Staff Remote and Flexible Work Policy

(Faculty members at DePauw have flexible hours and are governed by the Academic Handbook; most instruction at DePauw is in-person.) A list of Frequently Asked Questions is also available on the Human Resources website.

Summary

As a residential university centered on providing an exemplary student experience, DePauw prizes personalized interactions, collaboration, student support, and vibrant campus life arising from the in-person presence of faculty, staff, and students. Therefore, most jobs at DePauw require staff to be physically present. At the same time, the University recognizes and values that flexible alternatives to traditional work schedules can support the University’s mission and goals and can also be beneficial to staff and the University.

Providing creative work solutions that are of mutual benefit to staff and the University is integral to DePauw’s vision as a great place to live, learn, and work. Based on the needs of specific areas of operation, having flexible work arrangements may be beneficial for:

Employee wellbeing by helping employees balance work and personal responsibilities; reducing stress; enhancing staff morale and job satisfaction; and easing the financial and time constraints of commuting.
Diversity and equity by increasing the diversity of hiring pools due to providing more flexible work arrangements; supporting financial benefits of staff, including reducing costs of commuting.
Environmental sustainability by reducing automotive use and energy costs.
Productivity by reducing turnover, decreasing absences, providing opportunities to expand and adapt service hours, and by providing more flexibility to those who require it due to extenuating circumstances
Meeting other University goals for enhancing office space arrangements; work effectiveness; and greater use of technology as appropriate for services and work products that can be accomplished and/or delivered remotely.

Most importantly, a flourishing campus environment depends on effectively managing work arrangements by considering the needs of both employees and the University without sacrificing individual or collective quality of services and work.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide requirements, guidelines, and considerations to help supervisors and staff understand and implement Flexible Work Arrangements, where and when feasible, to maximize benefits and avoid potential issues.

Policy Statement

At DePauw, a Flexible Work Arrangement is an alternative arrangement or schedule to a typical work day or week. For consistency of service and support to students and colleagues, official administrative office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., when most department and program offices are required to be open. Although not every position at DePauw lends itself to remote work, many positions lend themselves to alternative or flexible/temporary schedules.

Definitions

Alternative Schedule: permits an employee’s regular work schedule to vary from official office hours, while still working the same number of required hours. For example: an employee whose normal schedule is 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. instead of 8:00 to 5:00 or another who typically works evenings or weekends. Supervisors should ensure the staff member’s wellbeing in supporting alternative schedules (i.e., allow adequate time for lunch or breaks).
Temporary Arrangements: allow adjustments in schedule to offset the weekend and/or after-hours work necessary for some positions, or short-term adjustments for occasional instances necessary for a temporary circumstance (i.e., urgent situations, home appointments, etc.)
Fully Remote and Hybrid Remote Work Arrangements: Remote work arrangements, also known as telecommuting or telework, involve working from a remote or satellite location either all or part of the time on a regular, defined basis. Regional Employees, defined as those that are required to live in a specific location to complete their work, are separate from this policy.
Fully Remote: There are a few full-time remote roles at DePauw for those for whom the nature of their work can be effectively done remotely, and those whose work involves minimal student contact, or arrangements for work on an interim basis.
Hybrid Remote arrangements are more common and allow staff to maintain in-person interaction with colleagues and students while working from a remote location part of the time.

NOTE: Remote work is not permitted outside of the United States. Tax and other legal implications may exist when working outside of Indiana.

Procedures

Alternative Schedules and Temporary Arrangements

Supervisors are responsible for setting regular working hours and expectations related to office presence and availability. These types of arrangements should be approved by a staff member’s direct supervisor and do not require a written, signed agreement. When business operations permit, and the work of other team members is not compromised, the University encourages supervisors to accommodate staff in these instances.

Remote Work and Hybrid Remote Work

Not all positions are suitable for Hybrid or Fully Remote work. All requests should be considered by supervisors on an individual basis, based on the unique, specific needs of each department and role.

Remote work arrangements may be approved for employees living and working outside the state of Indiana. However, no remote work arrangements will be approved for employees living and working outside the United States.

General Requirements

An initial in-person University orientation and a 90-day period of in-person employment is expected for all new employees (but may be waived for Fully Remote positions).
Hybrid remote arrangements generally should be no more than one day per week.
Non-student-facing roles may be considered for hybrid remote status beyond one day per week at the discretion of divisional Vice Presidents, based on the unique operating needs of each area.
Any remote staff must be readily available by telephone, chat, email, and/or other established communication methods during agreed-upon work hours.
Hybrid remote staff may be asked to share office space on the days or during the hours they are required to be on campus.
Existing University policies regarding hours, attendance, and leave apply.
Other than for illness or unavoidable conflict, hybrid remote staff are expected to be present on campus for required meetings and specific days or events that are important in the life of the University, as appropriate for the position, – e.g., orientation, faculty/staff convocation, Reunion or Family Weekends – and should plan their remote work schedules accordingly.
Any remote work arrangements may be discontinued at the discretion of the supervisor, the divisional Vice President or the University at any time. Notice of changes will be provided to the employee at least 10 working days prior to effective changes. Employees who refuse to return to their campus or facility work location may be subject to discipline and/or dismissal under applicable university policies.

Review Criteria

Although any staff member may request a remote work arrangement, as noted above, not all such requests will be approved. Additionally, a vacant position may be considered for location flexible eligibility. Each position is reviewed on an individual basis and supervisors should consider the following factors for each:

Out of State work is complex due to employment laws, taxation rules and data privacy and cybersecurity risks, and other compliance requirements in other states. Supervisors, in consultation with their divisional Vice President, should consult with the HR Office to identify tax or legal implications under IRS, state and local government laws, and/or restrictions of working out of a home-based office. The University may have restrictions for having employees in some states.
The ability to conduct essential duties remotely with no impairment in productivity or the ability to meet University and job expectations.
Offices, departments, and divisions must not experience any reduction in services, especially student-facing services, or quality of work in implementing remote work arrangements.
The remote work arrangement does not negatively impact the workload or service delivery of other team members in the department or at the university
Whether the remote location is suitable for performing the assigned duties.
Whether on-campus office coverage during official University business hours can be maintained without negatively impacting other colleagues.
The amount of work that requires face-to-face interaction with students, faculty, colleagues, and guests.
The overall work performance of the employee as determined by the supervisor and, retrospectively, from the employee performance evaluations.
Whether the request meets critical University goals such as increasing the use of shared office spaces and others.

Requesting and Formalizing Remote Work Agreements

Staff members who believe their duties and responsibilities can be successfully accomplished through a remote arrangement, and who are interested in exploring such an option, should speak with their supervisor, who will consider whether all or a portion of the position lends itself to working remotely and whether it may benefit the University, the department and the staff member.
If the direct supervisor determines that the request may be beneficial, an Agreement for Remote Work Arrangement that outlines the terms of the arrangement must be completed and forwarded to the divisional Vice President for consideration.
If approved by the divisional Vice President, the agreement will be forward to by Human Resources.

Safety

Employees are expected to maintain their home workspace in a safe manner, free from safety hazards. DePauw will provide each remote worker with a safety checklist. Injuries sustained by the employee in a home office location and in conjunction with his or her regular work duties are normally covered by the DePauw’s workers’ compensation policy. Remote work employees are responsible for notifying Human Resources of such injuries as soon as practicable. The employee is liable for any injuries sustained by visitors to his or her home worksite.

Meetings with students, co-workers, or others conducting business with the University shall not be held in person in a remote employee’s home.

Time Worked

All remote work employees who are not exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act will be required to accurately record all hours worked using DePauw’s time-keeping system. Hours worked in excess of those scheduled per day and per workweek require the advance approval of the remote worker’s supervisor. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the immediate termination of the remote work agreement.

Dependent Care

Flexible work arrangements are not a substitute for ongoing dependent or child care; staff must make or maintain such dependent care arrangements during agreed-upon work hours. It is understandable that unplanned dependent care issues may arise during regular work hours on occasion that require adaptation; in these situations, staff and supervisors should work together for a solution.

Outside Business Interests

Staff participating in any remote work should not perform unrelated or outside work – such as for a personal business – during DePauw’s agreed upon office hours.

Equipment, Work Space Accommodations, Computer Usage, and Security

A remote work environment, whether at home or another location, should be conducive to working effectively and without distractions. Home office furniture and supplies are the responsibility of the employee; however, the University may assist in arranging reasonable accommodations for disabilities, medical conditions, or other special or protected needs.
An employee’s work location and specific work schedule must be specified in the Remote Work Agreement.
All remote staff must have reliable internet and phone service, and a satisfactory workspace, maintained at their own expense (some employees, based on job requirements, may be provided a stipend for a cellular phone or internet).
The employee and department will work together to determine whether an employee has the appropriate equipment and access necessary to perform the job. In most cases, remote workers will be authorized to use DePauw computer equipment, which should be used exclusively to conduct DePauw University business. DePauw reserves the right to require that employees working remotely use DePauw supplied computers. It is recommended that staff use a University-approved laptop for ease of transportation. DePauw will not supply duplicate equipment for remote work spaces. DePauw does not provide assistance with the set-up of a remote office.
Staff members are responsible for using surge protectors and maintaining software updates and virus protection; the employee will incur costs for damages or repairs caused by failure to maintain and protect equipment.
The University will reimburse employees for travel between the employee’s work location and campus if the distance exceeds a 60 –mile radius and such reimbursement arrangement is specifically authorized within the employee’s remote work agreement. Departments are responsible for funding such reimbursement.
Security and confidentiality for all remote staff are the same for all work locations. Restricted or confidential material should not be removed from the campus worksite unless approved in advance.
Use of computing equipment from remote locations must conform to DePauw’s Electronic Communications and Acceptable Use Policy.
All records, documents, and correspondence, either in paper or electronic form must be safeguarded and protected for privacy and confidentiality.
The University is not liable for damages to the employee’s property that may result from participating in remote work.

Evaluation

Supervisors are encouraged to review the arrangement for effectiveness after the first three months and are required to review remote work arrangements annually as part of the employee’s evaluation process; a remote staff member’s performance must meet or exceed job requirements.