The Faculty of Arts and Sciences allows telecommuting arrangements for full-time employees on a selective basis,
subject to approval by a supervisor and FAS Human Resources. Because it is ordinarily expected that
administrative/professional/staff work will be carried out on-campus (and that workers should be available to one another)
it is understood that all telecommuting arrangements are provisional and depend upon the nature of work that can
be performed from a remote location. It is also important for telecommuters to appreciate that such a work arrangement
will be approved only in special circumstances, where it is judged to be feasible by all parties, and that it may
be revoked at any time.
The following provisions shall apply to all FAS telecommuting arrangements:
- An employee who is interested in the possibility of telecommuting should prepare a written proposal,
addressing supervision, time-keeping, communication, security of data and equipment, and expectations regarding
performance. The proposal should be discussed with the supervisor. If the supervisor agrees, the proposal will
then go to FAS Human Resources for final approval.
- All telecommuting arrangements are subject to a written agreement between the telecommuter and the supervisor,
reflecting mutual consent about issues such as scheduling, communication, work standards, expectations, work assignments,
and evaluation. The agreement should also reflect mutual understanding about any equipment that might be needed to
perform work from home, how it will be provided and paid for.
- All telecommuting arrangements shall be subject to an initial 3-6 month trial period, in order to
assess whether the arrangement is satisfactory to all parties; after this probationary period, telecommuting
arrangements should be subject to annual review.
- To ensure continuity with on-site employees and regular involvement in office matters, ordinarily
telecommuting should be approved for no more than 3 days out of a 5 day workweek.
- It should be understood that, even when a telecommuter is not physically present at Harvard,
he or she should be available for work during normal business hours and is responsible for ensuring
timely access to co-workers and supervisors during work hours. A clear schedule and contact information
should be posted and distributed. Flex-time arrangements, if desired, should be made separately.
- Ordinarily, telecommuting will not be approved for supervisors and managers of on-site employees.
- A home workplace is subject to any of the same hazards as work performed on campus, and worker’s
comp will apply. Periodic inspection of the work-site may be necessary to ensure that safety and other
ergonomic considerations are addressed.
- Create and adhere to a written telecommuting agreement.
- Outline a clear schedule and contact information that is known to all co-workers
- Arrange for regularly scheduled performance evaluations to assess the success of the telecommuting arrangement.
- Co-workers need to be encouraged to call, rather than say “I hate to disturb you at home”
- Good communication links are crucial; a phone, fax, and email should be dedicated for work purposes during business hours. Subject to negotiation, necessary equipment should be provided by Harvard University
- Regular attendance at department meetings and other important occasions is important, so flexibility in on-site work days is optimal.
- Scrupulous time records should be kept; if working flextime this should be tracked.
- An initial trial period should be assessed so that everyone can assess how well the telecommuting arrangement is working.
