Telework Resources for Employees and Supervisors
Requesting a Telework Arrangement
Per the policy, telework arrangements may be made for a position:
- At the request of an employee, or
- Required by a Unit Authority to meet business and operational needs, and
- In accordance with applicable CBAs or Employee Handbooks.
Types of telework arrangements:
Remote: When the duties of a position are performed remotely at an Alternate Workstation on a full-time basis but may require occasional onsite reporting. The remote location is the employee’s official workstation.
Hybrid: When the duties of a position are performed partly at a WWU on-site location and partly at an Alternate Workstation on a regular basis.
Ad Hoc: These are positions that are predominantly onsite at a WWU location, but occasionally will work remotely on an as-needed basis.
Employees Must be able to Comply with Telework Policy and Standards
Prior to requesting a telework arrangement, employees must ensure they can meet the requirements of the:
- Managing Telework Arrangements Policy (POL-U5410.02)
- Standards for Reimbursing Teleworkers for Travel (STN-U5410.02A)
- Standards for Managing Data Security and Privacy While Teleworking (STN-U5410.02B)
Position Must be Eligible for Telework
To help determine eligibility:
- Use the Telework Feasibility Worksheet (FRM-U5410.02B).
- See also Sections 2 and 3 of the policy.
Requests, Approvals, and Disapprovals Must be Documented
- The Telework Request and Agreement eform must be used to document approval status of a telework request.
- Employees and supervisors are encouraged to first discuss a telework arrangement, but all final decisions, including disapprovals, must be documented using the eform.
Telework Agreements Must be Updated Annually During the Employee’s Annual Performance Evaluation
Telework arrangements must be reviewed and approved by the supervisor at least annually during an employee’s performance evaluation. The Telework Agreement must be renewed even if there are no changes to the agreement. The purpose of this is to:
- Reconfirm the terms and conditions of the agreement and address any performance issues identified through the performance review,
- Ensure new supervisors review and approve telework arrangements under their purview,
- Align with any new legal or policy requirements, and
- Review the condition and location of University provided equipment and update the Remote Work Equipment Agreement as needed.
Out of State Teleworking Not Permitted
At this time, the University does not have the capacity to support out of state telework arrangements. See Section 4 of the policy for more information including exceptions to this rule for temporary telework situations.
All employees must ensure their current bona fide official residence is maintained and updated when applicable via Western’s Web4U system. See Section 5 of the policy.
Employees Must Keep Remote Work “Equipment” Agreement up to Date
Both the employee and their department Asset Control Custodian must ensure all University property that is shipped to or moved from the University to the employee’s telework site is documented via the Remote Work Equipment Agreement Eform.
See Section of the policy and see “Logistics” below.
Managing a Telework Arrangement
Teamwork and Communication
Meetings
Teambuilding
- Morale Management for Remote Teams
- Remote Onboarding Best Practices
- Principles to Support Leadership of Remote Teams
Logistics
Moving University Property to Telework Site
- Moving office equipment/technology: Campus Logistics Operations
- Telework Equipment Agreement eForm (FRM-U5410.02C)
Parking
- Departments are not permitted to reimburse teleworkers for travel and parking to attend on-site meetings in most circumstances. See the Standards for Reimbursing Teleworkers for Travel (STN-U5410.02A) for more information.
- Parking and transportation options: Transportation Services
Employee Productivity Tips
- Tactics for Individual Productivity and Self-Care
- 12 Guides to Help Navigate the Remote Life
- The Ultimate Guide to Remote Work
- LinkedIn Remote Work Courses
Work life/Self-Care Tips
- Remote work guide for caregivers
- Caregivers and Parents Group
- Ergonomic Considerations
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)