VIRTUAL WORK POLICY AND AGREEMENT

Transcription

1 VIRTUAL WORK POLICY AND AGREEMENT Introduction: How to Use This Tool Expansion of the communication infrastructure and mobile access to information and resources has increasingly enabled employees to work from just about any location. The potential upside for a worker arrangement is increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and enhanced flexibility. However, not every employee is a worker candidate. A clear and concise Virtual Worker Policy will make it much easier to decide under what conditions work is beneficial for both the employee and the company, as well as lay out specific rules of engagement. Policy Title Policy Owner Policy Approver(s) Related Policies Related Procedures Storage Location Effective Date Next Review Date Virtual Worker Policy and Agreement Human Resources Vice President of Human Resources Name other related enterprise policies both within or external to this policy. Name other related enterprise procedures both within or external to this policy. Describe physical or digital location of copies of this policy. List the date that this policy went into effect. List the date that this policy must undergo review and update.

2 Purpose Virtual (also known as telework or telecommuting) is the practice of working at home or another secondary work site location one or more days per pay period instead of working at the primary place of work (i.e. the office). Virtual work is a work alternative that can increase employee productivity, reduce absenteeism, and reduce costs for [company name], while offering a more flexible work option for select employees. However, if not properly managed, work can cause a number of problems. Virtual work is encouraged only where it is a clearly viable work option with tangible benefits to both the employee and the organization. The option is not an employee benefit it is a management option that provides an alternative means to fulfill work requirements. The opportunity to provide or engage in must be approved by [Company name] and the employee s supervisor. [Company name] reserves the right to terminate a arrangement at any time for any reason following [insert number] days notification to the work employee. The employee s compensation, benefits, work status, and work responsibilities will not change as a result of participation in the program. Definitions Virtual Worker: Also known as a teleworker, telecommuter or remote worker is an employee who spends one or more day per week working from a location that is not an office or other location controlled (owned, leased) by [Company name]. This is not to be confused with employees whose work takes them offsite where their work is conducted at a secondary location such as a customer or client s site or worksite location that changes regularly in order for work to be completed. Designated Workspace: The location a worker would work if they were not a worker, this could be the address of [Company name s] head office or nearest location to the individuals home.

3 Scope This Virtual Workers Policy applies to all worker activities of [company name]. All managers, supervisors, and workers should be familiar with the contents of this policy. Eligibility [Full-time/part-time] employees whose jobs can reasonably be conducted ly are eligible for participation as a worker at least one day per week, as determined by supervisor. Alternatively [Full-time/part-time] employees who have completed their probation period and have worked at [company name] for a minimum of [insert time period] are eligible for the program. Employees in a training capacity will not normally be approved to participate in the program. The decision to allow an employee to will be made by the employee s supervisor on a case-by-case basis. In addition to length of employment, other factors that will be considered in the decision include: Overall job performance as documented in performance reviews. Degree of self-motivation. Degree of organizational, prioritization, and time-management skills. Ability to work independently in an unsupervised environment. Disciplinary record from the past [insert time period], especially in the areas of reliability, punctuality, and attendance. Tasks that are highly informational in nature are more suited to virtal work, including: Reading and research. Writing, thinking, and analysis. Data entry. Computer-oriented work, such as programming. Professional services Customer services

4 Not all tasks and jobs are suited to because they require extensive use of onsite resources, hands-on service, or face-to-face interaction. Due to the nature of their associated tasks, the following job positions are not eligible for the program: [List job title] [List job title] [List job title] Application Process To apply for the program, [describe application process here]. The agreement must be reviewed at least annually to ensure that the agreement continues to be beneficial to both the employee and [company name]. Hours/Availability A regular schedule must be established and approved prior to the start of the work arrangement by the teleworker s supervisor. The number of hours the employee is expected to work per day, or per pay period, will not change as a result of participating in the program. Note that in some cases employees may be eligible to work fully as a worker. Regardless of location work employees are required to work during the core hours of [insert start time] and [insert end time], in addition to hours outside of the core hours required to meet the expected number of work hours for the day or pay period. Virtual workers are [required/not required] to submit time sheets. [If time sheets are required, describe frequency and method of submission.]. Virtual workers must work their agreed upon total hours per week. In some cases core hours will not represent the full number of hours an employee is expected to work. In these cases the employee must track and record the hours worked and provide this information to their supervisor within pay period. Virtual work employees are required to be available by phone during scheduled hours, with the exception of the lunch period. The employee must have an voice mail

5 system, in addition to call waiting, to ensure unimpeded availability. Virtual workers are required to modify their primary voic message to indicate that they may be reached at an alternate phone number or that they will be checking messages regularly. Employees are required to check for messages every [insert number] hours. During core work hours employees will be expected to respond to work related texts and s and check these regularly. Full-time is allowed when necessary and justified and may be requested to accommodate a disability or continuing health problem, family obligation, distance or other reason agreed to by a supervisor and approved by HR. Casual, temporary arrangements are permissible under the following circumstances: During convalescence from illness or injury. While a family member is recovering from an illness or injury and needs at-home assistance. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, or after the birth of a child. To complete special project work that requires minimal interruptions. When the primary worksite is inaccessible or uninhabitable due to construction, accident, inclement weather, or natural disaster. The supervisor reserves the right to require a work employee to return to the primary work location on a regularly scheduled workday if warranted and with at least 24 hours notice unless otherwise agreed upon to accommodate disability, family responsibilities or other agreed upon reasons. If this situation becomes frequent, then the supervisor may re-evaluate the appropriateness of the work for that individual s job responsibilities. If a work employee is sick while working at home, the employee must report hours worked and use sick leave for hours not worked. Work Space The employee s offsite, secondary work location is to be considered an extension of the primary [company name] work location. Employees must provide a written description of the intended secondary workspace. The employee is also responsible

6 for ensuring that the arrangement is in accordance with any zoning regulations. The secondary workspace must provide an adequate working area, lighting, power, and temperature control. Any additional requirements will be stipulated in the Virtual Agreement. The supervisor must be allowed to inspect the offsite workspace with one working day notice as part of the ongoing monitoring process to ensure it meets minimum health and safety standards. The employee promises to maintain safe working conditions at the secondary work location and to practice the same safety habits in the designated secondary workspace an in his/her primary workspace. The Employee will ensure that remote working (i.e. operating a home office) does not breach the terms of their household insurance policies. Equipment/Software/Services [Company name] will provide the following equipment, software, and services at the secondary workspace: [Name equipment/software/service] [Name equipment/software/service] [Name equipment/software/service] Company-owned/supplied equipment is to be used for [company name] business only. When the agreement is terminated, the employee must return all company-owned/supplied equipment and software, and request cancellation of all services paid for by the company, within [insert number] business days. The work employee may be allowed to use the following personally-owned equipment, software, or service, with the prior approval of his/her supervisor: [Name equipment/software/service]

7 [Name equipment/software/service] [Name equipment/software/service] Maintenance and repair of personally-owned equipment is the responsibility of the employee. All personally-owned equipment, such as computer hardware and software, must meet [company name] s configuration and security requirements, namely [describe requirements]. [Company name] will reimburse employees for the following costs/services, assuming that the appropriate documentation and receipts are provided: [Name cost/service] [Name cost/service] [Name cost/service] However, [company name] will not pay for increases in the employee s home utility costs, homeowner s insurance rates, or [name other non-reimbursable costs]. Liability [Company name] will continue to be liable for any accidents that occur in the secondary workspace where that workspace is an approved workspace such as the employees home, during scheduled work hours while the employee is performing work tasks. [Company name] will not be held responsible for injuries incurred by others in the employee s home during working hours or injuries which occur if the remote worker is not in the agreed upon location. In the event of an injury while working in the secondary workspace, the employee must contact his/her supervisor immediately (or as circumstances permit) to get instructions for obtaining medical treatment. Taxable Benefit The employee is advised to consult the Income Tax Considerations for Employees Working from a Home Office document to see if there are any tax implications for having a home office, and to consult with

8 Canada Revenue Agency if further questions remain. Confidentiality and Security Employee will be responsible to secure and protect the property, documents and information belonging to the Employer. Information must be managed and disposed of in accordance with Provincial government guidelines. Employee will promptly report to their supervisor, any circumstances or incidents which may comprise the confidentiality of any property, documents or information in connection with their employment. Orientation/Training Describe any orientation/training required by managers and employees participating in the program. Agreement Employee s Name: Department: Supervisor s Name: Date: Outlined below are the terms and conditions for work as agreed upon by the participating employee named above and his/her supervisor. The employee agrees to work at the following location:

9 The employee will [insert number] days per week. Below is a complete work schedule for both days in and out of the office: Day Hours Location Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Other Special schedule requirements: The following duties must be performed by the employee at the secondary location [attach additional documentation if insufficient room]:

10 The following company-owned equipment will be used by the employee at the secondary location: The following personally-owned equipment will be used by the employee at the secondary location: The employee will be reimbursed for the following costs: The following conditions also apply as agreed upon by the employee and his/her supervisor:

11 Signatures I, (supervisor s name), have reviewed the above information with (employee s name) prior to his/her participating in [company name] s program. Supervisor s Signature Date I, (employee s name), have read and understand the Virtual Policy, and agree to abide by its rules. I also understand that this Virtual Agreement is not an employment contract or an employment benefit. This agreement is being entered into by me voluntarily, and may be terminated by my supervisor at any time, for any reason. Employee s Signature Date

12 Revision History Version Change Author Date of Change