Human Resources

 06:55:00 Alternate and Remote Work Arrangements

1. Purpose
   1. The purpose of this policy is to set the standards for alternate work arrangements, including remote work, across the College. Alternate work arrangements may enable the College to retain and attract employees, increase productivity, improve morale, and optimize the use of institutional space. Availability of an alternate work arrangement is at the discretion of the College and subject to change with or without notice. Given the nature of faculty work, this policy only applies to non-faculty employees.
2. Definitions
   1. Remote work - A work arrangement in which a supervisor authorizes an employee to perform the usual job duties away from the central workplace.
   2. Flex Time - Adjusted work schedule where daily working hours may fall outside the hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
   3. Compressed Work Week - Adjusted schedule where the employee works a 37.5hour week in less than 5 days.
   4. Flex Year - Any time period greater than 9 but less than 12 months scheduled to accommodate a cyclical workload.
   5. Job Sharing - Two or more people share a single job for which they are each accountable.
   6. Central Workplace - The place of work to which an employee is primarily assigned.
   7. Alternate Work Arrangement - The written arrangement, as documented by an acknowledgement, that details the terms and conditions of an employee’s work schedule whether away from or at the central workplace.  A remote work arrangement is one type of alternate work arrangement.
3. General Procedures
   1. Alternate work arrangements should address and establish the business justification for the alternate work arrangement.
   2. The Office of Organizational Culture and Engagement (OCE) will audit and maintain records on alternate work arrangements for eligible personnel to ensure compliance with all College and Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) policies, as well as state and federal laws. OCE will provide training and guidance on the application of the telecommuting policy and procedures.
   3. All employees wishing to work an alternate schedule or work remotely must complete an Alternate Work Arrangement Acknowledgment Form (Exhibit 1) and secure the approval of departmental supervisors as indicated on the form. Once approved, the supervisor must submit the form to OCE for approval before the employee begins working from a remote work site. The final arrangement must be approved by the President. Failure to secure this approval may result in the inability to work an alternate schedule or remotely.
   4. Alternate work arrangements must be reviewed periodically and no less than annually and can be reviewed subsequently at the request of the employee or supervisor in order to ensure that the needs of the employee, department and customer service requirements are being met.  Additional reviews must also coincide with the annual performance review process.
      1. Changes to alternate work arrangements must be reviewed and approved by the immediate supervisor and a member of OCE.
      2. Major changes, such as moving out of state, may impact the employee’s ability to work an alternative schedule.
         1. (For remote work) Any employee working outside of Tennessee is solely responsible for any and all tax liability, including for state and local income tax, that results from working remotely and will indemnify the College for any of employee’s unpaid tax liability resulting from a remote work arrangement. Any employee planning to work remotely from a state other than Tennessee is urged to understand the tax consequences of doing so.
   5. Alternate work arrangements are not a universal employee benefit or right. No employee is entitled to or guaranteed an alternate work arrangement. Vice Presidents and Executive Directors of divisions are responsible for the continued successful operations of the College, and thus have the sole discretion to designate positions and/or individuals for an alternate work arrangement.
   6. Alternate work arrangements do not change the conditions of employment or required compliance with laws and policies. Employees working on an alternate work arrangement are subject to the same policies, statutes, and procedures applicable to all employees including, but not limited to, outside employment, conflict of interest, IT acceptable use, time and attendance, and leave policies.  The College must ensure that procedures are in place to document the work hours of employees in alternate work arrangements and to ensure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Supervisors may require employees to report to a central workplace or video conference as needed for work-related meetings or other events or may meet with employees in person as needed regardless of the alternate work arrangement. If a holiday falls on an employee’s scheduled day off as a result of an alternate work arrangement, the employee’s supervisor will make appropriate schedule adjustments to accommodate the holiday.
   7. If approved for an alternate work arrangement, the employee is expected to maintain appropriate levels of productivity and quality of work.  The supervisor will use the College’s normal performance management system to clearly define the performance expectations and to assess the employee’s performance.  If a decline in performance is noted, the arrangement will be canceled.
   8. Approved alternate work arrangements must be supported by a written alternate work arrangement.  At a minimum, this arrangement must include and establish:
      1. That the arrangement may be revoked any time without cause by written notification of the College or upon request by the employee, if approved by the supervisor;
      2. That the agreement will be reviewed periodically (and no less than annually) for compliance and to insure the continued business justification for the work arrangement;
      3. The employee’s work schedule;
      4. The employee’s work location(s); and
      5. The employee will be responsible for the tax consequences of any alternate work arrangement;
      6. The employee’s status during emergency or weather-related closings.  Employees whose alternate work location is in their home are expected to continue working during emergency or weather-related closings, unless otherwise determined by the College or the employee requests annual leave.
   9. The supervisor and employee must maintain a formal weekly schedule. The schedule must state the number of telecommuting hours per week.  Mobile Arrangements must state the number of core hours spent onsite. On site core hours will include:
      1. time for direct interaction between the supervisor and the employee,
      2. time for direct interaction between the employee, departmental coworkers and other essential team members, and
      3. time spent in job related meeting, training sessions, etc.
   10. The supervisor and employee must agree on the manner and timing of communication between the remote-work site and the central work site. The employee must be reachable via telephone or e-mail during agreed upon hours of accessibility. The employee and supervisor will agree on how to handle telephone messages, and will designate which persons will be given the employee’s alternate work site phone number.
   11. Requests for alternate work arrangements as an accommodation for a disability will be addressed through the College’s accommodation request process.
   12. A sample Alternate Work Arrangement Acknowledgment is provided in Exhibit 1.
4. Remote Work Procedures
   1. Remote work may be viable in certain instances.  Remote work arrangements may be for partial, or in certain situations, on a full-time basis.  This policy does not apply to remote work on an informal basis, such as occasional work from home or while traveling.
   2. The majority of job positions require staff to be on campus to support students, faculty, fellow staff, and other members of the College community.  Remote work thus is not suitable for all employees and all jobs.  In determining the appropriateness of a remote work arrangement, the supervisor should consider:
      1. Job responsibilities-the amount of required in-person interaction with faculty, students, and other employees and the ability for the individual and operational unit to perform as competently and efficiently as if working at the central workplace.
      2. Needs of the unit and other units-whether the unit obtains optimal performance by collaborating in person, whether employees are able to interact sufficiently via remote means, and whether working remotely adversely affects other units.
      3. Resources-whether the College can save money by having certain units and certain employees work remotely and whether the employee has appropriate resources at the remote location, including reliable, high-speed internet service.
      4. Employee suitability-whether the employee has demonstrated traits necessary to work remotely, such as the ability to work independently, good organization and time-management skills, satisfactory attendance and punctuality, and self-motivation.
   3. An employee working remotely has the same responsibility as one working at a central workplace for maintaining regular work hours consistent with the core workday of the College (unless a variation is approved by a supervisor) and for devoting working time to work-related functions. The employee is responsible for maintaining a productive workplace and for limiting interruptions during working time, which includes making appropriate dependent-care arrangements.  A remote work arrangement is not a substitute for dependent care or for taking leave.  Requests for leave to address such issues should be made pursuant to the appropriate leave policy.
   4. The employee is responsible for making arrangements for a safe work environment.  Work related injuries occurring while working away from the central workplace should be reported consistently with those occurring at a central workplace. 
   5. The supervisor should consider material and equipment needs when drafting a proposal for an alternate work arrangement with the goal of making the arrangement cost-neutral, i.e., no more equipment, supplies or expense should be necessary as a result of the alternate work arrangement than would be needed at the central workplace. However, at the College’s discretion, funds may be used to provide office equipment, such as docking stations or scanner/printers if doing so enhances the cost efficiency of the arrangement or is otherwise in the College’s best interests. 
      1. All purchasing will follow the College’s purchasing guidelines. The department may provide standard office supplies.
      2. College owned equipment must be noted on the completed Authorization and Custody Record of Equipment Temporarily Removed from the Campus Form. The department and employee must follow the College guidelines regarding the assignment and care of College property.
      3. All College equipment must be returned to the College for servicing. Repair and/or replacement costs and liability, for normal use and wear of College property are the responsibility of the College. The College may pursue recovery from the employee for College property that is damaged or destroyed while in the employee’s care due to improper use.
   6. The College will not be responsible for any additional costs associated with alternate work locations such as utilities, home maintenance, furniture etc. The employee is responsible for maintaining reliable, secure high-speed internet and telephone service at the alternate work location. 
   7. In the event an employee is unable to work remotely due to internet outages or other reasons, the employee should contact the supervisor and may be required to report to the central workplace or take leave.
   8. Employees with remote work arrangements shall not receive mileage for travel to their central workplace.  Travel to a central workplace is not working time. 
   9. For a home-based work location, the employee will be responsible for providing insurance coverage for equipment, supplies, etc. provided by the employee, as the College is not responsible for damage to an employee’s personal property. The employee will be responsible for compliance with any local zoning ordinances or other restrictions related to maintaining a home-based work site. The College will not be liable for any fines, penalties, taxes or other expenses that may accrue as a result of any violation of applicable restrictions.
   10. Employees are not permitted to have in-person, work-related meetings in their homes, unless with an individual employed by a TBR institution or State of Tennessee agency.
   11. Out of state remote work locations.
       1. Employees working for the College are generally expected to have a central workplace in Tennessee.  For that reason, the College will not routinely enter into remote work arrangements that involve working entirely or primarily in another state.  Any request for out-of-state remote work must be approved by the President and the OCE in advance.  Because working outside of Tennessee may subject the College to the laws of other states, remote work will not be approved from all states.  If a supervisor is considering hiring an employee who wishes to spend a significant amount of working time in another state, the supervisor should consult OCE and obtain the required approvals early in the recruiting process. The Chancellor must approve any international remote work arrangement.  Approval to work remotely is not needed for the following:
          1. while traveling on College business;
          2. while traveling on a Tennessee Center for International Studies program;
          3. while on personal travel or on weekends and holidays; and
          4. where the employee commutes to a central workplace in Tennessee from across state lines.
       2. Working outside of Tennessee may create state and local income tax obligations for an employee. State and local income tax laws differ significantly and may be based on both personal residence and work location. The employee is responsible for understanding the tax consequences associated with a remote work arrangement and for properly paying any applicable state and local income taxes that result from remote work. The College does not withhold income and remit taxes to other states. The employee must indemnify the College for any unpaid tax liability resulting from a remote work arrangement.
   12. Employees working remotely must protect College-owned equipment, records, data, and material. Employees must follow the College’s data security policies and procedures for protecting confidential information. The employee will be responsible for any materials and documents transported from the College and/or printed at the alternate work location. The employee is responsible for appropriate disposal of records. Employees must report loss, damage, theft, or unauthorized access at the earliest opportunity and cooperate with the College in following up on such matters. College-provided equipment and supplies must be returned in good working order upon termination of the remote work arrangement, or at any time upon request by the College.
       1. Please see College Policy 06:82:00 for specific guidelines on recordkeeping.
       2. All College records and files temporarily stored at the employee’s remote work site remain the property of the College. Products, documents, and records that are used, developed, or revised while working remotely must be returned to the College when requested, at the end of the alternate work arrangement or termination of employment. Procedures for storage and transfers of College records will be based on the department’s needs and equipment availability.
       3. The employee will protect all confidential College information from unauthorized access.

Exhibit 1 - Alternate Work Arrangement Acknowledgement Form 

 Source: Tennessee Board of Regents Policy No. 5.01.01.20

Reviewed and revised by Organizational Culture and Engagement on April 29, 2026

Previous Versions:

New Policy Submitted to Policy Review Committee on July 13, 2020

Submitted to Policy Review Board on August 10, 2020

Approved by Policy Review Board on August 24, 2020