Telecommuting Information

  1. TELECOMMUTING INFORMATION
    1. Participating Agencies
    2. Selection Criteria
    3. Employee/Supervisor Selection
    4. Employee Reimbursement Procedures
    5. Supplies
    6. Renewal of Telecommuting Agreement
    7. Evaluation
  2. MODEL POLICY
    1. Purpose
    2. Scope
    3. Telecommuting Policies
    4. Telecommuting Coordinator
    5. Selection
    6. Maintenance, Repair, and Replacement=
    7. Health and Safety
    8. Employee Rights
    9. Termination of Participation
    10. Telecommuter's Agreement and Supervisor's Checklist

Participating Agencies

Each agency participating in the State's telecommuting program is responsible for establishing its own telecommuting programs. Departments vary with regard to the nature of the services provided, geographic dispersion, and decentralization of operations. The department telework coordinator will be the primary contact with the Department of General Services and will represent the agency on telecommuting advisory groups. The coordinator may represent the management of the agency with respect to telecommuting with employees, other agencies, and the public.

Selection Criteria

Before a manager can give a telecommuting request serious consideration, the manager and worker must carefully examine the affected job's requirements. After deciding that a certain job has telecommuting possibilities, they should explore the following points:

Employee/Supervisor Selection

Once job tasks suitable for telecommuting have been identified, each agency must establish a selection process for their telecommuting program. It is crucial to select employees who are motivated and self directed. It is equally crucial to have managers with appropriate management skills or the willingness to learn to fully utilize the telecommuting work mode. A manager who is comfortable managing for results will generally be a successful telecommuter manager. Furthermore, a good working relationship and good flow of communications between the manager and prospective telecommuter is essential. The following areas should be examined when considering potential telecommuters.

Employees who are successful telecommuters generally have a number of work-related characteristics in common, including such qualities as:

It is important that allowing some staff to telecommute not put a burden on staff remaining in the office. Not only should an equitable distribution of work load be maintained, but methods should be instituted to ensure that office employees do not have to handle telecommuters' work. For example, answering a coworker's phone can become a chore and annoyance for the Central Office employee. This is easily overcome by having the telecommuter's phone calls forwarded to his/her home office phone, using voice mail, or installing an answering machine on the office phone which the telecommuter can access from his/her home office phone. Care should also be taken to ensure that telecommuters continue to have access to needed office support.

The telecommuter and his/her family must ensure that the home office is just that, a space set aside for the employee to work. Family responsibilities must be arranged so as not to interfere with work time at home. The home should be a safe place to work. A plan should be given to the employee on how to safely set up a home office. The home should be free of hazardous materials; wiring and gas lines should be up to the local building codes; and the structure should be safe (stairs etc.). The telecommuter should sign a certificate, much like that used for private cars on State business, that proclaims the home safe for telecommuting.

Employee Reimbursement Procedures

Each agency must make arrangements with their accounting staff and the State Controller's Office to pay for business expenses incurred by the telecommuters. The Travel Expense Claim can be used for most expenses, but it is inappropriate for others. Employees should retain copies of all bills as the basis for requesting reimbursement. Advance planning in this area is necessary, and the telecommuting pilot should be used to work out the operational details. Each agency will need to plan to pay the following types of recurring expenses: Charges for business related telephone calls and services.

Supplies

The following types of expenses will not be paid by the State:

Responsibility for the maintenance of the telecommuter's home equipment should be discussed and clearly defined prior to the start of telecommuting. Maintenance responsibility for personal equipment normally remains with the employee. If provided for in their collective bargaining agreements, employees will remain eligible to receive commute subsidies as long as they continue to meet any specified criteria for the subsidy.

Renewal of Telecommuting Agreement

Each telecommuter/supervisor agreement should be discussed and renewed annually, whenever there is a major job change (such as a promotion), or whenever the telecommuter or supervisor changes positions. Because telecommuting was selected as a feasible work option based on the combination of job characteristics, employee characteristics, and supervisor characteristics, a change in any one of these requires a review of the telecommuting arrangement. Because this is a management work option, there is no automatic right of the telecommuter to continue telecommuting in the event of a change of supervisor.

Evaluation

This section describes the issues that should be addressed during the agency's evaluation of its telecommuting program. Prior to undertaking the evaluation, a specific evaluation plan should be established tailored to the agency's customized telecommuting program. Special attention should be given to the need to collect baseline data before telecommuting is implemented.

Model Telecommuting Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the telecommuting program of the [agency] and the guidelines and rules under which it will operate.

Scope

This policy applies to all the telecommuting activities of the [agency]. All managers, supervisors, and telecommuters should be familiar with the contents of this policy. Government Code Sections 14200-14203 (AB 2963, enacted September 26, 1990) authorizes every State agency, including every board and commission, to incorporate telecommuting as a work option.

Telecommuting Coordinator

Responsibility for the day-to-day coordination and management of the [agency's] telecommuting program has been assigned to [name, unit]. The telecommuting coordinator will oversee the telecommuting program including compliance with policies, procedures, and guidelines. The coordinator will be the primary contact with the Department of General Services. The coordinator will represent the management of the [agency] with respect to telecommuting employees, other agencies, and the public.

Selection

Telecommuting is only feasible for those tasks within a job which are amenable in whole or in part to being performed away from the main office. Management of the [agency] will establish employee selection criteria and select employees. Selection of employees shall not be arbitrary nor based on seniority, but shall be based on specific, written, work related criteria established by management. Such selection criteria may include reasonable accommodation provisions for permanently disabled employees, temporarily disabled employees, and displaced employees.

Employee participation in home office telecommuting is voluntary. Employee participation in telecenter telecommuting is, like other local office relocations, not necessarily voluntary.

All forms of telecommuting imply an employer-employee relationship with the employee receiving the same benefits as a nontelecommuting colleague. An independent contractor is not a candidate for telecommuting due to the required employee-employer relationship.

Maintenance, Repair, and Replacement

Maintenance, repair, and replacement of State owned equipment issued to telecommuters will be the responsibility of the [agency]. In the event of equipment malfunction, the telecommuter must notify his/her supervisor immediately. If repairs will take some time, the telecommuter may be asked to report to the main office until the equipment is usable.

Repairs to telecommuter owned equipment will be the responsibility of the employee.

Health and Safety

Home offices must be clean and free of obstructions. The home must be in compliance with all building codes. The facility must be free of hazardous materials. Telecommuting employees are responsible for ensuring their homes comply with these health and safety requirements Employees must also certify compliance as part of their "Telecommuter's Agreement." Management may deny an employee the opportunity to telecommute or may rescind a telecommuting agreement based on safety of the home or suspected hazardous materials in the home facility. Management may also have the home office inspected for compliance with health and safety requirements. Inspections will be by appointment only.

If an employee incurs a work-related injury while telecommuting, worker's compensation law and rules apply. Employees must notify their supervisors immediately and complete all necessary and/or management requested documents regarding the injury.

Employee Rights

Except as agreed to in the individual "Telecommuter's Agreement," employee rights provided for in the employee's collective bargaining agreement are not affected by participation in a telecommuting program.

None of the rights or benefits provided under the employee's collective bargaining agreement between the State and the employee unions are enhanced or abridged by the implementation of telecommuting programs. Employees retain the right to grieve in accordance with the provisions of their collective bargaining agreements.

Employees retain the right to meet with their representative (e.g., job steward) in accordance with the provisions of their collective bargaining agreements. Such meetings will take place at the employee's headquarters office and within the job steward's area of primary responsibility, not at the employee's home office. The meeting may be held at a telecenter facility within the job steward's area of primary responsibility.

Termination of Participation

Management may terminate the [agency's] telecommuting program for any reason, at any time, with advance written notice to the employees. Whenever feasible such notice will be provided at least 30 calendar days prior to the termination of the program.

Because participation in telecommuting is a bilateral voluntary agreement, management may terminate an individual employee's participation in the program without cause, at any time, with advance written notice. Whenever feasible, such notice will be provided at least 30 calendar days in advance. Termination of an employee's participation for cause may be immediate and does not require advance written notice. The employee may also request to terminate participation, without cause, at any time. Management will make arrangements for the employee to begin working at the main office as quickly as possible, but no later than 30 days after notification by the employee.

The opportunity to participate in a home telecommute program is offered only with the understanding that it is the responsibility of the employee to ensure a proper work environment is maintained (e.g., dependent care arrangements are made so as not to interfere with the work, personal disruptions such as nonbusiness telephone calls and visitors are kept to a minimum, etc.). Failure to maintain a proper work environment, as determined by management, provides cause for an employee's immediate termination from the agency's telecommute program.

Telecommuting opportunities are based upon program requirements as determined by management. Therefore, employees previously participating in a telecommuting assignment are not assured of a telecommuting assignment when returning from a leave of absence or after a job transfer.

Telecommuter's Agreement

[This model telecommuter's agreement should be tailored to an individual agency's needs and included as a model in the agency's telecommuting policy.]

Both the manager and the telecommuter understand that home based telecommuting is a bilateral voluntary option and can be discontinued at either's request with no adverse repercussions.

The [agency] will pay for the following expenses:

Claims will be submitted on a Travel Expense Claim along with receipt, bill, or other verification of the expense.

The [agency] will not pay for the following expenses:

Telecommute days are scheduled and will not be substituted without advance approval of the manager. In-office days will be ________________________. Home-office days will be ____________________.

Telecommuters must be available by phone during the core business hours of ____ to ____.

Use of sick leave, vacation, time off, or other leave credits must be approved in advance by the supervisor. Overtime to be worked must be approved in advance by the supervisor.

Telecommuting is not a substitute for dependent care, and telecommuters must make regular dependent care arrangements.

The telecommuter has read and understands the agency's telecommuting policies and agree to abide by those policies.

The telecommuter will provide for information security in the home-office, and comply with the agency's security requirements and procedures. The telecommuter agrees to check with her/his supervisor when security matters are at issue.

(Supervisor) (Date)

(Telecommuter) (Date)

THIS AGREEMENT EXPIRES IN ONE YEAR AND MUST BE RENEWED TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATION IN THE [AGENCY'S] TELECOMMUTING PROGRAM.