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Home My WebLink About300-030POLICY&PROCEDURESubject:Index:HRRMDEPARTMENTTELEWORKNumber:300-03EffectiveDate:Supersedes:Page:StaffContact:ApprovedBy:5/10/20227/13/20211of5EllenBradley-Mak____1.0PURPOSE:Toestablishapolicyandprocedurestouse,whereappropriate,Telecommutinginordertoattractandretainaskilled,diverse,dedicatedworkforce,reducecosts,encourageaffordabletrafficmitigationandimproveproductivityamongemployeeswhilemeetingtheneedsoftheresidents.ThispolicywouldalsobeutilizedifCityHallorotherCityfacilitiesareclosedinresponsetoanemergencyrequiringtheemployeeswhoworkinthosebuildingstoworkfromhome.2.0ORGANIZATIONSAFFECTED:Alldivisionsanddepartments.Foremployeeswhoarerepresentedunderthetermsofacollectivebargainingagreement,thispolicyprevailsexceptwhereitconflictswiththecollectivebargainingagreement,oranymemorandaofagreementtothecollectivebargainingagreement,relativetothemembersofthebargainingunit.3.0REFERENCES:CollectiveBargainingAgreementsPolicy&Procedure100-05:DisclosureofPublicRecordsPolicy&Procedure100-09:EmailSystemPolicy&Procedure230-02:RecordsManagementPolicy&Procedure250-15:TechnologyDeviceProcurement,ManagementandUsagePolicy&Procedure250-16:ElectronicDataSecurity Policy300-03Teleworkp.24.0POLICY:4.1Scope:TheteleworkpolicyshallapplytoallemployeesintheCityofRentonwhoareemployedbytheCityofRentoninaregular-statusposition.4.1.1Teleworkisnotappropriateforallemployees.Noemployeeisentitledtoorguaranteedtheopportunitytotelework.Theemployeeandsupervisorwillassessthejobresponsibilitiesoftheemployeetodetermineifthejobisappropriateforteleworking.Thesupervisorhasfulldiscretiontodenyateleworkagreementiftheydeemitnotappropriate.4.1.2EmployeesrequestingteleworkasamedicalaccommodationfortheirownconditionshouldcontactHRRMpriortorequestingteleworkfromtheirsupervisor.HRRMwillworkwiththeemployeeonreasonableaccommodationoptions,andprovideinformationandoptionstothesupervisor,withoutdisclosingtheemployee’spersonalmedicalinformation.4.2TypeofArrangements:Thecityauthorizestwodifferenttelecommutingarrangements,whichbothrequirecompletionofaTeleworkApplicationandTeleworkAgreement.4.2.1Informaltelework:Ad-hocteleworkarrangementsmaybeapprovedforanemployeewhentheemployeeisworkingonaprojectrequiringuninterruptedfocusorwhentheemployeemustbehomeforasituation,otherthandependentcare(exceptifapprovalisprovidedbytheHRRMAdministratorper4.13),thatwouldotherwiserequiretheuseofvacation,comptime,personalholidays,ormanagementleave.Additionally,Supervisorscanapproveteleworkinadvanceinanticipationofinclementweather.Ifanemployeeperformsteleworkonaregularbasisratherthanoccasionalbasistheteleworkbecomesroutineteleworkandtheappropriateagreementmustbecompleted.4.2.2Routinetelework:PermittedforemployeesonlyunderthetermsoftheTeleworkAgreementreachedbetweentheemployeeandtheimmediatesupervisorandapprovedbytheDepartmentAdministrator.Seeattachedformforreference.4.3Eligibility:Teleworkagreementswillonlybeapprovediftheemployeehasaportionoftheirworkloadthatcanbecompletedoutsideoftheoffice.Othereligibilityconsiderationsare:4.3.1Iftheneedsofbothinternalandexternalcustomerscanbemetwithoutadverseimpacttotheorganization. Policy300-03Teleworkp.34.3.2Theteleworkermustbeabletoarrangewiththeirco-workersandsupervisorforcoverageofon-sitejobdemandsthatariseonteleworkdays.IfduringtheeffectiveperiodofaTeleworkAgreementcoveragecannotbeprovidedwithoutadecreaseinservicelevelsoradditionalcosttotheCity,thesupervisormayrequiretheemployeetoreporttotheirregularworkstationatCitypremises.4.3.3EmployeesmustresideintheStateofWashingtontotelework.4.4Theemployee’sscheduleshallbeoutlinedintheagreementandincompliancewithwageandhourlaws,CityofRentonpolicies,Departmentstandardsandanyapplicablecollectivebargainingagreement.Anypersonalleavetimetobetakenduringateleworkperiodmustbepreapprovedandrequestedinthesamemannerasotherleaverequests.Forinformalteleworkagreements,eachinstanceofteleworkmustbeseparatelyapprovedbythesupervisorpriortotheteleworkcommencing.Suchapprovalshouldbedocumentedinwriting,whichmaybebyemail.4.5Iftheteleworkerchoosestoworkatalocationbesidesahomeoffice,theymustreceiveapprovalfromtheirsupervisorpriortobeginningthetelework.ThesupervisormustconsultwithHumanResourcesandRiskManagementwithanyquestionsregardingtheappropriatenessofadifferentlocationasateleworksite.4.6Thesupervisorwilldetermineappropriateequipmentneedsforeachtelecommutingarrangementandwillsupplynecessarygeneralofficesupplies.Officefurnitureandhouseholdexpensessuchasrent/mortgageandutilitieswillnotbepaidfororpurchasedbytheCityofRenton.Theemployeeisresponsibleforprovidingtheirowninternetaccess.EquipmentsuppliedbytheCityofRentonistobeusedforbusinesspurposesonly,exceptaspermittedbyPolicy250-15.Equipmentsuppliedbytheemployeewillbetheresponsibilityoftheemployeetomaintain.TheemployeeacknowledgesthatequipmentusedforbusinesspurposesbutownedbytheemployeeissubjecttoPublicRecordslawsandmaybeinspected,asnecessary.TheCityofRentonacceptsnoresponsibilityfordamageorrepairstotheemployee-ownedequipment.4.7Technicalsupportisavailablebyphone,duringthecoreofficehourstoemployeesviatheCity’sITServiceDeskforCityissuedlaptops,networkrelatedconnectivityissuesandsoftwareprograms.Itistheteleworker’sresponsibilitytoensuretheinternetconnectionhasbeentestedattheirhomeofficepriortothebeginningoftheirteleworkagreement.Anydowntimerelatedtotechnicalissuesshouldbereportedtothesupervisorimmediately. Policy300-03Teleworkp.44.8TeleworkersmustfollowthecurrentElectronicDataSecuritypolicy(250-16).Anylicensedsoftwareneededtoteleworkwillbeputonthelaptopasappropriate.4.9Employeeswhoteleworkareexpectedtobeavailableduringtheirworkhoursviaemailandhavefunctioninginternetandphoneservice.ItisuptotheemployeeandsupervisortodeterminethecommunicationstrategyandoutlineitintheTeleworkAgreement.4.10Theemployeeandsupervisorshalltakeappropriatesafeguardstosecureconfidentialdataandinformation.AnyCitymaterialstakenhomeshouldbekeptinthedesignatedworkareaandnotbeaccessibletoothersandbereturnedwhentheassignmentiscomplete.4.11Teleworkagreementsarenottobeusedasasubstitutefordependentorchildcare,unlessinemergencysituationswhenschoolsand/ordaycaresareclosed.Employeeswhoteleworkarerequiredtomakedependentandchildcarearrangementsastheywouldifworkingonsite.TheHRRMAdministratorwillreviewexceptionstothisonacase-by-casebasis.4.12IItheemployeeisinjuredinthecourseandscopeofperformingtheofficialdutiesduringtheagreed-uponworkhours,regardlessofworklocation,theemployeeiscoveredunderthestate’sworker’scompensationlaw.Theemployeemustnotifytheirsupervisorimmediatelyandcompletenecessaryforms.4.13Employeesmaynotconductinpersonbusinessmeetingswhileworkingattheirresidence.4.14Participationintheleleworkprogrammayberevokedifanemployeeviolatesorabusestheprogram.Violationsandabusesincludebutarenotlimitedto;4.14.1Failuretoprovidesatisfactoryworkproductsordeficitsinperformance.4.14.2Usingteleworkhourstoconductpersonalbusiness,performworkoutsideofCitybusiness,and/ortakingbreaksthatexceedauthorizedperiodswithoutpriorapproval.4.14.3Failuretoaccuratelyreporttime.4.14.4Frequentabsencesorunexcusedtardinessfromwork.4.14.5Failuretoreceivepriorauthorizationfromtheirsupervisortoadjustworkhours. Policy300-03Teleworkp.54.14.6Thecontinuallossofinternetconnectivitycausingadisruptionintheemployee’sworkday.4.15Anemployeewhowishestoendtheirteleworkarrangementmaydosowithwrittennotificationtotheirsupervisor.5.0DEFINITIONS:5.1Telework:Aworkingarrangementinwhichthedesignatedworkplaceislocatedparttimeatanalternatelocationoutsidetheregularworklocationsuchasahomeoffice.6.0PROCEDURES:6.1Toinitiateateleworkarrangement,anemployeeshouldcompletetheTeleworkApplicationandsubmittheapplicationtotheirdirectsupervisor.TheSupervisorordesigneewillreviewtheapplicationandmakearecommendationforapprovalordenialwithinsevenworkingdays.Concurrently,theemployeeshouldcompleteaTeleworkChecklisttodetermineanynecessaryitemsthatwouldbeneededtocarryouttheirteleworkassignment.Informalteleworkarrangementscanbepreapprovedinadvancewithoutaspecificdatebeingidentified.6.2Ifapproved,thesupervisorandteleworkerwillcompleteaTeleworkAgreementandforwardthecompletedagreementtothedepartmentAdministratorforapproval.6.3Theapplication,agreementandchecklistareforwardedtotheHRRMDepartmentforreviewandfinalapproval.Anyconcernswillbeaddressedwithinsevenworkingdaysofreceipt.Deniedrequestswillbereturnedtotheemployeewithexplanation.6.4AllteleworkerswilladheretoCitypolicieswhileworkingfromtheirhomeofficeorotherapprovedteleworklocation.