Office of Origin: Human Resources
Responsibility: Executive Director, Human Resources
Original Date Adopted: 8-24-2021
Dates Reviewed: 9-8-21 (C), 12-8-21 (C) 11-15-23 (C)
Last Date Board Approved: 8-24-2021

In the interest of employee work/life balance, non-traditional work schedule requests (flexible scheduling and remote work) may be considered for non-bargaining unit employees of Lake Michigan College (the College). 

Approved flexible schedules and remote work:

• Are subject to a 90-day trial period to assess their impact and effectiveness. 
• Will be reviewed at least annually to evaluate ongoing effectiveness after successful completion of the trial period. 
• Require that exempt employees must depart from a flexible schedule to perform their jobs duties, as needed. 
• Acknowledge that non-exempt employees may be asked to work overtime regardless of a flexible schedule. 
• Require that all employees depart from a remote work arrangement to perform duties on campus, as necessary. 
• May be suspended or cancelled at any time by the College. 
• Require written approval from the department supervisor if an employee wishes to change or cancel the flexible schedule or remote work arrangement.

Flexible Scheduling Options

The department supervisor is responsible for determining which, if any, of the flexible scheduling options below are appropriate for the department. This may include considering individual flexible schedule requests, or, alternatively, requiring an entire department or shift to adopt a flexible scheduling arrangement. To determine if a flexible scheduling request or requirement is appropriate, the department supervisor will assess the impact on work production, quality, and absenteeism, as well the best interest of the department, College, and employee(s).

Individual flexible scheduling arrangements are not appropriate for all employees or positions, and are not a guaranteed employee benefit. The nature of the work and responsibilities must be conducive to a flexible schedule without causing significant disruption to performance, department operations, delivery of services, or workload increase for co-workers. In addition, for an individual flexible schedule to be considered, the employee must normally have been employed for a minimum of 6 months and have a satisfactory attendance record, meet all performance expectations in their current role, and consistently demonstrate the ability to complete tasks and assignments on a timely basis.

Subject to supervisor approval, the following flexible scheduling options may be available: 

• Flextime provides up to 2 hours of flexibility in an employee's set scheduled starting and ending times for their 8-hour workdays. For instance, an employee might prefer to begin work earlier than department business hours (i.e., 7:00 am) and leave earlier (i.e., 3:30 pm), while another employee may prefer to start later and work later. 
• Compressed Workweek Option 1 allows an employee to work 10 hours per workday, reducing the workweek to 4 days a week. 
• Compressed Workweek Option 2 allows an employee to work 9-hour workdays Monday through Thursday and 4 hours each Friday. 

Although approved flexible scheduling arrangements may change an employee's workdays and/or hours, the employee must still work their regularly scheduled total number of hours per week. Vacation time may not be used to reduce or alter a regular work schedule on an ongoing basis as it is intended to provide restorative time away from work or the opportunity to occasionally address personal matters.

To request a flexible scheduling, an employee should complete a Flexible Scheduling/Remote Work Request form and submit it to their supervisor. After reaching a determination, the supervisor should complete their section of the form and provide a copy to the employee. An electronic copy should be forwarded to HR. 

Remote Work (Telecommuting)

In general, the College's success relies upon personal interaction and relationship-building between employees and students, colleagues, and community members. Many duties, processes, and circumstances require performance of work duties on-site. However, certain positions' roles and duties may be accomplished by an employee working remotely at times/intermittently (such as working offsite for a few days to facilitate work on a specific project) or on a part-time basis. Remote work on a full-time basis will be considered appropriate for very few positions. 

Remote work is not an entitlement or a College-wide benefit, and in no way alters the terms and conditions of employment with the College. The College must approve any remote work arrangement, and all approved remote work must be carried out in accordance with the Remote Work Agreement (see below.) A remote work arrangement may be changed or discontinued by the College at any time at will or based upon regulatory requirements, nature of the work, or changing needs of the department. Every effort will be made to provide 30 days’ notice of such change; there may be instances, however, when no notice is possible.

Remote work arrangements will be limited to 2 days per week. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis; requests for exceptions must be approved by the supervising Cabinet member in consultation with the President. Employees are generally expected to perform remote work at their “home” physical address on record with Human Resources (HR).

Technology and Equipment

• Equipment provided by the College is owned by the College and will be maintained by the College. Equipment provided by the employee will be maintained by the employee.
• Provision of equipment other than a laptop for working remotely will be provided based on availability, and can’t be guaranteed.
• Equipment supplied by the College is to be used for business purposes only.
• The employee is fully responsible for safekeeping and return of all College property.
• The College is not responsible for any costs associated with working remotely or the setup of the employee remote work workspace.

Mileage Reimbursement

Employees with a remote work arrangement are not eligible to submit mileage for reimbursement when commuting from their remote work location (generally home) to campus, even if the commute to campus is on a planned/approved remote-work day. See Mileage Reimbursement policy for additional information.

Working Outside of the State of Michigan

Working outside of Michigan for more than 14 days, or for any foreseeable or regularly scheduled period of time, creates significant employment tax, income tax, and regulatory compliance concerns for the College and the employee. Accordingly, a request to work outside of Michigan on a longer-term basis must be approved by the supervising Cabinet member and HR, and will be granted only as a rare exception. Except for emergency situations, employees must submit requests for approval of out-of-state work at least 30 days prior to the start date.

The occasional, short-term need to work remotely from a location other than the employee’s “home” physical address on record requires supervisory approval.

If an employee is approved to work out of state, the College will not provide tax guidance nor will the College assume additional tax withholdings or liabilities on the employee’s behalf.

Application 

To be considered for an ongoing remote work arrangement, an employee must submit a Flexible Scheduling/Remote Work Request form to HR. A separate application is required for requests to work outside of Michigan for longer than 14 days.

An employee should only submit a request form after having been employed for at least 6 months, have job performance at a fully satisfactory level, and have no apparent need for direct instruction or oversight to perform their work duties.

Upon receipt of a Flexible Scheduling/Remote Work Request form, HR, in consultation with the supervisor/supervising Cabinet member, will determine if an employee can feasibly complete work activities remotely. For some positions, it may be clear that duties cannot practicably be completed offsite (e.g., those requiring work on machines or equipment in buildings, who have direct contact with students or the public, or responsible for direct day-to-day oversight of on-site operations.)

If it is not clear if (or to what extent) an employee can feasibly complete work activities remotely, each situation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as:

• Impact of remote work on business operations
• Ability to meet the needs of students, co-workers, and the community
• Effect on timeliness and quality
• Confidentiality concerns
• Availability of information/data security protections
• Availability of a conducive remote work environment

If the request is approved, the employee will be required to sign a Remote Work Agreement indicating that they agree to certain conditions.

Trial Period

Evaluation of remote work arrangements during the trial period will include regular interaction by phone/Zoom/e-mail between the employee and the supervisor, and regular face-to-face meetings to discuss work progress and any concerns. At the end of the trial period, the employee and supervisor will evaluate the arrangement and the supervisor will determine if it should stop, continue, and/or be modified. Evaluation of remote worker performance beyond the trial period will be consistent with that received by employees working on campus in both content and frequency.

Conditions of Remote Employment

A remote work arrangement will not change an employee’s job duties and responsibilities, unless the College decides that a short-term change is in the best interest of all concerned (employee, coworkers, community members, and the College as a whole).

A remote worker’s conditions of employment will remain the same as for employees working on site. Employee wage, benefits, and employer-sponsored insurance coverage will not change as a result of working remotely. Employees working remotely will adhere to all policies and procedure while working remotely. Employees working remotely are expected to devote their full attention to College business while working remotely and not conduct personal business during the time the employee is expected to work remotely. Employees working remotely are expected to continue to meet the performance requirements of their position.

Remote Workspace

A defined workspace is necessary 1) to reduce the College’s exposure to risk 2) to ensure work is conducted in an environment conductive to productivity. Designated workspace should have appropriate power outlets and internet connection, and should be free of slipping and tripping hazards and excessive distractions. Appropriate lighting and comfortable seating are also essential for employee well-being.

References

Flexible Scheduling/Remote Work Request form
Mileage Reimbursement policy
Remote Work Agreement
Work Hours and Scheduled Hours policy