Document Type: Regulation Number: 3.10c
Effective: 06-01-21
Revised: 11-01-21
Legal References:
HYBRID WORK
I. INTRODUCTION
Hybrid working is when a person splits their time between working at a designated onsite city location and their home or another pre-approved offsite location (collectively referred to as “home” in this regulation). The purpose of this is regulation is to outline the parameters and approval process for hybrid work arrangements. Department directors, managers, and supervisors are responsible for administering hybrid work in accordance with this regulation.
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, including probationary employees, and temporary employees who are regularly assigned to work 19-hours or more per week and who are in positions that meet the hybrid work eligibility requirements may be permitted to hybrid work.
II. DISCLAIMER
Hybrid work is neither a right nor entitlement, nor is it a city-wide employee benefit and this regulation in no way creates a contract, changes the terms and conditions of employment, modifies the employment relationship between the city and the employee, or restricts management’s rights to revise or end hybrid work or a hybrid work assignment at any time.
Employees who hybrid work are expected to comply with all city policies and regulations regardless of the work location, and all work product remains the property of the city of Boise regardless of the work location. The city reserves the right to modify or terminate, any and all confines of this regulation, at any time, with or without notice.
III. POSITION ELIGIBILITY
While some positions are conducive to hybrid work arrangements, other positions simply are not. Hybrid work eligibility and availability is based on the position and will depend on a variety of factors including but not limited to:
A. whether all the position’s essential job duties can be effectively performed offsite through secure remote access to the city systems;
B. whether the required job duties and the results needed from the position can be effectively accomplished from the offsite location; and
C. whether sufficient resources (e.g., people, funds, equipment, tools, etc.) are or continue to be available to support the hybrid work arrangement.
Hybrid work may be approved on a short-term or long-term basis depending on business needs. The city also reserves the right to require employees to hybrid work to meet business needs.
Persons in positions eligible for hybrid work must consistently meet established professional, behavioral, and performance-related expectations to be approved to hybrid work and/or to continue an existing hybrid work arrangement.
Hybrid work arrangements may be suspended or denied by management at any time with or without notice for:
• business reasons, or
• due to misconduct or performance issues, including but not limited to disengagement, lack of communication or availability, insufficient quality of work and/or productivity, or
• violation of city policies and regulations.
Employees who are not eligible or authorized, or who are denied or suspended from hybrid work, are expected to report to work onsite as scheduled.
IV. REQUEST AND AUTHORIZATION FOR HYBRID WORK
To be approved for hybrid work, employees in positions that are eligible for hybrid work shall discuss their wish to hybrid work with their supervisor. If the supervisor agrees to permit hybrid work, including the employee’s preferred hybrid work schedule, the employee must complete and submit an Hybrid Work Authorization and Agreement Form online at: https://boisehome.cityofboise.org/apps/secureforms/HR/HybridWorkAgreement
Once the form is reviewed by the supervisor, the employee will receive an email notification informing them if their request was approved or denied. long-term (over 90 days) changes to an approved hybrid work arrangement shall be pre-approved by the supervisor. Employees shall keep their supervisor informed of and receive approval for temporary and long-term changes to hybrid work arrangement.
Employees are required to follow the above authorization process if their supervisor changes, or if they change positions and the new position is eligible for hybrid work. This includes submitting a new Hybrid Work Authorization and Agreement Form for approval.
Employees in positions that are eligible for hybrid work, who are denied hybrid work, are suspended from hybrid work, or who are no longer permitted to hybrid work, may appeal the decision to their Department Director or the director’s designee. Upon receipt of appeal, the director or designee will work with employee and the supervisor on a resolution. If the employee and supervisor cannot agree on a resolution, the director or designee, will make the final determination and the matter will be considered closed and not subject to further appeal.
V. ACCEPTABLE HYBRID WORK SCHEDULES AND AVAILABILITY
The amount of hybrid work allowed per position will be determined by the Department Director or the department’s senior leadership team.
Hybrid work schedules may be temporarily altered based on business need, and at management discretion during work weeks containing paid holidays or work weeks during which the employee uses accrued vacation leave, compensatory time, or sick leave.
Fluctuating hybrid work schedules may be allowed at management discretion including but not limited to alternating weeks and rotations.
When working offsite, hybrid working employees must be available by Microsoft Teams, phone, text, email, video, or in-person at the same degree of accessibility as if working onsite.
Hybrid working employees are required to utilize web cameras for virtual meetings; therefore, they must be equipped to do so. Employees may, on occasion, deactivate the camera once an introduction is made or if needed due to bandwidth or connectivity issues. If a hybrid working employee consistently does not use their web camera, the supervisor should inquire why and work with the employee to determine a satisfactory resolution that falls within the confines of this regulation.
VI. OFFSITE HYBRID WORK REQUIREMENTS
An employee’s hybrid work location may be flexible provided the following requirements are met:
A. There is a designated workspace for placement and installation of equipment and secure storage of city material.
B. All in-person customer and co-worker interactions are conducted at an appropriate customer site, department/city meeting room, or appropriate alternate public location. In-person, third party meetings at a home worksite are not permitted.
C. The employee can report to a designated onsite city work location, as needed, within two (2) hours to attend meetings, assist with staffing shortages or other business reasons deemed necessary by leadership. A longer reporting time may be permitted infrequently, under unique circumstances and must be pre- approved by senior management.
D. The employee forwards their city phone extension to a phone at the hybrid work location and answer/respond to work-related calls in a timely manner.
E. The employee checks in with their supervisor to provide updates regarding work assignments, project status, etc.; check-in frequency shall be determined by the supervisor.
Employees who, on occasion cannot meet the availability requirements outlined above due to special circumstances, shall notify their supervisor in advance, and provide an explanation. Employees who fail to notify their supervisor in advance or provide a reasonable explanation when availability conditions cannot be met may have their hybrid work arrangement suspended or cancelled and be subject to discipline up to and including termination.
VII. COMPENSATION, WORK HOURS, TIMEKEEPING & COMMUTING
Employee’s compensation, benefits, work status, and work responsibilities will be based on the job description, classification, and work schedule. The amount of time an employee is expected to work per day, week, or pay period will not change because of hybrid working. The following general provisions shall be followed:
A. Employees shall adhere to their approved hybrid work schedule. Any exception to, or divergence from the hybrid work schedule must be pre-approved by the supervisor. Significant or long-term changes to the hybrid work schedule will require submittal of a new Hybrid work Request and Authorization form.
B. Overtime or compensatory time (comp time) must be pre-approved by the supervisor in accordance with the city’s Wage Payment and Overtime Regulation.
C. All hours worked must be recorded accurately in accordance with the city’s Wage Payment and Overtime Regulation 3.25 including use of appropriate hybrid work time code (HBW). Employees who do not accurately maintain their time records are subject to discipline up to and including termination.
D. When working from home, time spent in transit (i.e., driving/walking/cycling) to and from home and city meetings or job-related events, that falls within the employee’s regular work hours, counts as hours worked. Time spent in transit to or from such meetings or events either before or after the employee’s regular work hours is considered regular commute time, not hours worked. Employees who hybrid work from a distant location are expected to be diligent and effectively plan their workdays, to ensure time in transit to and from the offsite hybrid work location does not hinder efficiency, productivity or consume unreasonable amounts of their workday. Virtual technology may be used for work meetings when appropriate.
E. Transit costs, including mileage, to and from an employee’s work responsibilities while working from home is not eligible for reimbursement.
VIII. DEPENDENT CARE
Hybrid work is not a substitute for dependent care. Employees shall not be responsible for, or provide, dependent or childcare during scheduled or compensable work hours, or while performing city duties. Employees working from home, are expected to
arrange for such care just as they would if they were working on site. The city reserves the right to impose additional restrictions as needed.
IX. OFFSITE WORK LOCATION SAFETY
Employees are responsible for maintaining their offsite hybrid work workspace in a well- kept safe condition, free from hazards and other dangers to the employee and any city-owned equipment. Injuries sustained by the employee at their offsite hybrid work location while performing their regular work duties must be reported to employee’s supervisor immediately or as soon as possible. The employee is liable for any injuries sustained by family members or visitors at their offsite work location.
Offsite hybrid work location visits by supervisors are not permitted at this time.
X. HYBRID WORK EQUIPMENT, UTILITIES, AND FURNITURE
City-issued, mobile computing devices capable of accessing city networks and systems are required for hybrid work. The employee is responsible for providing necessary utilities at the offsite work location including power, phone/cable/fiber connections, and adequate internet/Wi-Fi. Employees will not be reimbursed by the city for these or other related expenses except for eligible cellular phone stipends.
On a case-by-case basis, the city may provide equipment for hybrid work use. There is no entitlement to city-provided equipment, nor is there a guarantee the city will provide all equipment (printers, scanners, multiple monitors, etc.). Supervisors are responsible for communicating with IT to determine equipment availability. All equipment provided by the city shall remain the property of the city. The use of equipment provided by the city for hybrid work is limited to the city employee who the equipment was issued to and in accordance with the city’s IT Acceptable Use Regulation. Equipment provided by the city must be returned in good condition and immediately upon request. Employees may be required to bring equipment to a city facility for repairs, or updates.
The following conditions also apply:
A. City-owned desktop computers may not be moved to hybrid work locations.
B. The city will provide a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection for city-owned devices or a secure Citrix account.
C. The city will provide repairs of city equipment or replacement in accordance with the city’s replacement schedule.
D. IT will be consulted regarding any hybrid work equipment needs.
E. IT will maintain an inventory list of city equipment that is authorized for hybrid work.
Hybrid working employees will provide, at their own expense, the appropriate furniture needed to perform work from the hybrid work location. Ergonomic assessments for hybrid working employees will be done virtually and upon employee request. Employees who already have city-provided ergonomic equipment at their city workspace due to a documented medical need may be eligible to receive the same or similar equipment for hybrid work needs. Medical certifications and documentation may be required for new requests.
The city will provide small office supplies (writing utensils, file folders, notebooks, etc.) needed to perform city business at the hybrid work location.
XI. SECURITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Hybrid working employees shall be especially aware of information security and regulatory requirements. They should avoid using public Wi-Fi networks. If it is necessary to use a public Wi-Fi network, the employee shall establish a VPN connection. Hybrid working employees are also expected to ensure the protection of sensitive information by limiting access to the device using locked file cabinets and desks, regular password maintenance, and locking computers. Whenever possible, work files should be stored in secure, city network drives. City materials, records, and equipment shall not be made accessible to others and shall be protected from damage.
Employee shall report to their supervisor any incidents of loss, damage, or unauthorized access to city equipment and information at the earliest opportunity.
All equipment, records, and materials provided by the city and/or created as a part of the employee’s duties, shall remain the property of the city and must be returned immediately upon request.
XII. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Technical support remains in place for hybrid workers. Employees needing technical support should log the incident with IT Help either over the phone or via email. The IT team will determine the best path to resolution. This may mean a remote consultation with an IT Help staff member or, if IT is unable to fix the issue remotely, the employee will be asked to bring equipment to a city facility for access by Field Technician.
If equipment, network, or system access from the hybrid work location fails or suffers from inadequate performance, and this negatively impacts the employee’s productivity, the employee shall notify their supervisor at the earliest opportunity. The supervisor may direct the employee to return to their city-assigned work location until equipment is replaced/repaired or adequate access is restored at the hybrid work location. Employees may be asked to return to their city-assigned work location indefinitely if adequate system performance cannot be maintained.
XIII. ONSITE CITY WORKSPACE
Employees who hybrid work may be asked to share their onsite city workspace with other city employees. Feasibility and need will be determined case-by-case with consideration given to the position responsibilities and department needs. Flex workstations may also be used.
Employees who share an onsite workspace are expected to maintain the workspace in a clean and orderly fashion. Employees are encouraged to wipe down shared workspaces at the end of shift.
Employees who hybrid work may also be re-assigned to a different city workspace as business/city needs dictate.
XIV. TAXES
Employees are responsible for determining any tax implications of maintaining a personal hybrid work workspace. The city will not provide tax guidance nor will the city or department assume any additional tax liabilities. Employees are encouraged to consult with a qualified tax professional to discuss tax implications.