Remote Work for Staff and Part Time Employees

Scope

This policy applies to all staff and part time employees. Remote work for academic appointees is addressed by ACA-83: Remote Work for Academic Appointees.

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Policy Statement

1. The university recognizes that under appropriate circumstances, allowing some remote work arrangements can be constructive and helpful to a campus, academic or administrative unit, and individual jobs.
2. A remote work arrangement is one in which an employee performs their assigned work in part or in whole at a location other than the employee’s campus or other designated workplace. The two types of remote work arrangements are hybrid and fully remote.
3. Senior Executive Officers make the decision as to whether and to what extent hybrid or fully remote work is an option for their respective campus or area of responsibility. In deciding the proper balance of in-person and hybrid and fully remote work for their area of responsibility, a Senior Executive Officer will account for and ensure that the needs of the university’s constituents, especially students, are fully met and that the work of the university is performed entirely, effectively, and efficiently.
4. An employee performing hybrid or fully remote work must have a Remote Work Arrangement (RWA).
5. An employee’s approved remote work arrangement will be reviewed at least annually, coinciding with the employee’s annual performance conversation with their supervisor. While the annual review provides a good opportunity to make any adjustments to a remote work arrangement, a remote work arrangement is a privilege and is at the discretion of a unit’s leadership or the employee’s supervisor who can revoke or modify the arrangement as that leader determines necessary. Changes or modifications to a remote work arrangement must be documented.
6. A remote work arrangement will not be available for all employees, jobs, or positions. An approved remote work arrangement does not set a precedent that the employee or the position will always be remote and does not serve as a point of comparison for the employees of another campus or unit, or within the employee’s own unit.
7. The university retains the authority to modify or terminate a remote work arrangement at its discretion.
8. A remote work arrangement is not subject to the university’s grievance procedures.
9. Out-of-state remote work arrangements require advance consultation with IU Human Resources due to differing tax and labor laws.
10. Out-of-country remote work can only be performed if authorized by a Senior Executive Officer, in consultation with the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.
11. Requests for remote work as an accommodation for a disability will be addressed through the university’s accommodations request process: https://iuoie-fireform.eas.iu.edu/online/form/index/Accomform.

Responsibilities Related to Remote Work Arrangements:

1. Senior Executive Officers are responsible for:
   1. Addressing remote work arrangements in a way that ensures an optimal level of physical staff presence during all normal operating hours and that the on-campus culture and experience continues to thrive.
   2. Providing implementation guidance to unit leaders on their campus or within their areas of responsibility.
   3. Ensuring all approved remote work arrangements within their area of responsibility are reviewed at least annually.
   4. A Senior Executive Officer may delegate the authority to implement remote work arrangements to a unit leader.

2. The supervisor is responsible for:
   1. Reviewing and either approving or disapproving an employee’s remote work arrangement request. When considering whether to approve a remote work arrangement, a supervisor should assess whether the arrangement maintains or enhances service delivery to stakeholders, is in alignment with the functions of the position, and the employee will be able to meet performance expectations of the job offsite.
   2. Ensuring that employee has the proper technology and equipment to successfully and responsibly perform their work.
   3. Identifying and then communicating to the employee the types of expense, if any, that will be reimbursed by the unit to the employee. This should be communicated to the employee before the start of the employee’s remote work arrangement.
   4. Establishing and clearly communicating to the employee, general work expectations related to work schedules, availability, performance, professional appearance, responsiveness, and productivity.
   5. Checking in regularly with the employee to discuss workplace priorities, challenges, and ensuring the employee is fully performing the expectations of their position.
   6. Being familiar with university resources for leaders managing remote employees and teams.
      1. See the Leader Tools webpage on the IU Human Resources website.
   7. Reviewing the employee’s Remote Work Arrangement at least annually and coinciding with the employee’s Annual Performance Conversation.

3. An employee with a remote work arrangement is responsible for:
   1. Discussing the details of their remote work arrangement request with their supervisor and following the local approval process established by their school/department/unit.
   2. Submitting their remote work arrangement request through the university’s Remote Work Arrangement.
   3. Being available and responsive, and devoting their full attention to university work during work hours.
   4. Performing all the essential functions of their position as if they were working on campus.
   5. Maintaining a professional decorum and appearance, inclusive of visual backgrounds, attire, ambient sound, and phone/video etiquette.
   6. Accessing, safeguarding, and managing institutional data and information in a way that is consistent with the guidance by the University Information Policy and Security Offices (UIPO & UISO), as well as in compliance with university policies, including DM-01: Management of Institutional Data.
   7. Communicating with their supervisor about any situation or challenges that may interfere with their ability to perform their work while working remotely.
   8. Complying with the unit’s expectations for employees working remotely.
   9. Being familiar with university resources for employees working remotely.
      1. See the Employee Tools webpage on the IU Human Resources website.

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Reason for Policy

1. Maintaining an active and thriving campus environment plays an important role in advancing the mission of the University in many ways, such as allowing people to engage with one another, collaborate, share ideas, and advance knowledge; attracting new visitors and fostering relationships with the broader public; and making our public resources, such as museums, hospitals, clinics, libraries, theaters, sports arenas, and other public spaces feel more approachable and accessible. But perhaps most fundamentally, it helps drive student success by providing a rich learning environment for students, allowing them to grow and thrive.
2. While each Indiana University campus draws upon its unique qualities to achieve a dynamic campus culture, a common thread of success across all university campuses is the in-person character each provides, especially the opportunities to engage with our colleagues and students.
3. As university leaders ensure the fundamental in-person character of our campuses are maintained, this policy provides general guidance and sets expectations for the university community with respect to remote work arrangements.

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Definitions

Senior Executive Officer(s): The President, Vice Presidents, and Chancellors.

Fully Remote Work: A work assignment that is performed in whole at an off-campus location. Fully remote work does not include part time (less than 90 days) or occasional off-campus work.

Hybrid Work: A work assignment that is performed in part at an off-campus location. Hybrid work does not include part time (less than 90 days) or occasional off-campus work.

Off-Campus: A place (such as an employee’s home) that is not located on property owned or controlled by Indiana University, or that is not the employee’s regularly assigned work location.

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History

October 2022
Updated post Covid-19 pandemic to clarify the differences between in-person, hybrid and remote work arrangements. Emphasizes the need for vibrant campuses, and that, whenever possible, employees should be in-person on a regular basis, and fully remote work arrangements should be an exception.

June 2022
Updated "temporary" employee nomenclature to "part time".

May 2021
This policy was adopted on May 21, 2021.

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