Applies to:	Original Policy Date:	Date of Last Review:	Approved by:
All Florida Tech Employees	August 1, 2016	June 2024	Dr. John Nicklow, President

Policy Owner: Human Resources

Policy Purpose

The university has adopted the following policy and procedure to facilitate arrangements under which employees may telecommute as part of their work schedule or as an approved accommodation. This policy is not designed to manage limited, unique remote working arrangements as part of an isolated circumstance.

Policy Scope

Initiation of a telecommuting arrangement can be at the request of either the university or the employee. Permission to engage in telecommuting is at the discretion of the department in which the employee is employed. Participation in telecommuting is voluntary on the part of the employee, except in cases where the position requires it and notification has been provided to the employee at the time of hire.

Employees who wish to telecommute must first discuss the request with their immediate supervisor, who must support the request. Requests should be submitted via the Telecommuting Agreement Form and will require approval by the appropriate Vice President and President.

Policy Statement

The practice of telecommuting is a work alternative that may be offered to employees when such requests meet the eligibility criteria established by this policy. Criteria include that such working arrangements benefit both the organization and employees, are in line with Florida Tech’s guiding principles, resources can accommodate the requests, and supervisory discretion allows for the employees to telecommute. The request for telecommuting is a privilege, and employees are not guaranteed the opportunity to work remotely. Work assignments are driven by a position’s roles and responsibilities and the need for departments to offer services to the campus community. All telecommuting arrangements must meet the needs, requirements, and constraints of both the unit and the employee. Units should be consistent in the decision-making process regarding requests, with the understanding that the work arrangement can be changed or discontinued at any time.

Procedures/Guidelines

Telecommuting is not intended to permit employees to have time to work at other jobs or to run their own businesses. Failure to fulfill normal work requirements, both qualitative and quantitative, on account of other employment, may be cause for disciplinary action or termination of employment. Telecommuting should not be a substitution for in-home child or dependent care. If a child or dependent is present during scheduled work hours, the employee will be expected to make arrangements for the care of that child or dependent so as not to interrupt their expected work duties.

Permission to telecommute is dependent upon the employee having a suitable work location at the off-site premises and in compliance with the requirements set forth below. An employee will be expected to provide a remote work environment that is quiet, conducive to completing their tasks, and free of safety and fire hazards.

Duration

All telecommuting arrangements are granted on a temporary and revocable basis and may be discontinued by the university at any time and for any reason. In addition, an employee may discontinue participation in telecommuting at any time, except in those circumstances noted earlier where telecommuting is required of the position.

In making telecommuting arrangements, both the department and the employee must be mindful that the policy should not be used as a constant series of short-term arrangements.

Guidelines

The following guidelines apply to telecommuting arrangements:

Eligibility:

Employees must be performing at a satisfactory level or higher to be eligible for telecommuting. Individuals in corrective action or on a performance improvement plan are not eligible for telecommuting. Eligibility is determined based on job duties and essential functions of the job, needs of the department (including maintaining staffing levels at the campus work location), satisfactory performance, and time with the university. Some positions require the employee to physically be on campus to perform essential job duties and to maintain continuity of operations, and therefore, may not be eligible for remote work.

Time in Position:

So that employees can onboard, and acclimate to Florida Tech, employees must work at least six months on campus before being approved for any type of continuous remote work arrangement unless it is part of an approved workplace accommodation. This requirement may be waived by the President, Provost, or appropriate Vice President.

The six-month requirement excludes periodic requests that the supervisor deems appropriate to approve.

Payroll & Tax:

If a remote work arrangement is proposed in a state other than the state of Florida, a legal review may be conducted which could include tax reporting, employment immigration sponsorships, and employment implications for the University. The hiring department is responsible for any legal fees incurred for that legal review.

The employee is responsible for personal tax consequences, if any, resulting from remote work. The employee should seek independent professional advice for any questions or concerns regarding tax issues.

Work Standards & Performance:

Employees must be reachable by telephone, fax, or e-mail during the agreed upon work hours. The employee and supervisor shall agree on expected turnaround time and the medium for responses.

Employees must be on site as necessary to attend meetings, training sessions, or similar events or occurrences. The employee will not be paid travel time between the telework-site and the primary site or mileage.

Employees must maintain a normal workload.

Employees who wish to be off from work duties or are unable to work due to illness must use vacation, personal holiday or sick leave and must report their absence to their supervisor.

Eligible employees may be covered by workers’ compensation for job related injuries that occur within the course and scope of their employment, in the designated workspace, and during the defined work period. In the case of injury occurring during the defined work period, the employee must immediately report the injury to the supervisor. Workers’ compensation will not apply to non-job-related injuries. The university does not assume responsibility for injury to any persons other than the employee.

An employee may be asked to work from home in the event of a natural disaster or other situation that requires the University to close. This is a temporary arrangement only and employees should refer to the Emergency Disaster Preparedness Plan for details.

An employee will not be reimbursed for travel or mileage should they come into the office or report to campus for university related duties, meetings, etc.

Responsibilities

University Property

Employees are responsible for the safety and security of all university property and proprietary information. Restricted access or proprietary material will not be taken out of the primary worksite or accessed through a computer unless approved in advance by the supervisor. The employee is responsible to ensure that non-employees do not access university data, either in print or electronic form.

Equipment and services may be provided by and paid for by the employee's department at the department's sole discretion. In most cases, employees will be expected to provide their own equipment, such as computers and telephone lines, if they wish to telecommute. Note that the university is not responsible for damages to employee-owned equipment being used for telecommuting.

University property such as computers, printers, fax machines and other equipment loaned to an employee is the employee's responsibility while it is not on university premises. It is the employee's responsibility to make sure that their homeowners or renters insurance covers injury arising out of or relating to business use of the home. All university property must be returned upon termination of the telecommuting arrangement.

Equipment, records, files, etc. are required to be returned within 72 hours of the termination of this agreement.

The employee will be expected to keep all University assets and data in a safe manner, ensuring the material is kept confidential and systems are secure. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

When university equipment is provided, each piece of equipment must be listed with its serial number when the employee takes possession.

Employees must return the equipment in the same condition in which it was originally received, minus normal wear and tear. Employees are personally liable for missing or damaged equipment.