This Document Addresses Two Categories of Teleworkers

1  Purpose

This document defines the procedures Company X employees should follow when seeking approval to telework and the procedures to follow when teleworking.

2  Requirements

Company X permits some employees occupying certain positions to do part or all of their work from their homes or other alternative work sites[1]. Such an arrangement is called “teleworking.” Teleworking may be on a schedule from five days per week to as little as one day a month, or on an as-needed basis for reasons such as temporary special projects, documented illness, or management-approved unavailability of your regular office. Additionally, teleworking may become mandatory under extreme circumstances such as during a pandemic outbreak or when severe weather conditions exist, for example. Telework usually occurs in the employee’s home, though various forms of “remote work” or “mobile work” conducted away from the traditional Company X office, if approved in advance by management, might be considered telework.

This document addresses two categories of teleworkers.

·  Full-time teleworker – works full-time from his/her home or other remote location and does not have a Company X office.[2]

·  Part-time teleworker – works on average two or three days a week from his/her home or other remote location and may or may not have an Company X assigned office.

Employees who occasionally telework (but on average less than two days per week) should continue to coordinate their schedule with their manager. However, they are not required to obtain the requisite approval described in this policy statement.

2.1  Employee On-Duty Status. An employee is “on duty” when teleworking. He/she is expected to have the resources necessary to do his/her job and be able to concentrate on that job without interruptions from family members or other distractions. Employees cannot normally expect to care for family members or attend to other personal responsibilities when teleworking. However, teleworking may free up time that would otherwise be spent commuting that would result in more free time to devote to family matters or other endeavors.

2.2  Teleworking Program Goals and Benefits. The goals for Company X’s telework program are to:

·  Improve Company X’s ability to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce in a competitive job market;

·  Improve Company X’s ability to respond to sudden changes in staffing levels and reduce facilities costs;

·  Protect environmental quality and promote energy conservation by reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions; and

·  Provide additional options for balancing work and personal responsibilities, reducing work-related stress, and improving employees' work lives.

2.3  Voluntary Agreement. Unless specifically stated as a condition of employment, a telework assignment is a voluntary arrangement between the employee and manager and either party may terminate the arrangement at any time. Continued participation in this program is not an entitlement and is contingent on the employee’s ability to maintain an acceptable level of performance as determined by their manager. Additionally, work conditions can and do change which may change the employee’s ability to telework.

Completion of the Telework Agreement form is required for all part-time and full-time participants in the telework program and constitutes an agreement by the employee to adhere to applicable guidelines, policies and procedures. This agreement must be updated annually (i.e., during the employee’s annual review), as well as any time the employee’s telework schedule changes. Examples of changes include reassignment to a new position requiring a different teleworking arrangement or termination of the telework arrangement.

A telecommuting agreement does not automatically carry forward to future assignments. Arrangements must be made individually with each project or leverage team manager.

2.4  Manager’s Responsibilities. Approval to participate will always be at the sole discretion of each individual manager. Participation will be dependent upon several factors including the suitability of the current job assignment to telework, the number of other employees occupying the same position that may telework, the manager’s assessment of the employee’s ability to manage the work product effectively, and the employee’s ability to function effectively in a telework job assignment. The manager of employees who telework will:

·  Complete required telework training (available on the Company X Portal under Employee > Human Resources > Flexible Work Alternatives at Company X) prior to approving positions for telework status.

·  Evaluate current job assignments and requests for teleworking status.

·  Ensure that participating employees understand Company X’s telework policy, procedures and guidelines.

·  Ensure that participating employees complete the Company X Teleworker Agreement form (available through this link or on the Company X Portal under Employee > Human Resources > Flexible Work Alternatives at Company X) and update the agreement annually and/or if changes are made. Approved/changed forms shall be sent to the employee’s HR representatives (a listing of HR representatives by sector can be found in the Company X portal under Employee > Human Resources and launching the HR organization chart). This is an important step as the HR representative needs to ensure a Personnel Transaction Form (PTF) is completed in BizFlow in order to change the employee’s location to “Teleworker.”

·  Define in writing what will be used to measure performance and evaluate the success of the telework arrangement.

·  Establish a task progress reporting procedure that may include daily, weekly or monthly reporting, based on the employee's assignment(s).

·  Include teleworkers in all appropriate office meetings, both official and social, to prevent isolation from the office team.

·  Make every effort to give teleworkers at least 24 hours’ notice if a visit to the alternate work site is planned to check on equipment, the work environment, etc.

·  Outline deliverable timelines, review work status and performance, and continually assess if the program is working for both the individual and the company.

2.5  Employee’s Responsibilities. The teleworker will:

·  Complete telework training (available on the Company X Portal under Employee > Human Resources > Flexible Work Alternatives at Company X).

·  Set aside an area in his or her home which is reserved exclusively during working hours for the performance of the employee's work duties.

·  Ensure that the alternate work site can accommodate all necessary wires (e.g., from computer, fax machine, etc.) so that the worker can move freely without danger of tripping and falling.

·  Ensure that all company equipment is protected against damage and unauthorized use. Maintenance of the equipment will be the responsibility of the company. However, if there is gross negligence or reckless treatment by the employee, he/she will be responsible for repairs/maintenance.

·  Return all company-provided equipment and materials to Company X at the company’s expense in the event of termination of employment.

·  Work with his or her manager to set daily work hours and adhere to the schedule just as if working these hours at Company X’s work site.

·  Record and submit work time daily by accessing the XYZ Time Sheet system.

·  Maintain the confidentiality of computer data and other company and client records, and take reasonable steps to maintain physical security of company-provided equipment and materials and apply at least the safeguards required by Company X IT policies or other applicable policies.

·  Agree to hold Company X harmless from any responsibility for any injury claims that occur at the alternate work site, except those injuries covered under Workers' Compensation statutes in the state where the employee lives.

·  Be reachable (as agreed upon with their manager) at all times during their scheduled work hours. If the need arises for the teleworker to leave his or her worksite during scheduled work hours, he/she must inform the manager in advance.

·  If requested, provide documentation of their work schedule at the alternate work site for the manager’s approval.

·  Make themselves available at the appropriate company office location for meetings and other activities upon the request of their manager.

·  Instruct other individuals who may be present at the home-worksite to limit interruptions and set ground rules for what interruptions are acceptable. Also, teleworkers commit that they will have an understanding with all individuals who have access to the workspace as to how office materials are used (i.e., identify what office supplies are for business use only).

·  Ensure that Company X computers and peripherals are to only be used by Company X employees. Employee’s spouses, children, and others are not authorized to use them.

·  Ensure that Company X computers and peripherals are used for Company X business purposes and any personal use should be very limited.

·  Ensure that Company X laptops are secured via Company X -provided cable lock if the safety of the machine at the remote location is questionable.

·  Ensure that their issued computer’s anti-virus and systems are regularly updated.

·  Only use the Company X VPN connection to send e-mail and connect to the internet. At no time should the user go out on the internet without using the VPN.

·  Ensure that Company X Proprietary Information is appropriately protected.

·  Not work on Classified National Security Information in their home

o  This type of work will only be performed at Government approved Company X facilities or at approved Government sites

Note: Tax laws regarding teleworkers and the at-home office deduction are subject to change each year. It is the teleworker's responsibility to check with his or her accountant or tax advisor on this matter.

2.6  Conditions for Approval. The teleworker understands the following:

·  All Company X work performed by part-time or full-time teleworkers shall be done on company-owned equipment.

·  The manager and employee will agree on any equipment and supplies which the employee will need to perform the job responsibilities. Company X will make such equipment and supplies, approved by manager, available to the employee. Such equipment is not authorized for use by any other person for any other purposes. The employee is responsible for caring for the equipment and supplies just as if they were located on Company X’s work site. Equipment and supplies are provided for use by the employee when performing responsibilities for Company X only.

·  Company X is not responsible for reimbursement for any home-related expenses, including but not limited to electricity, heating, cooling, repairs, renovations, paint, coffee, etc. Also, as an express condition of approval for the employee to telework, employee acknowledges and certifies that Company X is not and shall not be responsible for the acquisition or maintenance of these additional items, and Company X is not responsible for the insurance on these items and the alternate work area.

·  Teleworkers are not eligible for WageWorks or company paid parking. In locations where parking is free, the teleworker may park there when visiting that office. However, in cases where parking is not free, the teleworker will need to pay for his/her parking and request reimbursement by submitting an expense voucher.

·  If the employee experiences any job-related injury or illness while telecommuting, the employee will immediately report the injury or illness to their manager or to the HR Department at .

·  The teleworker will work with his or her manager to come to an agreement on the number of times each day the employee will communicate by telephone with other employees in the department, and the number of times each week the employee will visit Company X’s work site to pick up mail and memos, to attend meetings, and to confer with the manager and with other employees.

·  The teleworker will manage any dependent care or personal responsibilities in a way that permits him or her to successfully perform the work responsibilities and maintain the same level of performance.

·  Technical support for telecommuting employees will be provided by submitting a helpdesk ticket. If the problem requires the machine be physically worked on, the employee must bring that equipment to the nearest Company X office to have it serviced. Company X will only provide technical support on Company X -owned equipment and software.

·  Teleworking does not change the terms and conditions of employment, the teleworker’s pay or salary, benefits or job responsibilities.

2.7  Company X’s Responsibilities. Company X’s responsibilities are the following:

·  Work with the employee and the manager to ensure that appropriate equipment and connectivity can be used in the teleworking arrangement.

·  Specifics of the arrangement should be worked out cooperatively between the employee, the manager and a representative of the IT department.

·  Provide teleworker with typical office supplies, such as CDs, company letterhead, file folders, stapler, paper clips, pens, etc. When possible, the employee should stock up on needed supplies when visiting an Company X office. Otherwise, the employee should work with his group’s designated OfficeMax Authorized User to place an order online for the required supplies (subject to manager approval). The cost of supplies that are not obtained in this way will not be reimbursed unless authorized by the manager prior to purchase.

Note: Reasonable business expenses incurred by the teleworker should be submitted to their manager for approval through the Expense Reporting System. Reasonable business expenses would typically not include an apportionment of the costs of maintaining a home office – (e.g., furniture, utilities, monthly phone or internet service), however if special accommodations are required, approval should be sought through your sector management. Appropriate expenses would typically include long distance business phone calls, paper and printer cartridges, etc.Teleworkers should refer to the Company X Travel & Expense Reimbursement Policy located on the Company X portal for further clarification on appropriate business expenses.

2.8  Use of Hoteling Stations. Whenever possible, a fully equipped, hoteling station within a Company X office or access to a Telework Center will be provided for the teleworkers without offices to use as required. Because this is a shared workspace for use by other teleworkers, it is imperative that each teleworker ensures the availability of this workspace in advance.[3]

2.9  Teleworker Services. The teleworker grid describes what type of equipment and support each type of worker can generally expect. Exceptions may occur on a case-by-case basis with approval of the department or SBU vice president. The definitions for each type of worker appear earlier in this document.

/ Occasional Teleworkers
(Work Remotely less than 2 days/week) / Part-Time Teleworkers
(Work Remotely 2-4 days/week) / Full-Time Teleworkers
(WorkRemotely 5 days/week) /
Company X – Provided Office Space / Desk or Cube / As Required
(based on SBU discretion) / Hoteling Space
Personal Computer / Company X -Provided Desktop or Laptop / Company X -Provided Laptop / Company X -Provided Laptop
Requires signed and approved Teleworker Agreement Form / No / Yes / Yes

[1] Visit the Asset Management page on the Company X Portal for information related to Metro-DC teleworking locations.