Flexible Work Guidelines

Working from home is defined as engaging in recurring, scheduled or approved ad hoc work performed from a remote location that is not an employee’s regular worksite.

Flexible work arrangements may be appropriate for some employees and some roles but not for others. Positions with a high level of autonomy and minimal requirements for in-person interactions are most appropriate. Positions that require all or most of the work to be completed on campus, such as facilities maintenance, frontline residence staff, and frontline client services such as food services, would not be appropriate for flexible work arrangements.

These guidelines are focused on non-instructional employees of VIU. Instructional faculty will be supported by the guides, materials, checklists, and other associated materials within the Flexible Work Framework, but they will not be required to submit flexible work arrangement requests. Instructional faculty have historically had autonomy to work offsite outside of their designated office hours and teaching obligations.

Flexible work arrangements must be authorized and approved in advance by the manager of the position. To ensure consistency of approach within VIU the manager will consult others as needed, including their direct manager and/or the HR Advisor. It is at the sole discretion of VIU to approve a request.

Subject to the express terms of the arrangement, any arrangement made will be initially on a trial basis for a determined period but may be discontinued by VIU or the employee at any time (whether during or after the trial period). The manager and employee are both responsible for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the arrangement in meeting VIU/the department's needs. Every effort will be made to provide a minimum of 30 days advance notice of such discontinuation. There may be instances when notice is not possible.

This framework does not alter or replace the existing terms and conditions of employment, and does not alter the terms of any collective agreement applicable to the employee. Employees must still comply with all rules, policies, practices, and instructions that would apply if the employee were working onsite at a VIU campus.

In order to be considered for a Flexible Work arrangement, an employee must submit a request in writing to their manager (or designate), stating the reason for their request. Employees considering a request for a flexible work arrangement are supported in that consideration by the Working from Home Self-Assessment.

Normally flexible work arrangements will be approved only for employees who have been employed at VIU for more than 12 months. They will normally not be approved for employees who have performance and/or attendance issues.

Before entering into any flexible work arrangement, the employee and manager (or designate) will evaluate the suitability of such an arrangement. HR Advisors are available to support managers and employees in that evaluation. The employee and manager will take into consideration relevant factors such as:

• whether the employee’s work can be accomplished by working remotely;
• the operational needs of the employee’s department or team;
• the employee’s demonstrated ability to work independently and with little oversight or minimal supervision;
• suitability of the proposed work space in the employee’s home;
• whether the flexible work arrangement will adequately address the privacy and confidentiality requirements concerning data protection and records management;
• potential associated costs;
• any other relevant factors or circumstances.

The regular and consistent daily and weekly working hours of the position shall remain unchanged as a result of the arrangement, unless otherwise specified or varied in writing. An employee working remotely is expected to be available by telephone, email, and any other electronic means as if they were working at their regular workplace. Employees should ensure that the manager (or designate) is aware of any times when the employee may not be available while working remotely, and that the manager (or designate) has approved of such unavailability. Employees will ensure that colleagues and their manager are able to determine their work location (typically through the use of Outlook Calendar), and employees will ensure that their calendar is up-to-date.

Employees working remotely are expected to be free from distractions or interruptions and ensure that working remotely is in keeping with a work style of accessibility, communication, and productivity during their regular hours. Employees working remotely must ensure, in advance, that they have appropriate dependent care arrangements in place. Alternative arrangements must be made for those who require care during the working from home period, just as the employee would when working on campus. 

Work hours, compensation, and leave scheduling will continue to conform to applicable policies and collective agreement provisions.

Employees will continue to have a primary campus identified as their work location. A workstation/office will remain available for the employee, which may be shared with another employee(s), depending on the number of days/week the employee attends campus. Employees with approved flexible work arrangements, where they are on campus less than 3-4 days/week, normally will be assigned a shared workstation/office. Employees working remotely are expected to be flexible in addressing the needs and interests of VIU. 

Employees’ approved remote work location must within the Province of British Columbia and in the general vicinity of the VIU campuses. Employees must be available to report to their home campus on their normal working from home days, as and when required by VIU, to attend meetings, training, or other events. Advance notice of a minimum of 24 hours will be provided by the manager, save for exceptional circumstances.

In the event that an employee changes roles within the university and is seeking to establish a flexible work arrangement in the new role, a new Request will need to be completed. Should an employee working under an approved arrangement change home office locations, a new Checklist must be completed.

VIU will reimburse an employee for necessary and pre-authorized work-related expenses associated with working from home in accordance with its policies in effect.

Employees are responsible for any and all household expenses, such as internet, personal cell phones, home maintenance, insurance, and utilities, and these expenses will not be reimbursed by VIU.

Should employees be required to attend work on their home campus for any reason on a day scheduled for working from home, the employee is responsible for any transportation expenses.

VIU will follow Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines with respect to the declarations of conditions of employment for working from home.   

A flexible work arrangement should not impede an employee’s ability to complete regular work functions and duties, including communicating with colleagues, supervisors, and other contacts. Employees must stay current in terms of relevant department and work events. Employees must keep their direct manager (or designate) regularly informed on the progress of work in the manner requested by that manager (or designate) and secure support, advice and direction as needed.  Evaluation of performance will be consistent with that received by employees working on campus.

Flexible work arrangements are made possible in part by videoconferencing technology because video provides an effective alternative to face-to-face interactions in building rapport and communicating non-verbal cues (facial expressions, body language). Employees working under a flexible work arrangement are expected to participate in meetings as required using video conference technology, with video engaged (as opposed to participating using audio-only). Employees will be provided IT support as necessary to set up virtual or blurred backgrounds when on video, if desired.

Depending on role and/or departmental practice, employees working remotely must continue to track their hours as they would if working on campus. 

Managers (or designates) must review the continued validity of flexible work arrangements for their team members at the end of each year or at any time, if necessary. This process ensures that managers (or designates) have the opportunity to evaluate and adjust arrangements to meet operational needs.

VIU will determine the appropriate equipment needs, software, and programs to be used while working remotely in order to maintain data security and confidentiality. Employees must comply with the VIU’s IT policies and procedures, guidelines, and best practices, including software updates, anti-virus software and scanning, password protection, file sharing and downloads, VPN login procedures, and locking the computer when not in use. Employees must ensure that they take the appropriate equipment they require to work to and from the remote work location and their home campus.

Equipment supplied by the institution will be maintained by the institution, and is subject to all applicable rules, policies, and practices relating to use of equipment. Employees must take reasonable steps to protect any VIU property from theft, damage, or misuse. Any equipment supplied by the employee, if deemed appropriate in accordance with IT guidelines, will be maintained by the employee. VIU reserves the right to make determinations as to appropriate equipment, subject to change at any time. VIU assumes no responsibility for any damage to, wear of, repairs, or loss of an employee’s personal property. The employee is responsible for obtaining and maintaining adequate insurance and for consulting with their insurer on any insurance implications due to their flexible work arrangement.

VIU will supply the employee with appropriate office supplies (pens, paper, etc.) as deemed necessary.

The employee will establish an appropriate, professional workspace free from distractions, and interruptions.  Workspaces should be ergonomically optimized with proper furnishings and adequate space that supports working efficiently and safely. The employee’s internet must function consistently with sufficient bandwidth so that the employee can work effectively and meet the expectations in this Framework. VIU is not responsible for costs associated with the setup of the employee’s remote work space, such as remodeling, furniture or lighting, nor for repairs or modifications to the space.                                                                     

Consistent with VIU’s privacy and information security policies and expectations, and applicable privacy laws, employees with flexible work arrangements will take all reasonable steps to ensure the protection of personal and/or confidential information accessible from their remote location. This will include the following requirements, at a minimum:

• Employees working remotely will be provided with secure access to the institution’s system. Given the security risks associated with remote access, it is of the utmost importance that employees comply with all data security policies and procedures and privacy laws.
• All VIU property, including documents, equipment, and devices must be kept secure to minimize or prevent loss or theft. Such property should not be left unattended when used outside the remote workspace.
• All completed and working copies of documents must be saved on the VIU shared drives and/or MS Teams so that information is available to those who may require its use. Personal email accounts should not be used to transfer or transmit institution information. Only VIU email accounts should be used, to ensure that all proprietary institutional information continues to reside on secure servers.
• Telephone calls and video meetings involving personal information, confidential institutional information, and employment or other sensitive matters must be conducted in private so that others in the remote space cannot hear or see the conversation.
• VIU-provided laptops should be for the sole use of the employee in the flexible work arrangement. During the initial rollout of Project Nelvana, some employees will be authorized to use personal computers. In this circumstance, and if that device is shared with others in the household, employees must ensure that they limit access to files containing personal, sensitive, or confidential institutional information, and that all passwords are kept secure.
• Employees must take the identified IT Cyber Security training at the commencement of their Flexible Work Arrangements and any further/updated training as required.
• Physical files should be taken from the office only if they are essential to carry out the employee’s job duties and if the employee has prior authorization from their manager. Physical files held in one’s home workstation must be kept separate from other personal documents and should be kept private from other individuals.
• Employees must exercise diligence in relation to their home security (i.e., locking doors and cabinets, activating alarms when away from home, etc.

Employees will continue to be bound by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of British Columbia and any other applicable legislation.

Hazards:

Employees are reasonably expected to maintain their home office space, keep it free from hazards, and report any unsafe condition(s) to their manager. To help employees assess their home office space for workplace hazards that may affect them during their work, VIU will provide each employee with a Flexible Work Safety Checklist. This must be completed and reviewed by their manager (or designate) prior to flexible work being approved. If the home office space is deemed to be unsafe and cannot be made safe, the flexible work arrangement may not be approved.

Ergonomics:

The employee’s manager (or delegate) may conduct worksite visits virtually or may request photos of the home office space at any time. A virtual workstation assessment is available to all employees to provide feedback, guidance, and resources to ensure that the home office space supports and fits the employee appropriately. Arrangements for a virtual assessment can be made to safety@viu.ca.

Emergency Procedures:

Employees working from home must develop a process for safely evacuating from their home when it is required during an emergency event. Employees are responsible for informing their manager when an emergency has occurred at their work location. Call 911 if the incident is urgent or life threatening.

Employees working from home must follow VIU’s check-in practices outlined in VIU’s procedure for Working Alone or in Isolation

Incident/Injury Reporting, Investigations and WorkSafeBC (WCB):

Employees working from home must report all work-related incidents, including injuries, to their Manager and safety@viu.ca within 24 hours of the incident using the VIU Incident Report and Investigation form.

Workplace injuries that result in the need for an employee to take time off work to recover (time loss) or receive medical care at a hospital or medical clinic (healthcare) prompts VIU to initiate a WCB claim.

If a time loss and/or healthcare claim is initiated, VIU, acting through the Manager, is also required to initiate an incident investigation within 72 hours of the incident. A full investigation must be submitted to WorkSafeBC within 30 days of the incident date. Depending on the nature of the incident in the home office, WorkSafeBC may also conduct an investigation. All VIU employees are required to actively participate in any required investigation following a workplace incident that occurs in their home office space. Please use the following link for additional information related to Incident/Accident Reporting and Investigations at VIU. Employees on a flexible work arrangement will be covered by WCB for job-related injuries that occur in the course and scope of employment while working remotely. VIU will not be responsible for any injuries that occur at the home office location that are not related to work. The incident investigation will help to delineate if the injury arose out of and in the course of an employee’s employment.

The employee remains liable for injuries to third parties that occur on the employee’s premises.

Temporary flexible work arrangements may be approved for unique situations or circumstances, such as inclement weather and special projects. These arrangements are approved on an as-needed basis only, with no expectation of ongoing continuance. The flexible work guideline applies under ad-hoc circumstances.

At the end of a flexible work arrangement employees must return all VIU property and supplies to their department/campus.