Remote Work Policy - Staff

Date Issued

7-1-2021

Document Type

Policy

Purpose

Remote work is a work arrangement in which staff in certain positions may receive approval to routinely perform their regular job responsibilities away from their primary business location. Remote work is intended to allow qualifying staff members to continually be productive while promoting work-life balance. Often employees in certain positions and employers find well-developed remote work programs allow for increased productivity overall and increased work satisfaction. These changes occur due to the remote worksite being more free from distractions therefore allowing for certain work to be better accomplished there, while maximizing those irreplaceable interactions and tasks that can only occur when at the worksite.

This policy covers arrangements established for regularly scheduled, sustained periods of time, that represent a portion of the employee’s work week. Working on campus in a collaborative environment is a critical component of almost all positions.

The ability to work remotely is a privilege based on the needs of the job, work group and organization; it may be determined by the employee’s past and present levels of performance; and it is not a right. Not all employees and not all jobs are suited for regular remote work. Typically, remote work relationships will not be established during an employee’s orientation period, when an employee is experiencing performance problems, requires close supervision, or if job requirements can only be accomplished on campus. Remote work arrangements are not intended to create a “second job” with the University or to allow employees to pursue other jobs or business initiatives external to the University.

Department supervisors are responsible for determining the feasibility of any individual remote work arrangement based upon evaluation of the work to be accomplished, benefits to the department, interactions required between the employee who is working remotely and other staff members or customers and the demonstrated skills of the employee. Employees being considered for remote work must have a demonstrated record of acceptable or higher performance, be capable of independent, self-directed work, and be highly self-motivated. A remote work arrangement is developed by the employee and supervisor, but must be approved by both the Office of Human Resources and the President’s Staff representative with oversight of the unit.

Remote work arrangements must comply with federal, state and local laws, as well as University policies that apply to employees at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP). This includes, but is not limited to, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Therefore, remote work arrangements do not change salaries, benefits, job responsibilities, leave policies or other basic terms or legal requirements associated with employment.

Responsible Party

Human Resources

Recommended Citation

"Remote Work Policy - Staff" (2021). Human Resources Policies. 17.
https://collections.uhsp.edu/humanresourcespolicies/17