The Office of Human Resources has oversight of this policy and is available to staff who need assistance in resolving disputes regarding this policy.
No. Telecommuting is a flexible work business arrangement that has institutional advantages for Brandeis, including:
Improving staff retention as part of a great place to work, by relieving the commute to work on agreed days.
Contributing to the reduction of pollution, fossil-fuel consumption and traffic congestion.
Enabling commute time to be redirected into productive time.
Providing opportunity to focus on projects with less interruption.
As such, telecommuting is intended to be part of our potential work arrangements. However, service to the Brandeis communities and the orderly functioning of a work environment are our highest priorities and must be maintained. Telecommuting arrangements that have an impact on service and functioning cannot be considered.
Yes. A telecommuting agreement cannot predict all situations that will arise and does not supersede your supervisor's ability to require you to come to campus for business reasons.
Part of the manager's role is to create a culture of positive morale and equity within their school or unit. As such, the school or unit should be conservative in consideration of telecommuting arrangements for the manager, understanding potential impact on staff morale.
Where documented performance concerns exist, we require that the staff member remain in the workplace for direct guidance and training by the supervisor.
There is no guarantee of renewal. For example, the manager may need to provide appropriate telecommuting availability to other employees in the unit.