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Recognized as “a great place to work” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, ensuring the Gettysburg College employee work environment remains supportive, flexible, and equitable for all employees is an institutional priority. In order to meet the reality of 21st century work, the College is establishing and supporting this remote work policy. Hybrid/remote work allows specific employees to work from home or an off-site location, rather than commuting to the Gettysburg College campus.
Many positions at Gettysburg require an on-campus presence in order to support the undergraduate student experience. Having all employees of the College working collectively in the same place supports our mission statement and core values, including, “Our conviction that a residential college best promotes the sense of community, central to a liberal arts education, in which personal relationships between students, faculty, and staff can flourish.” However, Gettysburg College will consider hybrid or remote work as a viable work option when appropriate for a position and when both the employee and the job description align for such an arrangement. Hybrid or remote work must not present an impediment for the College, staff, students, or faculty—that is, additional work cannot be imposed upon others as a result of remote working arrangements for an individual. Additionally, expectations for timely completion of work and other performance criteria are the same for an on-campus and off-campus employee. Hybrid or remote work will not be appropriate for every position at the College. All remote work agreements will be made on a case-by-case basis. When appropriate, accommodations will be considered according to ADA standards for documented medical and/or disability needs.
Types of Work Arrangements
The College recognizes four general types of remote work arrangements. An employee or a supervisor, department or program chair can suggest remote work as a possible option.
View Remote and Hybrid Work Resources
Occasional Remote Work
Not regularly scheduled, and approved on a case-by-case basis, these requests are infrequent and not regularly scheduled. For example, an unplanned personal obligation, inclement weather, or traveling on College business could be reasons for making this ad hoc request.
Regular Hybrid Working Arrangement
Regular hybrid working arrangements can be for a defined length of time. For example, in a regular hybrid arrangement, the employee will have access to a campus workspace which may be shared with others and/or may be in an open office environment. Employees working a hybrid schedule will routinely return to campus to conduct work related activities; hybrid working days should be no more than three (3) days per week. (A longer duration will be considered remote work). New hybrid arrangements must begin with a trial period of at least three months, and then may be adjusted or discontinued at-will or at any time at the request of either the employee or the College.
Hybrid Work Arrangement during College Breaks
Many of our positions require in-person work during times when students are on campus. Employees in these positions must be accessible to our students during the academic year. However, there may be an opportunity to allow for a hybrid or remote work option during College breaks or during the summer months.
Remote Work
Remote work consists of working from home an average 4 or 5 days per week. For the purpose of this policy, remote employees will not be required to follow an established on-campus schedule, but will be required to be available during normal business hours. Remote workers will not maintain a campus office or workspace.
Regular remote work arrangements must be in one of these states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, or Virginia. Employees can also be in the District of Columbia. In addition to the employee’s supervisor and the VP/Division Head, the Executive Director of Human Resources must approve work in any other state before a remote work agreement is established. The College reserves the right to adjust or discontinue a remote work arrangement or position at-will and at any time.
Regardless of the type of working arrangement, all employees are expected to be available during normal working hours for their respective departments. Working hours and location must be agreed upon with the employee’s supervisor, communicated to co-workers and key constituents, and maintained consistently.
Eligibility
When evaluating a remote or hybrid work request, supervisors should consider the specific position requirements, the impact on the office or department team, the employee's performance, and whether the employee can effectively perform the duties of the position while away from campus.
Position Considerations
A position's suitability for remote or hybrid work will be based on operational needs and the responsibilities and duties of the role. An eligible position is one in which most of the duties can be completed away from campus or provide a significant advantage in being completed away from campus. There should be minimal bearing on others in the office or department or students from not having this position on campus. Positions that perform essential campus services will generally not be eligible for remote or hybrid work.
Employee Considerations
An employee’s readiness for remote or hybrid work should be considered. Some employees may be better prepared to manage the requirements of these arrangements. When evaluating a request, supervisors should consider the employee’s performance in the workplace. Strong performance in the following areas could indicate an employee's readiness for remote work: ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines, effective time management, ability to accomplish duties with minimal supervision, effective communication with internal and external parties, strong organization, self-motivated, and a solid understanding of their role and expectations.
Disability Accommodations
Requests to work remotely as a reasonable accommodation are handled through the accommodation request process. Employees should discuss these requests with the Office of Human Resources.
Request & Approval
Occasional (or Ad Hoc) Remote Work
Occasional remote work will be approved by the employee’s supervisor. These periodic requests will be approved at the time of each individual occurrence. Employees should not assume being permitted to work remotely on one day or for a specific reason makes each similar occurrence approved.
Hybrid Working Arrangements (Year-round or only during breaks)
Hybrid working arrangements must be approved by the employee's direct supervisor and their respective Vice President/Division Head. Both the employee as well as the Division Head must sign a formal Remote Work Agreement in advance before beginning to work remotely on a non-occasional basis.
Remote Work
Remote work arrangements must be approved by the employee's direct supervisor and their respective Vice President/Division Head. Both the employee as well as the Division Head must sign a formal Remote Work Agreement in advance before working from home.
Important Note: Since some remote work arrangements are created for individuals who reside outside of the state of Pennsylvania, direct supervisors and employees should keep in mind that employing out-of-state residents brings significant costs and administrative responsibility. Remote work must be limited to Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. If there’s a need to hire outside of these areas, requests will require a strong argument anchored by a long-term plan detailing how this arrangement addresses the College’s mission. Even with a compelling presentation, an out-of-state work arrangement may not be approved. It is advisable to speak with the Executive Director of Human Resources prior to seriously engaging in a conversation with an employee who wishes to work outside of these areas. No approval may be granted until receiving confirmation from the Human Resources Office.
Employee Responsibilities
Policies and Procedures
Hybrid or remote work does not change the terms or conditions of employment or required compliance with College policies, procedures, and/or work rules. Employees must maintain the ability to communicate with parties both internal and external and attend meetings via conference call or video conference. The default setting for video meetings will be with camera on unless told otherwise, and perform other duties required of the position. Incremental costs of working offsite are to be borne by the employee (i.e., home office set-up, internet access, telephone charges, technology, supplies, etc.)
Alternate Work Site Expectations
Regular hybrid or remote work employees must establish and maintain an appropriate environment within their alternative workspace. This space should be dedicated for business use and be the location in which the vast majority of work is completed. The designated work space should be secure and free of noise interference by other household members or pets. Employees must take all precautions necessary to secure sensitive and confidential information, including student, volunteer, alumni, and donor records and information, etc., and prevent unauthorized access to College equipment and proprietary information. Employees are not permitted to relocate the Alternate Work Site to any other location without first obtaining written permission from the College.
Employees should ensure and maintain an ergonomically appropriate and safe workspace.
The College will not be responsible for costs associated with the set-up, repair, or modification of alternative workspaces. Additionally, the employee must assume the cost of internet access, phone service, office supplies, and other needs. Alternative work spaces should include a wired internet connection, or employees should have sufficient Wi-Fi to support both the equipment and provide adequate network connectivity.
Regular and hybrid remote workers must either arrange to forward their office phone to their cell phone or dedicated landline, set up the available technology to answer their phone via their computer (Webex) or respond to voicemails in a timely manner, but no later than the end of the workday.
Technology Equipment & Support
Remote or hybrid work arrangements must not create additional costs to the College. The College will not purchase or reimburse employees for the cost of technology and associated equipment, phone equipment and/or other items, especially printers or monitors. College provided computers are for the employee’s use only and are not to be used by any other individuals within the household.
Employees working remotely and using College-owned equipment are expected to log in to VPN every week. This allows IT to update virus protection and security settings and to ensure your applications keep working.
For IT Support, call 7000 and submit a helpdesk ticket. If the issue cannot be resolved by phone, then the employee must bring the device to the West Building for repairs.
Personal Device Set-Up
IT only supports devices that are owned by Gettysburg College. If an employee is using any device not owned by the College (e.g., local printer, home wireless networking, personally-owned phone) for work purposes, they are responsible for working through the support services they purchased with the device for its security and functionality.
Information Security
Information Security: The College’s Information Management Policy continues to apply to remote and hybrid work.
Safeguarding of Confidential Information
The employee must acknowledge that the performance of job duties at home may require the handling of confidential information, and that continued compliance with all applicable College policies is an essential requirement in this arrangement. The employee must agree to protect all College information from improper disclosure to, or access by, other persons, including other members of the employee's household. The employee must agree to take appropriate steps to ensure the security of all work-related materials, data and equipment during times he/she is not working. The employee must not disclose any College information to any individual unless such disclosure is required for the performance of the employee’s job duties or permit any College information to be accessed by any individual who is not authorized to do so for the purpose of participating in the work being performed,.
All proprietary information must be stored in a locked room, desk, or file cabinet when left unattended. Proprietary information must be disposed of following College guidelines, or returned to a College facility for proper disposal or storage. All proprietary information must be returned to the College upon termination of employment.
Failure to comply with these requirements will be a basis for terminating the Remote Work Agreement as well as initiating corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.
Job Performance and Expectations
Expectations for timely completion of work to established standards, attendance and full participation at meetings, responsiveness to internal and external parties, and other performance criteria are the same for an on-campus and off-campus employee. Supervisors will apply the same performance standards to employees regardless of work location.
The College may, on occasion, require in-person attendance for meetings, trainings, or other events. These requests will override a regular remote work arrangement. Supervisors will discuss such instances with the employee and provide as much notice as possible.
In-Home Interruptions/Dependent Care
The Alternate Work Site must be free from interruptions or distractions from other household members and pets. Generally, remote or hybrid work is not permitted to be used as a substitute for any caregiving needs (e.g., care of a child or other family member or individual). The College recognizes that on rare occasions this may be necessary, for example, caring for a child too sick to go to school; however, this would be the exception and not the rule. Employees must agree to maintain arrangements for caregiving as appropriate during working hours spent in the Alternate Work Site.
Time Reporting
Non-exempt employees approved to work remotely or on a hybrid basis will be required to accurately record all hours worked. Non-exempt employees will be required to seek advanced approval for hours worked in excess or outside of normal business hours.
Safety & Injury Reporting
Employees are responsible for ensuring a safe work environment. In the event an injury is sustained while working at home or other location and in conjunction with their regular work duties, it should be reported as soon as possible to the Human Resources Office.
The College is not liable for any injuries to family members, visitors, and others in the employee’s home office. Remote workers must carry homeowner’s or tenant/renter’s insurance that covers personal property and third party injuries arising out of or relating to the use of the home as a remote/alternative work site and should consult their personal insurance carrier for advice.
Visitors to Alternate Work Site
Employees are not permitted to host colleagues or work visitors/associates at their Alternative Work Site.
Travel to Campus
Employees working a hybrid or remote schedule are not eligible for mileage reimbursement or compensation for travel time.
Return of Employer Property
The employee shall return the equipment, supplies and other property provided to the employee by the College within three days of the College’s demand for the same. Upon termination of employee’s employment, the employee must deliver promptly to the College all equipment, supplies, documents, modems, telephones, facsimiles, office supplies, handbooks, reference materials, computerized information, hardware, and software on loan to the employee. If it is necessary for the College to resort to legal means to recover its property from employee, the employee must pay all legal costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the College to do so.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation and benefits are not affected by work-at-home arrangements.
Tax Implications
Employees are responsible for determining any federal, state, or local tax implications resulting from working at home and for satisfying their personal tax obligations. In addition, Payroll staff may need to adjust an employee's local tax rate based on the municipality from which they are working.
Tax and other legal implications may be incurred for business use of the employee's home based on IRS, state and local government restrictions. Responsibility for fulfilling all obligations in this area rests solely on the employee.
Employees should refer questions to their state and local township authorities and personal tax advisor.
Termination of a Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangement
All approved remote/hybrid work arrangements must be structured on a trial basis. Management is responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the remote work arrangement, through customer and staff/management feedback and performance monitoring, throughout the duration of the arrangement to determine if any adjustments are necessary, or if the arrangement should be terminated.
The continued availability of a remote/hybrid work arrangement should be reviewed periodically by management to determine if business needs are being met. If it is determined that the arrangement should be terminated, reasonable efforts may be made to provide 30 days of notice to accommodate commuting or other problems that may arise from such a change (unless terminating due to performance-related issues). The College reserves the right to terminate any remote/hybrid work arrangement at any time at its discretion.
Supervisor Responsibilities
- Review the Remote Work Agreement annually.
- Monitor work performance, production, and deadline compliance.
- Establish expectations regarding availability, schedules, communication protocols, meeting attendance, and engagement with peers.
- Ensure the employee continues to adhere to all College expectations, policies, and procedures.
- Contact Human Resources with questions and concerns.
Remote Work Agreement
All regular remote work arrangements require a Remote Work Agreement be put in place. The agreement sets expectations and should be reviewed and updated as needed and, at least, annually. This agreement does not imply a contract or guarantee employment for a specific period of time. Completed agreements should be sent to the Human Resources Office, campus box 2443.
Remote Work Agreement (DOCX)