Dear Colleagues,

On May 5, 2022, the Office of the Governor for the Commonwealth of Virginia issued a communication to all state agencies including public institutions of higher education regarding a . The purpose of the communication was to announce the Governor's goal "to deliver best-in-class government services across all agencies" and embark "on a new path that values innovation, teamwork, and in-person communication.

Highlights of New Policy

The new telework policy, Policy 1.61 Teleworking, takes effect on July 5, 2022 and applies to classified employees at this time. This policy will supersede 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Telework Policy 6202. Moreover, the current telework agreement form will be replaced with a new Standard Telework Agreement.

Under the new policy, new telework agreements would require approvals from:

  • Agency Head:
    • Where one day a week is requested as a telework day;
    • Temporary telework, no more than two weeks, for temporary circumstances such as family illness, school closing, weather advisories, etc.
  • Cabinet Secretary:
    • Where two days a week are requested as telework days.
  • Governor's Chief of Staff:
    • Where more than two days a week are requested as telework days.

      Action Steps:

      Existing telework agreements on file will remain in effect through July 4, 2022. All new approved Standard Telework Agreements will take effect on July 5, 2022. Employees that do not have a new approved Standard Telework Agreement on file are expected to physically report to the office for regular employment hours.

      Supervisors who would like to request telework for their employee(s) should complete the new electronic Standard Telework Agreement. Upon completion of the request by the supervisor, the agreement will be evaluated by the appropriate Vice President, the ODU Department of Human Resources, and the President. The new Standard Telework Agreement should be submitted to the ODU Department of Human Resources by May 20th.

      President Hemphill supports telework that can be approved at the agency level for those positions that are conducive to teleworking and do not impede the ability to provide a high standard of service to our students and other members of the Monarch community. The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ will only submit agreements to the Governor's Cabinet Secretary and Chief of Staff for two or more days a week in rare and exceptional circumstances. (Examples include documented conditions of employment at the time of hire and reasonable accommodations approved under ADA).

      Questions and Resources

      Instructions on the steps to complete the new electronic Standard Telework Agreement will be sent to supervisors and Budget Unit Directors early next week, along with the new Electronic Standard Telework Agreement.

      For questions regarding the new 91¶ÌÊÓƵwide Telework policy, please contact the Department of Human Resources at HRrecruitment@odu.edu.