COVID-19 Telecommuting Guidance

The outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has led to stringent governmental recommendations for social distancing, reducing population density and other mitigation techniques to limit the virus’ spread.

In response, SUNY Orange has developed the following guidance to support those employees who have been deemed non-essential and assigned to work remotely.

The decision to assign employees to work remotely will be based on the needs of the College, the status of the College’s operations and on individual employee circumstances. 

Notes:

• Any employee who works from home or another suitable location, must use reasonable caution, procedures, and equipment that maintains data storage and security.  
• The College cannot provide desks, chairs, file cabinets, or other office-related furniture.
• Employees in need of laptops must make a request with their supervisor. The College is likely unable to honor all laptop requests.
• The use of the employee's personal computer may be dependent on the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN). 
• Telecommuters are responsible for having a phone for all work-related calls. Telecommuters may also be required to forward their official work site phone to the phone that will be used while telecommuting. The College is able to offer employees the Avaya phone app, which allows them to answer their work phones via computer.  This can be installed via a workorder with the Infomration Technology Services staff.
• In order to telecommute, employees are required to have an internet connection with bandwidth that is appropriate for conducting official business without disruption. The College cannot reimburse for internet costs. 
• Employees will be prohibited from conducting telecommuting activities from publicly accessible locations, such as libraries, cafes and any locations where a secure connection cannot be guaranteed.

Expectations:

1. The employee adheres to the College’s rules, regulations and policies.
2. The employee will not hold business visits or meetings with colleagues, students, or the public in their home.
3. The employee agrees to maintain appropriate safety practices during the time worked.
4. The employee assumes primary responsibility for maintaining effective communication and workflow among team members, co-workers and students.
5. The employee shall have regularly scheduled work hours agreed upon with the supervisor, including specific core hours and telephone and electronic mail accessibility. Communication by telephone and electronic mail with the College must be available during work hours and voice mail and email must be checked regularly. The work schedule shall be consistent with the operational needs of the employee’s department. 
6. If conditions permit, the employee will attend job-related meetings, training sessions and conferences, as requested by the supervisor.  In addition, the employee may be required to attend meetings on short notice. 
7. All College materials must be treated in confidence and maintained in a safe and secure manner. 
8. All College equipment is to be kept secure and used for College business only.  Any equipment supplied by the College must be returned to the College upon termination of the temporary telecommuting arrangement.  The employee is responsible for any lost or damaged College property. 
9. An employee in a position where compensation time may be applicable must have advance written approval from their supervisor to work in excess of normal business hours.
10. All out-of-pocket incidental costs, such as residential utility costs, cleaning, supplies, internet and so forth are the responsibility of the employee. 
11. The telecommuting employee will not be paid mileage involved in travel between the employee’s home or other suitable location and the employee’s assigned work location. 
12. All passwords must be safeguarded.

As the College manages operations during the COVID-19 outbreak, we ask all employees for patience and understanding during these extenuating, and unprecedented, circumstances. 

You all care greatly for this College, your colleagues and our students. Your flexibility is crucial to our ability to maintain effective operations at a distance, while assuring our students are able to continue on their academic path with as much support (virtual and otherwise) that we can provide as a community. 

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Accessing Campus on Occasion While Working Remotely

We know that there will be occasions throughout the semester when staff or faculty may need to make an unscheduled visit to campus.

To maintain reduced density in our buildings and ensure that health and safety guidelines are met, please follow the steps below:

1) Request permission from your VP (Admin & Finance, Student Services) or AVP (Academic Affairs) - include day, time, and building location /floor/room number 

2) Make your request no later than noon on the day prior to your planned visit

3) If approved, Security and Human Resources will be notified. 

4) Use the CampusClear app (SUNYOrange CampusClear How To) before leaving home

5)  Only come to campus if you have a "Good to Go" result