Remote Work Policy

Purpose: Limestone University recognizes for certain positions, or under certain circumstances, remote work can be a valuable tool that allows staff to balance work and personal commitments while ensuring the students at Limestone University come first and the operational/business needs of the university are met.

 Types of Remote Work

• Fully Remote: Only remote work. Has no office space on campus. May be able to request access to shared spaces for work or collaborative meetings.
• Hybrid Remote: Employee works 2-3 days remotely and the remainder in the office. These employees may have private office space or shared workspace on days working on campus. The days and hours the employee will report to campus may be regulated.

• It is Limestone University’s Policy that supervisors are not allowed to work 100% remote and are only allowed to work up to two days remote.

• Occasional Remote: works in the office typically 5 days a week but may be allowed to work at home on specific occasions. This time is not typically scheduled on a normal frequency but is allowed on an intermittent, as-needed basis. (Ex: important project, expecting repair person in home, inclement weather, etc.). These are approved by management as they are needed.

Policy:

Remote work is defined as allowing employees to work at an alternate location all or some of the time. Employees perform essentially the same work that they would in the central workplace in accordance with their same performance expectations and other agreed-upon terms. Remote work arrangements may be established for long-term or short-term periods.

Managers are in the best position to understand the demands of the work and the capacity of the staff member to succeed in a remote work arrangement. Managers are responsible for managing the work under the remote work agreement. Remote work arrangements will generally be based on mutual agreement. However, the college may establish remote work as a condition of employment, based on business needs. In such cases, the requirement will be included when the position is advertised and in the offer of employment. Due to the nature of some student-facing positions, some positions will not be eligible for remote work. 

Remote work is a privilege. Limestone University may at any time terminate your Remote Work Agreement for any reason. If your Remote Work Agreement is terminated, the University will make every effort to provide you with written notice of at least 10 business days. If the Remote Work Agreement is terminated for poor performance, the agreement may be terminated immediately.

Guidelines:

1. Work performed remotely is considered official university business; therefore, departments may establish specific conditions that apply to employees engaged in remote work. Prior to beginning a remote work arrangement, a formal remote work agreement must be executed by both parties.

2. It is an accepted practice for teaching and research faculty to carry out their work with varied schedules on campus and at alternate locations, including the delivery of online courses. Normally, a formal remote work agreement will not be required for teaching faculty.

3. The amount of time the employee is expected to work will not change due to participation in a remote work agreement. Hours of work should remain the same unless specified in the Remote Work Agreement. The employee agrees to apply her/himself to work during work hours. The procedures for approval of overtime and the approval and use of leave should also be specified.

Salary Nonexempt employees are responsible for reporting all hours worked each week. Failure to report time, like failure to obtain approval for overtime, can result in the termination of the remote work arrangement and/or other disciplinary action.

4. Remote workers with these obligations must have adequate care arrangements that do not interfere with their job responsibilities. Upon approval of working remotely and at any time during the time of remote work, employees may be required to provide proof of these arrangements. Remote work is not a substitute for childcare, dependent care, or other personal responsibilities.  Remote workers are required to use accrued leave when necessary to provide dependent care or when addressing other personal responsibilities.  This includes time spent caring for ill household members or other people.

5. Employees must agree to comply with university rules, policies, practices, and instructions and understand that violation of such may result in the termination of the remote work arrangement and/or disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

6. During an inclement weather event or other authorized school closing, employees who are authorized to perform remote work in any capacity are expected to work their normal schedules and are not eligible for the closing and will not earn inclement weather or other compensatory pay.

7. Employees must agree to use equipment provided by the department and supplies for business purposes only and to notify IT immediately of any malfunctioning university-provided equipment to schedule repair or replacement of the equipment. Any damage or theft to the equipment should be reported immediately. Normal maintenance and repair of university equipment will be handled by the university. If an employee purchases their own equipment, it will be the responsibility of the employee to have repairs, maintenance, or service.

Generally, the university will provide the following equipment to remote work employees:

• Laptop Computer
• Monitor
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• College phone number, college provided cell phone or stipend.

Specific information pertaining to equipment will be listed in the employee remote work agreement. Additional items may be granted to employees based on job duties.

Other office supplies that are typically found on campus that may be purchased at the employee’s expense include:

• Printers
• Copiers
• Scanners
• Shredders
• Whiteboards
• Office chairs
• Desks

8. High-speed internet access and phone access are required to work remotely. The remote employees must provide their own connectivity. Remote work employees issued a university phone number can choose to have their office calls pushed through to their personal phone. The university is not responsible for operating costs such as utility bills, home maintenance, internet access, phone access, or other costs incurred by the employees in the use of their homes or alternate work locations.

9. Remote employees are expected to maintain the degree of confidentiality they maintain at their work location. The employee is required to protect all confidential university documents from unauthorized access. The employee’s company-provided equipment will include virus protection software, licensing provisions, system security, and passwords. The employee will not download secure information to a personal device. All documents and records developed or revised while remote working remains the property of Limestone University.

10. The university assumes no responsibility for injuries occurring in the employee’s alternate work location outside the agreed-upon work hours, or for liability damages to the employee’s real or personal property resulting from participation in the remote work program. General liability insurance protecting the actions of all Limestone employees is provided 365 days per year subject to the provisions of the insurance policy that were in effect at the time. Workers’ compensation coverage is limited to designated work areas in employees’ homes or alternate work locations. Employees agree to practice the same safety habits they would use at the university and maintain safe conditions in the alternate work locations. Employees must follow normal procedures for reporting accidents or injuries.

11. The college encourages the successful and appropriate use of remote work and will provide training to supervisors and managers to effectively manage remote work employees.