Objective
Remote work allows employees to work at home, on the road, or in a satellite location for all or part of their work week. Remote work may be appropriate for some employees and jobs but not for others. Remote work is not a companywide benefit, and it in no way changes the terms and conditions of employment with Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia.
Procedures
Remote work can be informal, such as working from home for a short-term project or on the road during business travel, or a formal, set schedule of working away from the office. Other informal, short-term arrangements may be made for employees on family or medical leave to the extent practical for the employee and the organization and with consideration of the employee’s health care provider, if appropriate.
Any remote work arrangement made may be discontinued at will and at any time at the request of either the telecommuter or the organization.
Eligibility
Individuals requesting formal remote work arrangements must be an exempt (salaried) employee with Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia and must have a satisfactory performance record. Non-exempt (hourly) employees are not eligible for permanent remote work arrangements.
Remote work requests for extended periods of time or regularity must be submitted by the supervisor to the Executive Administration for approval.
Before entering into any remote work agreement, the employee and supervisor, with the assistance from the Office of Human Resources, will evaluate the suitability of such an arrangement, reviewing the employee’s needs and work habits, the essential functions of the job, equipment needs, scheduling issues, and tax/legal implications. Final approval for remote work eligibility will in writing come from a member of Executive Administration.
General Guidelines
- The supervisor and telecommuter will communicate at a level consistent with employees working at the office or in a manner and frequency that is appropriate for the job and the individuals involved.
- The expectation for availability applies to both exempt (salaried) employees and EA-approved non-exempt (hourly) employees, requiring adherence to MTSA’s standard operating hours. Additionally, emails and phone calls should be answered or returned in a manner that reflects an onsite presence.
- On a case-by-case basis, the Director of Human Resources, Director of Educational Technology, and VP of Finance and Administration will determine, with information supplied by the employee and the supervisor, the appropriate equipment needs for each remote work arrangement.
- The employee will establish an appropriate work environment within their home for work purposes. Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia will not be responsible for costs associated with the setup of the employee’s home office, such as remodeling, furniture or lighting, nor for repairs or modifications to the home office space.
- When attending virtual meetings, the employee must abide by the Personal Appearance standards set by MTSA. This includes maintaining a professional setting and wearing appropriate attire during traditional work hours to ensure readiness for any video calls. Employees should remain in a professional environment where they can promptly and appropriately respond to video calls as needed. Please see the Dress Code for additional information.
- Consistent with the organization’s expectations of information security for employees working at the office, remote work employees will be expected to ensure the protection of proprietary company and customer information accessible from their home office. Compliance with FERPA and other privacy laws are to be maintained at all times.
- Employees are expected to maintain their remote workspace in a safe manner, free from safety hazards. Injuries sustained by the employee in a home office location and in conjunction with their regular work duties are normally covered by the company’s workers’ compensation policy. Remote work employees are responsible for notifying the employer of such injuries as soon as practicable.
- Remote work is not designed to be a replacement for appropriate childcare. Although an individual employee’s schedule may be modified to accommodate childcare needs, the focus of the arrangement must remain on job performance and meeting business demands.
- Employees are expected to abide by all MTSA policies as if they would when working in the office, with little to no interruptions.
For additional information, please see Dress Code Policy.