Telework

Telework Purpose and Rationale

Utah State University (USU) permits telework arrangements when doing so benefits both the department and the employee. Telework arrangements are successful when the job, person, environment, and work situation are appropriate.

Telework can:

  • Improve productivity and job performance,
  • Reduce office and parking space needs,
  • Reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and transportation costs, and
  • Promote the recruitment and retention of a highly qualified and diverse workforce.

Telework Policy Overview

  • Telework is a privilege, subject to university approval, and is not a university-wide benefit
  • Telework arrangements must serve the department’s objectives and can be discontinued by and at the discretion of the department head/director and/or responsible dean/vice president
  • Not all positions will qualify for telework. Each telework decision will be made on a case-by-case basis
  • A signed telework agreement must be executed prior to commencing telework
  • Telework may be approved on a temporary, trial, or ongoing basis

Types of Telework

  • Regular full-time telework: An employee works every workday at a location other than a USU location.
  • Regular part-time telework (Hybrid): An employee works one or more workdays at a location other than a USU location and the remainder of the week’s workdays at a USU location (e.g., M-W alternative work location from home; Th-F work from USU workplace). The schedule is fixed to be the same each week to facilitate meeting schedules and other office activities.
  • Flexible telework: An employee varies their work location throughout the week based on business and/or personal work/life needs. Only positions that can support this variety should be approved under this method.
  • Surge telework: For positions leaders have identified as being able to temporarily telework on days where the Utah Division of Air Quality has forecast an air quality of “unhealthy” (red) or higher at least 48 hours in advance for that county/location.

Please review the policy to view the next steps.