HomeMy WebLinkAbout062821_ra02 Regular Agenda
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Mark McCauley, Interim County Administrator
Andy Rowlson, Human Resources Manager
DATE: June 28,2021
SUBJECT: Discussion and Possible Approval of a Resolution re: Establishing a
Telecommuting Policy
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
When working to sunset certain temporary County policies pertaining to the COVID-19 emergency, one of
the temporary policies sunsetting allowed employees to telecommute at the discretion of their Elected
Official or Director.
However, over the course of the COVID-19 emergency the value of having a permanent Telecommuting
Policy has become apparent. Doing so allows for, in some situations, increased employee productivity and
enhanced job satisfaction.
In addition, telecommuting may reduce employer expenses, increase employee retention, and enhance office
coverage.
Therefore, a permanent Telecommuting policy has been drafted. This policy:
• Establishes that telecommuting is an employee benefit, not an entitlement.
• Outlines eligibility and review criteria for approval of telecommuting.
• Retains approval by the Elected Official or Department Director.
• Outlines an Ad Hoc process for short term telecommuting arrangements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve establishing a Telecommuting Policy.
The proposed policy will be communicated to employee bargaining unit for any concerns or issues.
REVIEWED BY:
/411(
Mark McCaule nterim County Admi rator ate
f
JEFFERSON COUNTY
STATE OF WASHINGTON
In the Matter of Establishing )
An Employee Telecommuting ) RESOLUTION NO.
Policy )
WHEREAS,the Board of Commissioners of Jefferson County believe it is in the best
interest of the County to extend a telecommuting benefit to employees to, in some situations,
enhance employee productivity and job satisfaction, and,
WHEREAS,telecommuting employees may reduce employer expenses, increase
employee retention, and enhance office coverage; and,
WHEREAS, a written policy clarifies the eligibility and approval process for the benefit,
and helps assure consistent application of the benefit, and,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Jefferson County Board of County
Commissioners, Jefferson County, Washington that the attached Telecommuting Policy is hereby
adopted for use by all Jefferson County departments and offices.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED,that this Resolution becomes effective on July 1, 2021.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this day of July, 2021.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SEAL:
Kate Dean, Chair
Greg Brotherton, Member
ATTEST:
Carolyn Gallaway, CMC Heidi Eisenhour, Member
Clerk of the Board
Jefferson County, WA Telecommuting Policy
Adopted June 2021
Jefferson County, WA Telecommuting Policy
Purpose
Telecommuting allows employees to work at home, on the road or in a satellite location for
all or part of their workweek.Jefferson County considers telecommuting to be a viable work
option when both the employee and the job are suited to such an arrangement.
Telecommuting may be appropriate for some employees and jobs but not for others. This
policy puts the responsibility for telecommuting where it belongs, namely with Elected
Officials who run departments and Department Directors.
At the same time telecommuting is not an entitlement, it is not a County-wide benefit, and,
except in full compliance with this policy, it in no way changes the terms and conditions of
employment with the County.
Telecommuting can be informal, such as working from home for a short-term project or on
the road during business travel, or a formal, set schedule of working away from the office as
described below. Either an employee or a supervisor can suggest telecommuting as a
possible work arrangement. However, any telecommuting for more than seven days (one
week) must be approved by a Department Head.
Eligibility
Before entering into any telecommuting agreement of more than seven days, the employee
and the Elected Official or Department Director, with the assistance of Human Resource if
needed, will evaluate the suitability of such an arrangement by reviewing the following
areas:
1. Job Suitability: The employee and supervisor will discuss the job responsibilities and
determine if the job is appropriate for a telecommuting arrangement.
a. Clear work objectives can be established and met.
b. Minimal face-to-face interaction with co-workers, customers and
supervisor(s).
c. Tasks can be completed in a telecommute environment.
d. Tasks and deliverables are clearly defined.
e. Periods of uninterrupted (or less-interrupted) time are more efficient to
complete assigned tasks and duties.
2. Employee Suitability: The supervisor will assess the needs and work habits of the
employee compared to traits customarily recognized as appropriate for successful
telecommuters, such as:
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Jefferson County, WA Telecommuting Policy
a. Self-motivated and self-starter.
b. Results and product-oriented worker.
c. Able to work independently with limited supervision.
d. Familiar and comfortable with the expectations for the position.
e. Demonstrated ability in communicating electronically.
3. County Interest is Advanced: The telecommuting arrangement should be of benefit to
the County or Department in some way, and no significant detriment. Examples to
consider include:
a. General communication between employees or work units
b. Team cohesion
c. Morale
d. Back-up duties
e. Front desk coverage,either physically or telephonically
4. While approval of a telecommuting agreement for more than seven days is at the sole
discretion of the Department Director or Elected Official, the Human Resources
Manager may be consulted if necessary to help assure equitable access to the
telecommuting program benefit.
5. If appropriate to proceed, the following shall be reviewed and agreed to by the
telecommuting employee.
a. Availability:
i. Telecommuting employees must be accessible by email, telephone
and/or video conference during designated work hours.
ii. If required, telecommuting employees must be available to come into
the office to perform certain duties as requested by their supervisor.To
help assure this availability, the employee's telecommuting location
must be within 2 hours of their usual County work location, unless an
exception is approved by the County Administrator.
iii. Telecommuting employees must adhere to the attendance schedule of
their designated work hours and get advance approval of the Elected
Official or Department Director for any schedule changes.
b. Employees who are telecommuting shall not meet with customers/citizens in
private telecommuting locations such as a residence. Generally, County
business with customers/citizens should be conducted in County offices.
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Jefferson County, WA Telecommuting Policy
c. Telecommuting employees covered by FLSA shall observe all normal
workhours, meal period breaks and rest period breaks as required by State
and Federal law.
d. All overtime must be approved by the employee's supervisor or their
designee(s).
e. The supervisor, with their Elected Official or Department Director
concurrence, shall establish an appropriate written method for tracking and
reporting on performance of job duties and task assignments. This may
include, for example:
i. Daily e-mails outlining work assignments and status;
ii. Weekly work logs documenting work hours,and assignments; or,
iii. Other similar tools.
f. Telecommuting employees must contact their supervisor if the employee is
uncertain about their work plan,has questions about duties or has insufficient
work to fill their scheduled workday.
6. Telecommuters should notify their supervisor immediately when circumstances
prevent effective telecommuting. This includes illness, power or equipment failures,
loss of connectivity, or any other circumstances that prevent an employee from
telecommuting. Supervisors may direct the employee to report to their County
worksite, or other location.
Equipment
Telecommuting employees may be provided with county-owned equipment to perform their
job duties or may be authorized to use their own personal equipment subject to
configuration by Central Services IT. Telecommuting employees are responsible for
maintenance and repair of their own personal equipment.
Security
Telecommuting employees will ensure the security and protections of information
accessible from their alternate work location and will check with their supervisor when
security matters are at issue. No confidential information (including administrator
passwords) will be downloaded to any data storage device (including but not limited to hard
drive, CD, DVD, or USB stick). Any information that is considered confidential or protected
will only be accessed using the secure access tools provided by Information Services: it will
not be physically removed/copied for use remotely.
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Jefferson County, WA Telecommuting Policy
Location and Safety
1. The employer has the right to inspect and approve an employee's remote work
location to assess suitability and safety issues.This includes the ergonomic suitability
of the remote work location's setup.
2. Employees provide all necessary furniture, internet access and equipment except
office supplies such as paper and other sundry supplies. Those will be provided by
the County.
3. The approved remote work location for an employee will not be changed without the
prior and express written approval of the Elected Official or Department Director.
4. Employees are expected to maintain their home workspace in a safe manner, free
from safety hazards. 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
company's workers' compensation policy. Telecommuting employees are
responsible for notifying the employer of such injuries as soon as practicable. The
employee is liable for any injuries sustained by visitors to his or her home worksite.
Telecommuting Requirements
1. All duties, obligations, responsibilities, and conditions of employment with the
County remain unchanged and all County rules, regulations, policies and procedures
pertaining to employee conduct, and performance of duties and health and safety
must be followed.
2. Employees assigned to telecommute by the supervisor, with their Elected Official or
Department Director concurrence, shall agree to and sign the attached
Telecommuting/Remote Work Agreement.The Agreement shall be updated any time
there is a change authorized by the Elected Official or Department Director.
3. Tax and other legal implications. The employee must determine any tax or legal
implications under IRS, state and local government laws, and/or restrictions of
working out of a home-based office. Responsibility for fulfilling all obligations in this
area rests solely with the employee.
4. Telecommuting is not designed to be a replacement for appropriate child care.
Although an individual employee's schedule may be modified to accommodate child
care needs, the focus of the arrangement must remain on job performance and
meeting business demands. Prospective telecommuters are encouraged to discuss
expectations of telecommuting with family members prior to entering a trial period.
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Jefferson County, WA Telecommuting Policy
5. Evaluation of telecommuter performance during the trial period will include regular
interaction by phone and e-mail between the employee and the supervisor to discuss
work progress and problems. At the end of the trial period, the employee and
manager will each complete an evaluation of the arrangement and make
recommendations for continuance or modifications.
6. Evaluation of telecommuter performance beyond the trial period will be consistent
with that received by employees working at the office in both content and frequency
but will focus on work output and completion of objectives rather than on time-based
performance.
7. An appropriate level of communication between the telecommuter and supervisor
will be agreed to as part of the discussion process and will be more formal during the
trial period.After conclusion of the trial period,the supervisor and telecommuter will
communicate at a level consistent with employees working at the office or in a
manner and frequency that is appropriate for the job and the individuals involved.
Ad Hoc Arrangements
Temporary telecommuting arrangements of up to 7 days may be approved for circumstances
such as inclement weather, special projects or business travel. Approval may be informal,
such as an e-mail,to document the arrangement.These are approved on a needed basis only,
with no expectation of ongoing continuance.
Other informal, short-term arrangements may be made for employees on family or medical
leave to the extent practical for the employee and the organization and with the consent of
the employee's health care provider, if appropriate.
All informal telecommuting arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis, focusing first
on the business needs of the organization.
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