Trinity Information » College Policies » Teleworking
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1. Purpose
To define the College's policy on teleworking.
2. Scope
Teleworking in the College context can be defined as working a portion of contracted hours in College and a portion at home.
2.1: Eligibility
- All permanent staff (full time, part time, job sharing) with a minimum of one year's service completed with the College and all staff funded by the cista communis with a contract duration of more than 3 years (with one year's service completed) are eligible to apply for this scheme
- The type of work carried out by the staff member must be suitable for execution outside the campus environment. This will be assessed - see below
- All arrangements are at the discretion of the Faculty Dean/Head of Department and the College. Not all jobs may be suitable for working from the home environment
- The following are examples of some the factors which will be taken into consideration in the assessment of an application for teleworking:
- Nature of the work
- Suitability of staff member, assessment of time and attendance and commitment of staff member, ability to self motivate and work on own initiative
- Loss of expertise in the workplace, need for attendance in the office/ work environment
- Costs involved e.g. specialised equipment, installation and ongoing costs
2.2: Nature of Arrangements
2.2.1: Duration of Contract
- The maximum duration of a teleworking arrangement will be one year
- The teleworking arrangement may be renewed at the discretion of the Head of Department for further periods if it is considered feasible within the department.
- The College will reserve the right to revert to the normal pattern of attendance subject to appropriate notice
2.2.2: Hours of Work
- Staff must have a minimum of one day full attendance in the College per week
- Staff must be available by telephone / email for fixed contact hours during the working day. Ideally this means that staff would work a normal routine in the home environment. However this would not preclude routine work being carried out outside normal College working hours
- Quality of work must be maintained and adherence to College deadlines must be a priority
2.2.3: Contractual Arrangements
- The contract of employment will be amended to reflect the change in venue for employment purposes
- The changes as set out above, will not affect a staff member's rights, general conditions of employment and benefits e.g. pensions, sick leave entitlements and access to other schemes
2.2.4: Physical arrangements and bill payments
These will be set out as an addendum to the contract of employment and will include for example, description of equipment held at premises, schedule of bills to be paid by the individual and the College. College Departments will pay setup costs, telephone and internet charges. Departments will be advised annually of the Department's commitment to the costs. Staff members will pay heat and light costs.
2.2.5: Security of Information and Data
Staff must ensure that all data held by them at their premises must be kept in the strictest of confidence and measures should be taken to ensure that no unauthorised person can access information. For example, a locked cabinet could be provided, computer files must be password protected. Information Systems Service will provide a mechanism for connecting securely to College databases where feasible. The costs incurred for the purchase of specialist hardware and software will be borne by to the Department.
2.2.6: Health and Safety Assessment
- A full health and safety assessment must be carried out in advance of any agreed arrangements being validated. This should be carried out by the College's Safety Officer or a person designated as suitability qualified by the Safety Officer. Any recommendations made by the Safety Officer should be implemented prior to the starting of the scheme
- It is the individual staff member's responsibility to ensure that they do not place themselves or others at risk and to comply with the University's policies and guidance on health and safety
2.2.7: Occupational Health
A staff member wishing to participate in the scheme must attend for an occupational health assessment in advance of the arrangement being ratified. This will be organised via the Staff Office, in the College's Occupational Health Clinic.
2.2.8: Insurance
Staff on teleworking arrangements are included in the College's Employers Liability Insurance Policy.
2.2.9: Review mechanisms
Throughout the duration of the scheme, there will be periodic reviews.
2.2.10: Career Development and other training issues
It is recommended that staff attend a staff development training course on time management in advance or within the first six months of participating in the scheme.
3. Procedure
- Staff must consult with their Heads of Departments and the Personnel Officer, Staff Relations Section, Staff Office to assess the feasibility of teleworking arrangements
- Health and safety assessments, and occupational health assessments must be completed, and the assessment forms returned to the Staff Office, prior to any agreement being approved
- The Department should notify the Director of Buildings Office of the arrangements for insurance purposes
- The Nature of the Arrangements under 3. above should be finalised prior to approval
- Application should be made on the relevant form to the Staff Office
- Following the completion of above, an amended contract will be issued by the Staff Office prior to the starting of the arrangement. This should be signed and returned to the Staff Office
4. Pay and Other Matters
Salary will be paid as normal to staff members e.g. by direct credit to their bank account or by cheque, monthly or weekly as appropriate.