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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHUR040-001 Working from Home Procedure (During a Declared Emergency)c40,/ PICKERING Procedure Procedure Title: Working from Home Procedure Number HUR 040-001 Reference HUR 040 — Hiring Policy Date Originated (m/d/y) May 28, 2020 Date Revised (m/d/y) Pages 5 Approval: Chief Administrative Officer Point of Contact Director, Human Resources Procedure Objective In light of the continued risks associated with COVID-19 and in an effort to prevent further spread, the City of Pickering (the "City") is requiring employees to work from home where practicable in order to support physical distancing requirements. The City will continue to comply with provincial emergency orders and will align its telecommuting arrangements with the phased in reopening of City facilities. Index 01 Definitions 02 Procedure 03 Responsibilities 04 Work from Home Ergonomics 01 Definitions 01.01 Alternate Worksite - An area in an employee's private residence that has been temporarily designated as a workspace in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the City's regular workplace. The employee is responsible for confirming that the Alternate Worksite is safe and can maintain the privacy and security of the employee and the City's confidential information. The City is not responsible for any damage to the Alternate Worksite that may arise as a result of working from home. 01.02 Arrangement - The Work from Home arrangement between the specific employee and the City in accordance with the terms of this Procedure. 01.03 Telecommuting — A work arrangement in which the employee works from home with the use of an internet and phone connection. 01.04 Working from Home Agreement — The agreement between the City and the employee outlining the employee's responsibilities when working from home. 02 Procedure 02.01 Unless otherwise specified, and to the extent possible, the ordinary terms and conditions governing an employee's employment relationship with the City remain applicable and in force while working from home. This Procedure is a supplement to, and not a replacement for, any of the terms of employment between employees and the City under an employee's respective employment agreement, collective agreement, or any other applicable City procedures. 02.02 Except as specifically provided herein, all employees remain obligated to comply with all City policies, procedures, practices and instructions that would apply if they were working at the City's regular worksite. Work products developed or produced by employees while working from home remain the property of the City. 02.03 To be eligible to work from home, the employee must demonstrate such skills and abilities as the ability to work independently, achieve established targets, and maintain effective and timely communications. 02.04 During work hours, all employees must be focused on doing City work. Work hours, compensation and leave scheduling while working from home continue to conform to applicable City Policies. Call in procedures, notification of illness, and requests to use of vacation or lieu time must be approved by the immediate non-union supervisor and in the same manner as such requests would be approved if employees were continuing to work at the City's regular worksite. 02.05 All employees will continue to work their normal work schedule, unless an alternative schedule has been agreed upon by the employee, the union (where applicable) and the City. Any requests for alternative schedules will be assessed on an individual basis and will be in accordance with Human Rights accommodations. 02.06 Employees working at home will not be eligible for overtime unless identified as a requirement and pre -approved by their immediate supervisor. 02.07 An employee on an attendance improvement plan or performance improvement plan may not be permitted to work from home. 02.08 Positions that are suitable for telecommuting are determine based on the following criteria: a) Working off-site will not negatively impact customer service, or the ability of the employee to perform their core duties. b) The employee's work is operationally feasible (i.e. work can be reasonably done off-site). Procedure Title: Working from Home Page 2 of 5 Procedure Number: HUR 040-01 02.09 Ineligible telecommuting positions include: a) Positions that require special equipment or vehicles. b) Positions that are necessary to protect and serve the safety and welfare of City of Pickering residents. 03 Responsibilities 03.01 Human Resources to: a) Provide advice and guidance, as requested, on the Working from Home Arrangement. b) Collaborate with Departments and Divisions to resolve telecommuting arrangement issues, as requested. c) On a regular basis, review and update the Procedure as needed and ensure its application is in compliance with relevant legislation and considers internal feedback. d) Maintain records, such as the Work from Home Agreement (Appendix 1), in the employee's file. 03.02 Supervisor to: a) Determine which positions are suitable to telecommuting. i. This includes considering the full scope of duties for a position to determine if it is possible for the employee to perform the duties working from home. b) Determine whether the employee is a good candidate for telecommuting. a) Confirm that the employee has the required equipment to telecommute (e.g. high-speed internet access, personal desktop computer or laptop, landline or cellular phone). b) Consult with Information Technology (IT) to confirm availability of technological resources if the employee does not have their own required equipment. c) Ensure the employee reviews and signs off on the Work from Home Agreement (Appendix 1). d) Provide a copy of the signed Work from Home Agreement (Appendix 1) to Human Resources for retention in the employee's file. Procedure Title: Working from Home Page 3 of 5 Procedure Number: HUR 040-01 e) Adapt a management style for telecommuting employees as appropriate in order to manage by results achieved by the employee and not by observation of the employee's work habits or performance while in the office. Set clear performance objectives and timelines. f) Maintain regular phone and email communication with the employee. It is critical to stay in contact to understand status of work and communicate information the employee may need to receive while at their home workplace. g) In the event that the employee has a safety incident in their designated workspace, follow the standard internal incident reporting procedure 03.03 Employee to: a) Review and sign the Work from Home Agreement (Appendix 1) and submit to Supervisor prior to implementing the arrangement. b) Continue to conform to applicable policies, procedures and agreements with regard to work hours, compensation, and leave. c) Select a designated workspace at home to limit distractions and perform work at this location. Ensure that this workspace meets the standards in the City's Occupational Health & Safety Policy. d) Make appropriate dependent care arrangements and manage personal responsibilities in a way that allows successful completion of job responsibilities. e) Be accessible via telephone and/or online during designated work hours and respond to voice mail and email messages as per the Employer's expectations throughout the working day. Employees shall utilize the Mitel phone app or forward work phones directly to home or mobile phone so that calls from the public or internal staff are re -directed seamlessly. f) Maintain regular phone and email communication with immediate supervisor, keeping them updated on progress on all assignments worked on at the Alternate Worksite and to resolve any issues encountered while working from home. Employees shall structure their time to ensure attendance at required meetings. g) Comply with the City's absence reporting requirements. h) Take the necessary precautions to secure and protect City property, documents and the confidentiality of information at their homes. Use of a locked space (e.g. filing cabinet if available) is recommended for all personal or confidential information. Procedure Title: Working from Home Page 4 of 5 Procedure Number: HUR 040-01 i) Take the necessary precautions to secure their home wireless network when connecting their computing devices, personal or City issued, to their home Wi-Fi network. Employees should avoid connecting to any public Wi-Fi networks using their personal or City issued computing devices while working from home. j) Only use City equipment, software, data and supplies for official City business, and return such items to the City at the termination of the arrangement, or upon request by the City. k) Immediately report any work related injury sustained while working at home to the immediate Supervisor. Employees agree to allow a City of Pickering Health and a member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee to inspect their home if an injury were to occur, requiring a full investigation of the incident. Employees may be required to grant access to their premises to such authorities as the Ministry of Labour and/or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). 04 Work from Home Ergonomics 04.01 Employees shall ensure that their Alternate Worksite is safe and ergonomically suitable (Appendix 2) and free of any health or safety hazards. 04.02 Employees are entirely responsible for the nature, condition and control of the Alternate Worksite. Some ergonomic measures are easily taken with household items, such as a stack of books to raise a screen. If an employee requires assistance, they are to contact their immediate non-union supervisor to discuss specific needs. 04.03 Employees remain liable for injuries to third parties and/or family members at the Alternate Worksite premises. Employees further agree not to assert against the City and its officers and employees any claims of liability for accidents or damages to the employee, the employee's property, to third parties, or to the property of third parties. Appendices Appendix 1 Work from Home Agreement Appendix 2 How to Adjust Your Workstation (Ergonomic Check) Procedure Title: Working from Home Page 5 of 5 Procedure Number: HUR 040-01 Gdy, ,( DICKERING Appendix 1 Working from Home Agreement Intent This agreement outlines the process used and expectations for employees working from home during this unprecedented time (COVID-19 — declared emergency). Working from home is not a universal privilege and may not be extended beyond this emergency period. This Agreement shall be without prejudice or precedent and will be updated as and when required due to the fast -evolving nature of the current crisis. Guidelines This agreement does not alter or replace the terms of an existing employment contract. Employees must comply with all company rules, policies, practices, and instructions that would apply if the employee were working at the regular company worksite. Work hours, compensation, and leave scheduling will continue to conform to applicable policies and agreements. Requests to use leave time must be approved by the employee's immediate non-union supervisor in the same manner. Performance Management Working from home should not affect an employee's ability to complete day-to-day functions, including communicating with colleagues, management, clients and so on. Employees must stay updated on department and work events. The Employee will be accessible via telephone and online during designated work hours and will respond to their voice mail and email messages as per the Employer's expectations throughout their working day. Employees must keep supervisors/managers informed on the progress of assignments and reach out for support if needed. The Employee's daily work schedule will consist of the same number of hours normally worked under their hours of work schedule. Overtime shall not be approved on days the Employee worked from home. If an employee's presence is required for a meeting at the worksite, reasonable notice will be provided. If at any time the arrangement no longer meets business or productivity goals, the City of Pickering reserves the right to revoke the agreement. Use of Company Property The Employee agrees to supply all necessary equipment. At a minimum, employees need a computer, internet, and phone access. If you do not have a company -provided device but have a personally owned computer/laptop/iPad, you may use this. However, you are responsible for following all the City of Pickering practices and policies to maintain security on your device. Speak to your internet/cell provider about your plan(s) to ensure that you will not experience any overage fees. The City of Pickering does not cover the cost of home Internet and phone and does not insure personal technology. The Employer may provide additional equipment at its discretion. All equipment, records and materials provided by the Employer remain the property of the Employer. Employees must, where provided, use company -provided devices when working from home to ensure that the appropriate software and programs are being used while maintaining data security and confidentiality. All completed and working copies of documents must be saved on the City of Pickering online system with limited access so that information is available to those who may require its use from the company worksite. Company-owned resources may only be used for business purposes. Employees must take reasonable steps to protect any company property from theft, damage, or misuse. Depending on the circumstances, the employee may be responsible for any damage to or loss of company property. The City of Pickering's Information Technology Policy must be followed at all times. Health and Safety The City of Pickering is committed to ensuring that the alternate worksite is safe and ergonomic, and employees may be required to provide information or details on their work from home set up. The Employee agrees: • To ensure that their home workspace is arranged so that it is comfortable and ergonomically sound; • Take regular breaks (as per the City of Pickering Policy); • Ensure that the workspace is kept clear and free from obstacles or tripping and other hazards, and is well lit; • All work-related information and data is kept secure; • Keep in regular communication with their managers and proactively discuss any problems that arise from working from home; and • If a risk of harm to the employee's physical and/or mental health and safety arises, the employee agrees to consult with their manager about ways this harm can be eliminated or minimized. If the workspace is unsafe and cannot be made safe, the City of Pickering may refuse or revoke the employee's work from home arrangement. Employees working from home will be covered by WSIB for job-related injuries that occur in the course and scope of employment while working from home. Employees agree to allow a Human Resources Representative to inspect their home if an injury were to occur in their home, requiring a full investigation of the incident. Employees may be required to grant access to their premises to such authorities as the Ministry of Labour and/or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). The employee remains liable for injuries to third parties that occur on the employee's premises. End of Agreement At the end of a work from home agreement, employees must promptly return all company property used for working at home. An employee, current or former, may receive notices from the City of Pickering to return company property. Failure to do so may result in discipline for current employees or legal action if the employee no longer works for the company. If an agreement is being revoked, employees will receive reasonable notice to make any arrangements necessary to return the company property to the worksite. Acknowledgement and Agreement I acknowledge that I have read and understand the Working from Home Agreement of the City of Pickering. Further, I agree to adhere to this agreement and, if applicable, will ensure that employees working under my direction adhere to this agreement. I understand that if I violate the rules or procedures outlined in this agreement, I may face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Name: Signature: Date: Witness: C4 Obi - PICKERING How to Adjust Your Workstation (Ergonomic Check) Appendix 2 Seat Adjustment 1. Adjust the seat height, knees at 90°, with feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. 2. Adjust the seat angle at the horizontal, if available. 3. Adjust the seat depth, if available. The gap between , 5 k w ,, '4 - Ph 1 the back of the knees and the front of the seat should be equivalent to the width of 2 or 3 fingers. Backrest and Armrest Adjustment 4. Adjust the backrest height, if available. The curve of the backrest should fit the lumbar curve. �';� 5. Adjust the backrest tension. - 0 The backrest should offer adequate resistance based on _- je the individual's weight. 6. Adjust the backrest angle g by locking the backrest between 90° and 135° or setting the backrest in tilt mode from 0° to 20°. 7. Adjust the armrests, if available. The arms should be supported with shoulders relaxed and elbows at 90° and as close to the body as possible. Keyboard Tray Adjustment 8. Adjust the keyboard tray height, if available. The arms and forearms should form an angle of approximately 90°. 9. Adjust the keyboard tray angle. The wrists should be in a neutral position with minimal flexion or extension. t r� - iii Screen Adiustment 10. Adjust the eye-to-screen distance. The eye-to-screen distance should be about on arm's length. 11. Adjust the height of the monitor. The horizontal line of vision should extend to the upper third of the display screen. I—t1,1 (111 Limaa744: Reach Zone 12. Work tools should be as close to the worker as possible. Reach zones should be kept to a minimum. rtfee__:7_,..