Human Resources News

Posted 8:36 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Learn more about the UWS -- Telecommuting (Remote Work) policy in this months policy review

HR will be providing a monthly review of important employment policies and procedures. The following information is a brief synopsis of UW System – Telecommuting (Remote Work). This review will provide a framework for the creation of telecommuting (remote work) agreements authorizing employees to work at alternate work locations. It is recommended to review the policies in full found here.

** This policy does not apply to telecommuting agreements that are part of a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or a religious accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Additionally, it does not apply to agreements that are part of an accommodation under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, or that are created in connection with an employee’s Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (WFMLA). **

Definitions

Telecommuting/Remote Work: An employment arrangement in which an employee performs their job functions from an approved alternate worksite (such as the employee’s home) which is not the official office location for the employee’s work unit, on a standard and recurring basis.

Workplace Flexibility: Flexibility in which work is performed at an alternate work site that is not the official office location for the employe’s work unit but on a sporadic basis that does not follow a regular, repeated schedule, such as an unplanned need to work from an alternate site due to illness, weather emergency, temporary school closure, etc.  Workplace flexibility does not require a remote work agreement. 

Remote work agreement: An agreement that describes the terms and conditions of an employee’s remote work arrangement, including a description of the alternative off-site work arrangement, guidelines for maintaining communication and work engagement, and necessary equipment and services. These agreements include out-of-state and international work agreements. 

Criteria and Conditions for Remote Work

Authorization of a remote work arrangement must be done on a case-by-case basis. To determine whether it is appropriate, the following factors will be considered:

- Job responsibilities, the effective functioning of the overall unit, potential cost savings to the university and department, the needs and preferences of the employee, employee performance, equipment needs, work & office space considerations, and adverse impact between employees with similar job responsibilities

Duration and Form of the Remote Work Agreement

- Remote work agreements may not be longer than 1 year in duration and must be updated at the start of each fiscal year or earlier as warranted due to changes in work responsibilities, availability of equipment, or evolving workplace practices.  Each time a remote work agreement is reviewed and updated, the criteria in section 6.A should be freshly reviewed and applied to the remote work request. Any changes in remote work location during a remote work agreement requires approval by the employee’s supervisor. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Employees are responsible for:

• Working with their supervisors and other identified staff to ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures;
• Making any necessary adjustments for their personal income taxes and benefits, including compliance with state or local income tax laws in states or countries for which tax withholding is not currently supported by UW System Shared Services; and
• Working with campus IT staff to ensure any technology necessary to perform their work roles is compatible, secure, and in good working order.

Supervisors are responsible for:

• Compliance with the automated workflow process;  
• Consulting with any appropriate offices prior to approving a remote work agreement.  Depending on circumstances and the location of the remote workplace, this may include, but is not limited to: the Office of General Counsel, campus or UW System export control subject matter experts, Office of Information Security, Office of Compliance and Risk Management, Office of Human Resources, other relevant institution or system offices; and
• Supervisors shall provide remote work employees with specific instructions on how to report and what to do in the event a work-related injury or illness occurs. 

Limitations

- Employees who are working remotely are required to attend meetings, work, or other functions away from their alternate work location, if circumstances require such travel.

- Employees who are working remotely will work their approved normal work schedule during the period of the remote work arrangement unless an alternate schedule is agreed upon in advance.

-Employees who are working remotely must be available during their normal work hours.  Employees should be reachable by telephone, video conferencing or some other form of live communication during the workday, as per the arrangements with their supervisor and coworkers.

- An employee operating under a remote work agreement is subject to the same notification, approval, and reporting requirements for sick leave or other paid time off as if the employee were working at the organization’s primary headquarters.

- Employees who are working remotely are responsible for complying with all University of Wisconsin System risk management and information technology security and access policies while in their alternate workspace, as well as any institutional policies covering these subjects, to the same extent as if they were working at their primary headquarters location.  The remote workspace and any associated equipment must be configured to maintain the confidentiality of UW System documents.  

- Any remote work agreement which involves the employee working outside of the State of Wisconsin, including locations outside of the United States, requires the approval of the institution’s Office of Human Resources. A university may require a supplemental agreement as part of the approval for out-of-state remote work.

Out-of-State Remote Work

- Out-of-state remote work is complex and involves increased costs and legal risks to the University of Wisconsin System due to employment laws, taxation rules, cybersecurity risks, and other compliance requirements in other states.

- Employees currently in state are required to notify their supervisor in advance of their desire to work remotely out-of-state. There may also be instances in which positions, at the point of advertisement/recruiting or during the hiring process, are determined to be eligible for out-of-state remote work arrangements. Institution HR, campus leadership, and the employee’s supervisor decide whether to allow an individual to perform out-of-state work.

International Remote Work

For information on this topic, please view the International Remote Work guidelines.

Employee Resources:  

• UW-La Crosse Office of Human Resources 608.785.8013, hrinfo@uwlax.edu  

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Resources: HR employee resources - Employee Assistance Program (EAP)  

• The University of Wisconsin System provides information regarding UW-System policy at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/policies/