Procedure 5.44.0 - Flexible Work Arrangements for Staff

---

This procedure has been developed to ensure that the College maintains its ability to operate effectively and in accordance with its mission, purpose, strategic goals, and objectives. The College may rescind flexible work arrangements at any time based on institutional needs and specific project deadlines.

Employees are accountable for ensuring that the operational needs of the department or College are met, and for exercising a high level of discretion in order to maintain the public trust as state employees; employees must rigorously adhere to policies related to leave administration as well as applicable state and federal benefits associated with employment.

Please Note: This procedure outlines processes for ongoing work arrangements and is not intended for requests due to emergent situations (e.g., issues with technology, plumbing, or transportation). Employees who need to adjust their work arrangement due to an emergent situation should refer to Policy 5.43- Telework and Procedure 5.43.1-Telework .

Flexible Work Arrangement Options

SCC offers the following flexible work arrangements:

• Flexible Work Schedule – A work arrangement that permits variations in start and departure times but does not alter the total number of hours worked in a workweek. Flextime gives an employee greater latitude in choosing his or her particular hours of work regarding starting and ending times. Work from home will not be permitted with this option. All flextime arrangements must conform to state and federal employment standards. Examples of flex time schedules are:
  • Starting work at 9am, one-hour lunch, and ending at 6pm
  • Starting work at 7:30am, 30-minute lunch, and ending at 4:00pm
  • Split shifts, such as 7:30-11:30am and 2:30-6:30pm
• Work From Home– A work arrangement that permits employees to work away from College premises and accomplish tasks via electronic means. Positions such as but not limited to: Dean, Director, Vice President, Front desk, Reception, Custodians, Student Services/Engagement and Maintenance positions are generally not suitable for work from home arrangements. Once a specific position is identified as eligible for a work from home arrangement, employee characteristics indicative of success often include:
  • The ability to work productively on one’s own;
  • Thorough knowledge of position responsibilities;
  • Good organizational and time management skills;
  • Effective communication skills;
  • Honesty and dependability; and
  • Self-motivation and flexibility
• Hybrid – A work arrangement that combines work from home and traditional on-campus work. A hybrid arrangement enables an employee to work from home a predetermined number of days per week or weeks per month that are predetermined by the supervisor.
• Compressed Work Week – alternative scheduling that compresses a work week into fewer than five days but maintains the standard 38-hour work week.

Request and Approval Process

The college may initiate a flexible work arrangement for staff members whose positions are determined to be eligible. An employee may request approval to be considered for a flexible work arrangement. The employee must submit a Flexible Work Arrangement Request and Approval Form (available via the Infonet or by contacting Human Resources) and meet with his/her supervisor to discuss the request. To ensure requests are understood and to avoid miscommunication, specifics of the requested arrangement must be documented. The employee and supervisor must determine and document the following as applicable to the specific arrangement:

• How satisfactory performance will be determined, measured, and substantiated;
• What the employee’s work hours will be;
• How the arrangement will be structured so as not to burden coworkers;
• Methods for adequate communication during specified hours; and
• How the arrangement will benefit the College

The documentation should also make clear that the employee shall come to the primary work site, when necessary and requested (e.g., department meeting, employee meeting, training, etc.) regardless of the flexible work arrangement.

Flexible Work Arrangement agreements will require review and approval from an employee’s supervisor, appropriate Dean, Vice President, and President of the College. If the employee is approved for a flexible work arrangement, they will receive a written communication from the HR department. The communication will outline expectations, provide guidance about related processes and requirements, and include a copy of the approved Flexible Work Arrangement Request and Approval Form.

Remote Working Arrangement and Access Guidelines – If a work arrangement requires remote access to campus computing resources, the employee must receive prior approval from his/her supervisor after which the Information Technology staff will be contacted for additional information and assistance.

The following guidelines apply to employees utilizing remote access:

1. The College will provide a college issued laptop and printer for employees approved for a flexible work arrangement.
2. Employees are responsible for providing the necessary technology/equipment for remote access including, but not limited to, stable and reliable internet access, a phone , etc.
3. Technology/equipment must meet the minimum requirements as determined by IT. Minimum requirements can be obtained from IT upon request.
4. Employees must comply with information technology policies as outlined in Section 7 of SCC Policies and Procedures.
5. Employees must understand that all IT support will be provided remotely.
6. The IT support will have limited capability during non-business hours and when the College is closed.
7. Employees will be required to complete training and/or a security interview with IT staff to ensure knowledge of web-based information security.
8. The employee must use an appropriate backdrop/background when working remotely (i.e. blurred background, SCC backdrop, etc.).
9. The employee must dress in professional attire during the established working hours.

Safety and Liability

The employee shall designate a workspace within the remote work location for placement and installation of equipment to be used while employed in a flexible work arrangement. Prior to the start of a flexible work arrangement, the human resources department and IT staff are responsible for examining the alternate work location, either virtually or physically, with the employee in order to provide reasonable assurance that materials and equipment supplied to the employee at the Alternate Work Location allow for successful completion of assigned work responsibilities, comply with work related safety standards, and minimize distractions in the work environment. The employee shall maintain the designated workspace in a safe condition, free from hazards and other dangers to the employee and equipment.

The College remains responsible for any work-related injuries under our state’s Workers’ Compensation laws, but this liability is limited to injuries resulting from activities directly related to the course and scope of work and only if the injury occurs in the designated work area. Employees shall report all injuries occurring during the flexible work arrangement work time to their immediate supervisor and the Human Resources office within 24 hours.

The College assumes no liability for injuries occurring in the employee’s flexible work arrangement site outside the agreed-upon work hours. The College is also not liable for injuries to third parties (including members of the employee’s family) at the flexible work arrangement site.

The College reserves the right to inspect and audit the flexible work arrangement site at any time to ensure that it is safe and properly secured. A medical work release must be on file in the Human Resources Office prior to an employee participating in a Flexible Work Arrangement due to medical reasons.

Workers’ Compensation

All employees are covered through North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Liability under Workers’ Compensation applies to “on-the-job” illnesses or injuries caused by an accident arising in the course of employment. This coverage applies to employees working on College premises and to those who are approved for a flexible work arrangement. To qualify for Workers’ Compensation benefits, an employee must be working in the capacity of his/her job role at the time of the incident, and the incident must have occurred during the employee’s established working hours.

Accommodations for Employees with Disabilities

This procedure does not include flexible work arrangement requests as an accommodation for a disability. Employees requesting a flexible work arrangement due to a disability should be directed to Human Resources to discuss potential workplace accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Termination of Flexible Work Arrangements

The College reserves the right to terminate flexible work arrangements at any time. The employee may also request to transition to an alternative work arrangement at any time. This transition request will be reviewed by Leadership whom will then notify HR of the decision. The employee will be notified of the decision by the HR department.

1. Should the rationale/reason for the original flexible work arrangement request cease to exist, or the flexible work schedule be terminated by the supervisor, the employee is expected to return to his/her normal work schedule.
2. Should flexible work arrangements be terminated due to employee performance, office/departmental coverage, or workload needs, employees will be notified by Human Resources in writing of the conclusion of the flexible work schedule.

July 19, 2022