​ Remote Work Policy - Human Resources - Truckee Meadows Community College
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Remote Work Policy

In June, 2021, the NSHE Board of Regents recognized the changing dynamic of the work environment by providing guidance in the Board of Regents Handbook, the NSHE Code, to allow NSHE institutions the flexibility to utilize remote work or telecommuting as an option, when deemed appropriate and applicable by the institution.

Board of Regents Handbook Title 4, Chapter 3 – Approved by Board June 11, 2021
Limitations on Remote Work or Telecommuting Policies
Section 51. Limitations on Remote Work or Telecommuting Policies

Any policy enacted by an institution or system administration that authorizes an employee to work remotely or telecommute for a temporary or extended period of time must advance the institution’s mission and shall not reduce or impede the quality of instruction or service provided to students, co-workers, and the community.

Working remotely or telecommuting is not a right. It is a discretionary privilege, and if approved by a supervisor, it is subject to conditions on a case-by-case basis that may be amended or revoked. Not all positions will be eligible for working remotely or telecommuting, as some positions by their nature and responsibilities require daily in-person presence and interaction. Denial of an employee’s request to work remotely or telecommute shall not be subject to any grievance, reconsideration, or appeal. Any policy developed pursuant to this Section must comply with all applicable policies and procedures set forth in the Board of Regents Handbook, the Code, and the Procedures and Guidelines Manual.
(B/R 6/21)

TMCC recognizes the changing nature of the work environment and establishes the Remote Work Policy to provide a framework that addresses both institutional and individual employee needs. This policy reflects, supports and complies with the Limitations on Remote Work or Telecommuting Policies outlined above.

Procedures and Guidance

  1. Changes to the TMCC Remote Work Policy’s procedures and guidance will rely on shared governance protocols.
  2. TMCC is a “brick and mortar” institution where the majority of student support services and classes are offered in-person and on campus.
  3. It is crucial that TMCC employees who provide services and support to students have a presence on campus to deliver and facilitate the educational experience. Full-time TMCC employees of all types must be available to meet the needs of the campus community.
  4. Many job responsibilities cannot be effectively performed remotely.
  5. While online instruction can often be effectively delivered remotely, other full-time academic faculty responsibilities such as participation in curriculum development and assessment, department and college meetings, and collaborations with colleagues, are often most productive when done in person and on campus.
  6. Permanent or long-term remote work arrangements may be approved, but may not be available for all positions or individuals, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  7. Remote work arrangements do not pertain to the scheduled teaching modalities of academic faculty including online, hybrid and other distance-ed formats. Rather, remote work arrangements will only pertain to the associated non-instructional responsibilities.
  8. Remote work arrangements must, with few exceptions, be cost-neutral to the College.
  9. The College will adhere to the NFA contract, where applicable, when entering into remote work arrangements for academic and administrative faculty covered by the collective bargaining agreement.

Types of Remote Work Arrangements

Occasional, short-term (1-2 day) remote work requests due to unforeseen circumstances should be managed by the immediate supervisor, as needed. For all other remote work arrangements, employees must meet the eligibility requirements outlined in this guidance.

  1. Temporary Remote Work (30 or fewer workdays) – A temporary remote work arrangement, due to unforeseen circumstances, that allows for up to twenty consecutive and/or a total of 30 total days within a fiscal year.
    1. No formal remote work agreement is required for this temporary situation; however, the details of the arrangement must be documented in writing, which may include e-mail, between the employee and the immediate supervisor and/or director and applicable appointing authority and reported to Human Resources. See Remote Work Approval for more details.
    2. Geographic area limitations may not apply.
    3. This arrangement can be used for emergency situations, such as quarantine, medical conditions or other life circumstances. Verification may be required.
  2. Hybrid Remote Work – A workplace alternative that provides the option of working from a virtual remote location (e.g., home or other off-campus location) for part of the employee’s regular work assignment with the remainder of the work being performed on campus.
    1. A Remote Work Agreement is required.
    2. The schedule for each location (on-campus and remote) must be approved by the immediate supervisor and be consistent.
    3. A plan for assessing productivity and job performance must be developed and agreed upon by the supervisor and employee prior to approval.
    4. Scheduled remote work for employees may not exceed 40% of the regularly scheduled work hours. For academic faculty, this pertains only to non-instructional responsibilities.
    5. Employees working remotely under this arrangement must be able to perform their job duties effectively while working remotely, must be responsive to the areas they serve, and must respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner.
    6. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and manager approving the agreements for the department to ensure adequate coverage in the department and that remote days are distributed appropriately across the staff and throughout the week.
    7. Academic faculty are eligible to apply for Hybrid Remote Work for the non-instructional workload. A hybrid remote work arrangement for academic faculty teaching in-person courses must not impact delivery of such courses nor the availability of faculty for office hours, in accordance with the Faculty Workload Policy detailed in the NFA contract.
  3. Full Remote Work – A workplace alternative where an employee works from home or from another off-campus location, away from a regularly assigned on-campus work location, for all available work.
    1. A Remote Work Agreement is required.
    2. A plan for assessing productivity and job performance must be developed and agreed upon by the supervisor and employee prior to approval.
    3. Academic faculty are eligible to apply for Full Remote Work for their non-teaching workload and are subject to the Faculty Workload Policy in the NFA Contract. Any full remote working arrangement should not conflict with that policy.
    4. Employees working remotely under this arrangement must be able to perform their job duties effectively while working remotely, must be responsive to the areas they serve, and must respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner.
    5. Full Remote Work arrangements will be considered in rare circumstances and reviewed on a case by case basis with approval by the President.

Duration of Remote Work Agreements

Approved Hybrid and Full Remote Work arrangements can be negotiated for up to one (1) year and documented in a Remote Work Agreement. This must include a minimum of 2 formal assessments of productivity and job performance conducted at 3 months and 9 months. With evidence that productivity and job performance targets are being met, Hybrid and Full Remote Work Arrangements can be extended annually with a minimum of one (1) formal assessment of productivity and job performance to be conducted in the last quarter of the Remote Work Agreement. Hybrid and Full remote work arrangements can be amended or revoked by the supervisor, with or without cause, with 30 day written notice. An employee can terminate a Hybrid and Full Remote Work arrangement with 30 day written notice.

All remote work arrangements are subject to immediate revocation if the employee is determined to be out of compliance with the Remote Work Agreement.

Remote Work Outside of Nevada

It is the expectation that full-time College employees live in Nevada or within 120 miles of the main campus.

Hybrid and Full remote work arrangements outside of Nevada or the geographical range may require additional considerations and approvals because of potential issues (including, but not limited to, worker’s compensation, labor laws, tax issues, unemployment insurance, payroll, state registration issues, in-person availability, etc.). These requests will be carefully evaluated and must have approval from the President and General Counsel, and are subject to approval of the Office of NSHE General Counsel.

Eligibility and Exclusions

This policy is inclusive of all employees in positions deemed eligible for remote work. Remote work arrangements may not be available for all positions or individuals in an operating unit. The determination will be based on the needs of students, the size of a department, specific job responsibilities and/or institutional business operations, and alignment with the Guiding Principles, as well as other considerations that may impact service to the College community. Employees interested in a remote work arrangement should discuss eligibility and options with their immediate supervisor.

Full and part-time academic faculty whose regular work schedules do not require them to work fully or partially on campus are not required to seek approval for teaching web-based classes remotely, however, full-time faculty are subject to this policy for other areas of their workload, such as office hours, institutional service, and non-teaching instructional activities including grading, preparation, etc., as described in the Faculty Workload Policy and Definitions sections in the NFA Contract. The Guiding Principles of this Policy should be considered when setting faculty work schedules. Where in conflict, the NFA Contract supersedes this Remote Work Policy.

Employees eligible to be considered for a Temporary, Hybrid or Full Remote Work arrangement must meet the following minimum criteria:

  1. the remote work situation aligns with the Guiding Principles.
  2. job responsibilities can be performed remotely with no loss of functionality or production.
  3. productivity and job performance can be readily demonstrated and assessed.
  4. the employee can demonstrate adequate and reliable internet service in the remote location.
  5. the College can provide appropriate technology or equipment needed for the employee to conduct required job functions and ensure secure information transfer.

The policy does not apply to authorized work performed away from an employee’s assigned work location as part of an employee’s job responsibilities, including but not limited to travel, sabbatical, research (including international), community engagement, conference attendance, nor is it intended to prohibit work performed off-campus by College academic and administrative faculty holding professional positions as defined and authorized by the Board of Regents (NSHE Code, Title 2, Sect 1.1).

Request for Remote Work

To request a Hybrid or Full Remote Work arrangement, an employee must notify their immediate supervisor and complete a Request for Remote Work and submit the form to Human Resources.

When unforeseen situations (beyond the unexpected 1-2 days that may happen occasionally) create circumstances in which short-term remote work is needed, employees should work with their supervisor to develop a Temporary Remote Work arrangement, as appropriate. To apply for a Temporary Remote Work arrangement no formal Remote Work Agreement is required; however, the details of the arrangement must be documented in writing.

Remote Work Approval

Temporary Remote Work arrangements must be approved by the immediate supervisor and/or director and applicable appointing authority and reported to Human Resources.

Hybrid and Full Remote Work arrangements require approval of the immediate supervisor, director, appointing authorities and TMCC President/Leadership.

Approval is not finalized until the Remote Work Agreement has been signed by all required parties.

In accordance with the Board of Regents Handbook, the NSHE Code, approval of requests for remote work are discretionary and subject to review on a case-by-case basis. Denial of an employee’s request to work remotely or telecommute shall not be subject to any grievance, reconsideration, or appeal.