4.33 Working from Home
The purpose of this policy is to establish clear and consistent guidelines for Bucks County Community College working from home.
This policy applies to all regular full and part-time employees who have completed their probationary period.
Working from home must be supported by a clear business need and shall only be considered as follows:
- Occasional/By Request: a sporadic occurrence based on business need.
- College Emergency: that is precipitated by an emergency that significantly disrupts a facility or facilities or the physical operation of a department and when needed to achieve business continuity and to maintain critical functions, operations, and services. Working from home arrangements may be established until normal operations can be restored at the regular work location.
- Planned College Closure: when essential College functions are required for business continuity, certain employees may be required to work from home.
In all cases, working from home arrangements are revocable and can be discontinued at any time when the judgment of the supervisor is that it is in the best interest of the College to do so.
Working from home does not change an employee’s terms and conditions of employment, including required compliance with or the application of College policies. Additionally, an employee’s compensation and/or benefits do not change as a result of a working from home arrangement.
Working from home is not intended to permit employees to have time to work at other jobs or attend to other personal business, nor is it intended as a substitute for dependent care. Additionally, employees may not work from home during a medical leave of absence without their physician’s written authorization and in accordance with all other policies/collective bargaining agreements related to absences for medical reasons.
Working from home is not intended to circumvent any leave that an employee has requested and is entitled to pursuant to state and/or federal law, College policy, or prevailing collective bargaining agreements.
Employees must obtain written supervisor authorization in advance regarding a request to work from home. Requests for authorization to work from home must be submitted in writing to the supervisor not less than three (3) work days in advance and must detail the nature of the work to be completed and the duration of the request. Failure to obtain supervisor’s authorization in advance may result in disciplinary action and use of available paid leave time.
The supervisor will consider the request based on factors such as:
- The employee’s accessibility to customers/students, colleagues and supervisor in order to fulfill the requirements of the position
- The employee’s access to equipment at the home location (such as internet access, computer, telephone) in order to fulfill the requirements of the position. The College is under no obligation to provide equipment or other resources needed to work at home unless working from home is a job requirement