Policy Number: III-23
Last Reviewed: October 16, 2026
Responsible Dept.: Human Resources
Office to contact for clarifications: Human Resources
A signed copy of this policy is available in the President’s Office.
Purpose
Establishment of a policy outlining when and how telework/remote work and out-of-state employment arrangements may be used at Virginia Western Community College.
Telework arrangements will be approved only when they are in the best interest of the college and align with its mission unless unique circumstances as defined in this document apply. Decisions are primarily based on the nature of the work, college, and departmental needs. Telework arrangements are operational tools, not employee rights or benefits, and approval is based on ensuring that student and customer needs are met, not employee preference. Telework arrangements do not change employment terms nor exempt employees from compliance with state, federal, VCCS, or local policies and procedures.
General Provisions for Telework Arrangements
Telework arrangements may be a benefit to both the college and the employee. However, decisions about alternate work arrangements are made based on college business needs, the ability to support our customer and the mission, and specific position requirements and responsibilities. These decisions are based on the position, not the person, and are not employee rights or benefits.
An alternate work arrangement does not automatically move with an employee who assumes a new role or when roles and responsibilities of a position significantly change. An employee moving into a position where an alternate work arrangement previously existed is not automatically granted the same arrangement.
The college reserves the right to end an alternate work arrangement at any time. Generally, the employee will be given two weeks’ notice of the intention to end the arrangement, but advance notice is not required. An arrangement may be temporarily suspended if operational or business needs demand it.
Ongoing telework arrangements are defined through the Standard Telework Agreement, established for a period of 12 months, and not subject to automatic renewal. Agreements are reviewed each 12-month period by the immediate supervisor, department head, and HR. At that time, the following should inform whether an agreement is renewed:
- Any changes in duties and requirements of the position.
- Any changes or additions to the work requirements of the department.
- Personnel changes within the department.
- Upcoming initiatives, priorities, or projects for the department or college.
- The performance of the employee.
Supervisors or college leadership may require employees to report to the college as needed for work-related meetings, events, or to meet operational needs. If there are routinely scheduled meetings for which on-campus presence is required, supervisors should discuss those expectations during the initial telework arrangement conversation.
Definitions
Telework Eligible Employee – Telework may apply to full-time classified, 12-month administrative or professional faculty, teaching faculty, and regular part-time positions excluding tutors and any student employees.
Telework Eligible Position – positions where the core job responsibilities of the position may be effectively performed from a remote location. A position being deemed as telework eligible does not automatically grant the employee approval to telework. A change in core responsibilities to a position may result in a review for continued telework eligibility.
Telework – a work arrangement where employees are directed or permitted to perform their job duties at an alternate location, such as a home office.
Out-of-State Employment – a work arrangement in which an employee’s approved primary work location is outside the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Intermittent Telework – a work arrangement where an employee has an active standard work schedule and telework agreement on file but does not have a defined ongoing telework schedule.
Ongoing Telework – a work arrangement where an employee has an active standard work schedule and telework agreement on file with hours/days/location defined for telework each week.
Standard Work Schedule & Telework Agreement – a required, written agreement between the employee and the college that details the terms and conditions of alternate work arrangements, including schedule and location. Agreements will be confirmed annually unless changes to the schedule or telework occur in the meantime. Agreements are kept for all full-time classified, administrative and professional faculty, and ongoing part-time employees; full-time teaching and adjunct faculty have expectations for modality and flexibility addressed through their teaching appointment contracts.
Emergency Telework – circumstances where employees are subject to telework provisions as defined by DHRM Policy 1.35 Emergency Closings, DHRM Policy 1.61 Teleworking and Virginia Western Policy III-9 Emergency Closures.
Telework
Virginia Western’s primary mode of operations is in-person; however, departments may allow for routine telework opportunities if work done remotely continues to ensure attainment of the college’s mission, meet operational needs of the department, meet the core responsibilities of the position, and is compliant with expectations from the state. The determination of whether a position is eligible is made based upon the duties and requirements of the position as well as student and/or customer needs and is normally made at the time a position is established. Position eligibility does not mean that employees in the position will be granted telework.
An individual’s eligibility for telework may be determined by overall job performance, length of service with the college, and the presence of an acceptable remote location. Employees who are new to Virginia Western or to their role are normally not granted telework until they have demonstrated a thorough understanding of their position responsibilities, established a track record of success, and shown an ability to work independently. Employees subject to disciplinary action will normally not be granted telework and may have an existing telework agreement revoked until performance measures are satisfied.
Supervisors are expected to effectively manage the dynamic and evolving operational needs of their department(s) and ensure that telework arrangements do not negatively impact success. Immediate supervisors may approve their staff to work the equivalent of one day of telework per week. Consideration for telework exceeding the equivalent of one day must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Vice President. If the Vice President approves the request, the President will review and make the final determination. Agreement details and approvals will be documented on the Standard Work Schedule & Telework Agreement and will be reviewed during the evaluation process each year.
Telework is not intended to be used in place of paid leave. Employees who work from an alternate location are required to take appropriate leave when they are either not present or not performing work at their remote location during their scheduled work hours.
When teleworking is requested by the employee, whether ongoing or temporary, the college does not assume responsibility for operating costs, home maintenance, or other related costs incurred by teleworkers in the use of their homes or other alternate work locations.
Alternate work location expectations:
- The space must be suitable to support the active engagement of work and have appropriate access to technology, equipment, and other necessary related business tools.
- Employees must safeguard the information used or accessed and agree to follow all applicable security procedures to ensure confidentiality and security of data.
- Any alternate work location must be safe, free from physical hazards, conducive to efficient work, and free from consistent distractions.
- A job-related injury or illness that occurs in the employee’s designated alternate work location during established hours should be immediately reported to their supervisor.
- Work location is designated in the agreement and any change to the geographic telework site, temporary or permanent, requires approval. Per DHRM policy, remote work while traveling outside of the US is prohibited.
Out-of-State Remote Work and Employment
The college recognizes the occasional need to hire or reassign an employee who will, due to the nature of a particular position or business need, reside and perform his/her work outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Because employees working outside of Virginia subject the college to other laws and potential regulatory requirements, the college reserves the right to determine, in advance, whether it will permit an employee’s principal work location to be outside of Virginia.
Departments that wish to hire an employee to work or telecommute out-of-state must seek and obtain prior approval before an employment offer is extended. Failure to obtain required approval will result in the employment offer being rescinded if the college does not permit remote work from their location and they do not intend to relocate to Virginia. This is inclusive of full- and part-time positions.
Employees who are currently in-state and desire to relocate out-of-state must submit a request to their supervisor and Human Resources no later than 60 days prior to their desired start date for out-of-state employment. The reassignment of employees to positions outside of Virginia must be supported by a legitimate business purpose and not be merely an accommodation to the individual; therefore, employees may not move out of state until approval is granted. Employees who relocate without approval may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including separation from employment. This is inclusive of full- and part-time employees.
In accordance with DHRM and VCCS policy, employees are not permitted to reside or perform work outside of the United States as part of ongoing telework, remote work, or out-of-state employment arrangements. This prohibition does not apply to short-term college college-approved business travel, study abroad activities, conferences, or other temporary assignments conducted in accordance with DHRM, VCCS, and college policies and procedures.
Exceptional Alternate Work Arrangements
The following alternate work arrangements are considered to be beyond the normal course of business and require approval of the President:
- Any work arrangement that would incur new upfront or recurring costs.
- Any work arrangement that would affect an entire function or department.
- Any work arrangement that changes the terms and conditions of employment of position or employee.
Unique Alternate Work Arrangement Circumstances
ADA/Accomodation
Employees with certified FMLA and/or ADA accommodations may request telework as a reasonable accommodation for illness/injury recovery or disability accommodations, subject to HR and legal review. Telework requests will require appropriate disability, FMLA, and/or reasonable accommodation request documents, as provided by Human Resources. In these circumstances, the agreement is typically aligned with the approved leave or accommodation period; however, final HR approval is required before implementation.
Unplanned/Limited Temporary Circumstances
Telework may be requested for unplanned, temporary life circumstances where working remotely would allow for continuity of business and fulfillment of the college and department mission. These temporary arrangements are limited to a two-week consecutive period. In these cases, the immediate supervisor makes the request to Human Resources for final approval.
Emergency Closures
Virginia Western abides by the directives under DHRM Policy 1.35 Emergency Closings for circumstances where the college is impacted by emergency circumstances such as inclement weather or utility failures. Employees should refer to DHRM Policy 1.35 Emergency Closings and Virginia Western Policy III-9 Emergency Closures for specific directions.
References/Resources
DHRM Policy 1.61 Teleworking
DHRM Policy 1.35 Emergency Closings
Virginia Western Policy III-9 Emergency Closures
Standard Telework Agreement
Contact Us
540-857-VWCC (8922)
Student Support Center
TTY: All users 711
Address:
3094 Colonial Ave., SW
Roanoke, VA 24015
VWCC Alerts
We use the VW Mass Notification System to immediately contact you during a major crisis or emergency. Get more info and register!