The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About33 21 cc, fointriplItcs k- 95"A JEFFERSON COUNTY STATE OF WASHINGTON In the Matter of Establishing ) An Employee Telecommuting ) RESOLUTION NO. 33 21 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. $ k_° a x JEFFERSON COUNTY a ` .' BOARD F COMMISSIONERS SEAL: , ` 3 11 �4 •d Kat De. , Chair *I:WOO GG g rotherton, Member ATTEST ,,, a I- 5,7,,, kW i, 6 4., „(.. ------ Carolynallaway, CMC y H ' i 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: June 2021 2 i - 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. June 2021 3 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. June 2021 4 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. June 2021 5 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. # # # June 2021 6 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: 4dili Mark McCaule nterim County Admi ' rator ate