, electricity, water, security, insurance and use of the personal residence. Managers should familiarize themselves and their employees with their organization`s policies, including applicable collective agreements, to ensure that they meet their requirements. In addition, all authorities should have information systems and technology security policies in place, and managers should ensure that their equipment decisions and telework arrangements comply with these policies. Information security includes the protection of sensitive files and documents in paper form. The law requires managers and supervisors of teleworking employees to successfully complete telework training. Employees must also complete telework training before they can telework, unless the head of the agency has determined that employees who have teleworked before the law are exempt from the training requirements. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers online remote work training to executives and employees. In addition, many organizations offer their own training as part of telework policies and procedures.

In addition, IT security training at the organization level is mandatory, and managers should ensure that teleworkers complete this training and understand their responsibilities for protecting work-related information. For more information on telework training and/or in-agency IT training, please contact your agency`s telework coordinator or TMO. You can find your telework coordinator by searching OPM`s work-life contact database. The law states that every teleworker and his supervisor must enter into a written telework agreement for any type of telework, whether the employee regularly teleworks or not. . . .