Information for fully remote employees
An alternative to hybrid telework roles and/or situations are roles that lend themselves to being 100 percent remote. These roles allow for employees to fulfill all of their job duties from an alternative or remote work location (i.e. a work site that is not their formal work space provided by the university). The 100 percent remote role does not require the employee to come into the workplace and allows them to fully function in their role leveraging technology to work and communicate.
Departments must provide remote site equipment and materials needed by employees to effectively perform their duties. This usually will consist of a laptop computer, a monitor, mouse, keyboard, headset, and university phone number. For an employee who has an accommodation letter from Virginia Tech’s office of ADA and Accessibility Services for qualified employees with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the EEOC regulations governing Title I of the ADA, and University Policy No. 4075: University Accommodations of Persons with Disabilities, the department is responsible for providing specific electronic and/or other equipment or assistive technology that is specified in the accommodation letter.
Printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines, shredders, white boards, office chairs, and other traditional office supplies will be located on-site. 100 percent remote employees that wish to have these items at their remote site will need to purchase them with their own resources, unless a special situation is approved by their supervisor or department.
Employees must agree to use equipment provided by the department and supplies for business purposes and to notify the supervisor immediately of equipment malfunction in order to schedule repair or replacement. All university equipment located at an employee's home office is fully insured. Any damage or theft of the equipment should immediately be reported to the supervisor. University-owned equipment used in the normal course of employment will be maintained and repaired by the department. When employees are authorized to use their own equipment, the department will not assume responsibility for costs of repairs, maintenance, or service.
Roles that allow for 100 percent remote telework may be eligible for a Remote Work Location Allowance (RWLA) for employees meeting specific eligibility requirements. Departments may provide a monthly allowance for internet service at an employee’s assigned remote work location, cell phones for business use (see University Policy No 3960: Mobile Communication Devices), or reimburse an employee for business‐related long-distance calls made from their personal telephones. The university is not responsible for other costs associated with a remote work location. More details can be found on Procedure 24000a: Expenditures for Remote Work Assignment.
High speed internet access and telephone services are required to work remotely for Virginia Tech. The remote employee must provide their own connectivity. All employees are assigned a university phone number. 100 percent remote employees must have their office calls forwarded to their personal phone or use the Avaya phone service to ensure calls are received and returned in a timely fashion. For more information on the Avaya phone service, visit http://www.4help.vt.edu and search Unified Communications.
- Employees must adhere to all applicable security procedures to ensure confidentiality and security of data. Close attention should be paid to University Policy No. 7010: Policy for Securing Technology Resources and Services, University Policy No. 7025: Safeguarding Nonpublic Customer Information for guidance including federal regulations, and University Policy No. 1060: Policy on Social Security Numbers for guidance on the protection of social security numbers.
- An employee's remote work computer shall be procured by Virginia Tech, and be in compliance with all Virginia Tech guidelines for uses of hardware and software including, but not limited to, virus protection software, licensing provisions, system security, and passwords.
- The employee will protect all confidential university documents from unauthorized access. The employee will not download secure information to a personal device.
- All products, documents, and records that are used, developed, or revised while teleworking remain the property of Virginia Tech.