Be prepared to report to work on campus full-time beginning October 1, 2023, and check your October and November pay statements to confirm that your local tax withholding has been properly adjusted. Any questions or concerns about local tax withholding issues should be sent to hybrid@case.edu.
Departments that will continue to have any portion of their staff participate in hybrid work must submit an updated hybrid plan by October 1, 2023, identifying all employees of the department and their respective schedules.
Details on how and where to submit the updated plans will be:
- provided in the August 31, 2023 Hybrid webinar session;
- posted on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- included in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
The number of plans submitted depends on the preference of the dean or vice president of the school or department. For example, some of the schools within the university include several large departments, while others have no departments but several centers. The deans of the schools can decide whether they want to submit one plan for the entire school, or permit each area to submit a separate plan.
Regardless of whether the dean or vice president opts for one large or several separate plans, the dean or vice president still must sign off on each plan before submission.
If at least some of the part-time employee’s duties can be completed off-campus and they work in an eligible unit, then the supervisor has the option to permit the part-time employee to work off-campus.
The number of hours a part-time employee may work remotely is determined on a prorated basis. For consistency with the university’s approach to full-time employees participating in the hybrid work program (i.e., no more than two days per five-day week, or 40 percent of weekly work time), up to 40 percent of the part-time employee’s weekly work time may be conducted remotely.
Part-time employees may not split their day between campus and home; the entire day must be completed at a single location.
Contractors and temporary employees complete duties for the university, but are not Case Western Reserve employees. When engaging a contractor or temporary employer, CWRU supervisors should discuss worksite location options and preferences with the contractor/staffing company, but their work location should ultimately be managed and controlled by the rules and policies of the employer of record (if an outside entity). For example, Kelly Services would determine if a requested assignment with two days of remote work should be permitted for those individuals working for the university through Kelly.
Yes. Roles where duties can only be completed on-campus and/or cannot be completed independently with limited supervision are not eligible for the hybrid work model, but will receive up to three (3) comp (flex) days per fiscal year. Days are prorated based on the fiscal year.
- Employees hired April 1 - June 30 would receive 0 flex days prior to the start of the new fiscal year.
- Employees hired between January 2 and March 30 would receive 0.5 days for the remainder of the fiscal year.
- Employees hired October 2 - December 31 would receive 1.5 days for the remainder of the fiscal year.
- Employees hired between July 2 - September 30 would receive 2.5 days for the remainder of the fiscal year.
- Employees hired by July 1 will receive the full 3 days for the current fiscal year.
Leaders and staff within certain areas of the university must work on campus full-time and are not eligible for hybrid or flex days. These individuals should have been notified of these circumstances by their supervisor. Questions about whether an employee falls within this circumstance should be discussed between the supervisor and employee.
Hybrid Remote Work is a combination of working from both an on-campus (including satellite campus locations or facilities) and off-campus worksite (typically the employee’s residence) that generally consists of two remote days and three on-campus days.
A Compressed Work Week is an adjusted on-campus only schedule of four 10-hour days per week in lieu of hybrid remote work and is generally based on a supervisor’s determination that the use of remote work is not appropriate for a staff member given the nature of their individual tasks or overall department operations.
Compressed work week is an alternative to hybrid remote work. Supervisors may discuss a compressed work week in lieu of hybrid remote work, i.e., four (4) 10-hour workdays. Therefore, if an employee is working an approved compressed work week, they cannot also work remotely.
The supervisor should complete the Flexible Work Schedule Form, signed by the appropriate dean or vice president, and submit it to Employee Relations in HR at AskHR@case.edu for approval and implementation.
Employees participating in a compressed work week are not eligible for the three comp (flex) days.
No. Due to limitations in the ability to make fluctuating adjustments to employees’ work locations and corresponding tax withholdings and reporting, seasonal hybrid schedules cannot be accommodated. Instead, areas that remain eligible for hybrid work should have consistent schedules.
Due to limitations in the ability to make fluctuating adjustments to employees’ work locations and corresponding tax withholdings, seasonal hybrid schedules cannot be accommodated. Instead, areas that remain eligible for hybrid work should have consistent schedules.
Yes, though it depends on the rationale for the differential treatment. Some positions are ineligible even if the duties can be performed remotely while other positions in the department remain eligible, and some people in a unit have duties that must be completed entirely on-campus, while others’ responsibilities may allow for greater flexibility. In such instances, a supervisor could justify allowing the latter group to fulfill some of their responsibilities at home.
Conversely, if all employees within a unit have responsibilities that can be completed off-campus, but the hybrid work proposal only allows some of them to participate, the supervisor will be expected to provide specific operational reasons for the disparate approach.
Ultimately the supervisor, in consultation with the respective dean or vice president, makes the final determination regarding whether to allow a hybrid remote work model.
Fully remote work is allowed only for a limited number of designated positions within certain operational areas, those approved to work out of state, or those with accommodations due to medical reasons.
Previously approved exceptions for more than two days are withdrawn effective Oct. 1, 2023, unless the staff member satisfies one of these three requirements.
No. Only employees in positions that were deemed ineligible for hybrid work during the 2022-23 fiscal year because their job duties cannot be performed from home or without supervision may participate in the comp day option.
New employees must work full-time on-campus during their orientation period, which typically lasts three months.
If the position is eligible for hybrid remote work and the Compensation Office was informed at the time of the job posting so it was included in the Job Description, the new employee becomes eligible after the successful completion of orientation.
Departments adding new employees to their hybrid work plan upon successful completion of orientation must ensure that the new employee’s hybrid status is reported to the Payroll Office and HR using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
Generally, hybrid work schedules should be consistent.
Staff are expected to communicate with their department, other departments, and external partners in the same (or nearly the same) way as when working full-time, on-campus. These methods of communication may include, but are not limited to, phone, email, Zoom/Microsoft Teams, Google chat, and Slack. Other methods of communication, such as text messaging, may be utilized as deemed appropriate by supervisors and colleagues. Employees indicating they are “not available” because it is their remote day is not acceptable and may result in their approval being withdrawn.
Yes. Employees working from home as part of a hybrid work plan should fulfill the responsibilities of their role similar to how they do so when working on campus. Unit operations should run relatively the same whether employees are in-person or remote, including completing tasks, answering calls and emails, attending meetings, etc. Failure to forward (and answer) your phone or respond to other requests in timely ways may result in corrective action.
In some instances (i.e., shared phone lines), an employee will concentrate on the specific duties of their position that are best completed without interruption during at-home days, while a colleague on-campus answers telephone inquiries to the office. In other instances, the nature of a person’s role is such that they need to be available to answer the phone at all times - whether on- or off-campus. In the latter instance, staff should forward their work phone to a line that the individual can answer directly (e.g., home or mobile phone).
Generally, an employee should be working at home in their home locality in a setting that meets privacy/security requirements and expectations for respective units.
As when they are working on campus, non-exempt employees working off campus may not work overtime without express written approval from their supervisors.
The employee’s direct supervisor knows the specific requirements of the position better than someone within another unit or department. As a result, the supervisor should determine whether the individual’s online access is sufficient for the duties the individual is completing off-campus.
If an individual's home internet is not working, the supervisor will request the employee come to work at their on-campus worksite, or the individual will be required to use vacation time.
Staff must use the appropriate TRC Codes in HCM to reflect their on-campus and hybrid remote work schedule. To reflect on-campus work days, i.e. days staff worked on-campus, staff should use the TRC Code “REG.” To accurately reflect remote work days, staff should choose the appropriate remote work TRC Code, i.e. “REGEH” (Exempt) or “REGWH” (Non-exempt).
For one-off situations, i.e.,out of the ordinary circumstances where staff may need to use a remote day beyond the standard two days or when otherwise not eligible for hybrid, the following applies:
- staff who are eligible for hybrid should use the applicable remote work code; and
- staff who are not eligible for hybrid should use the regular code.
In either case, please include a note in the comments section of HCM to explain the one-off remote day.
[U]Tech's HCM Knowledge Base provides helpful documents for various HCM components, including information on Employee Self Service Time Reporting and Manager Self Service Time Entry (Approval).
For information specifically on entering Hybrid Remote Work, under Employee Self Service, view the Employee Salary Time Sheet for Hybrid Work Program (exempt staff) and Employee Hourly Time Sheet for Hybrid Work Program (non-exempt staff) for guidance on how remote work should be recorded.
For information for supervisors approving time, including Hybrid Remote Work, under Manager Self Service, see Employee Time Approval for guidance regarding the manager’s role in approving remote work time.
U]Tech's HCM Knowledge Base provides helpful documents for various HCM components, including information time reporting for comp (flex) days.
Guidance for staff entering comp (flex) time can be found under Employee Self Service, the Employee Salary Time Sheet for Hybrid Work Program at p. 5 for exempt staff or the Employee Hourly Time Sheet for Hybrid Work Program at pgs. 5-6 for non-exempt staff.
Information for supervisors approving comp (flex) time can be found under Manager Self Service, see Employee Time Approval on pg. 12.
No. Flex time is time an employee was off and not working. Only time actually worked is considered when calculating overtime.
As noted in the university's overtime policy, "Overtime is based on time worked in the week. For purposes of calculating overtime, any paid time off such as holidays, sick, vacation, take 2 time, winter recess, and emergency close, or any unpaid time off will not be included in calculating overtime. Hours will be paid to the nearest quarter hour (i.e., 15-minutes increments)." (emphasis added).
It depends. Prior approvals do not transfer with you. If the position you are moving to is eligible for hybrid remote work, you are eligible for hybrid remote work only after successfully completing the first month of your orientation period.
If the position you are moving to is not eligible for hybrid remote work, you cannot work a hybrid remote schedule.
If you had an exception for hybrid remote work that was more than two (2) days a week but the new position is not eligible for more than two (2) days a week, then unless you have an accommodation approved by the Office of Equity, your eligibility for hybrid work in the new position will be limited to two (2) remote days per week.
No. New and returning employees are not eligible for hybrid remote work until they successfully complete their three (3) month orientation period, or have an approved accommodation through the Office of Equity.
Working occasionally outside Ohio—for example, while traveling on university business - is permissible and should be recorded as if working on-campus (i.e., leaving as REG in HCM).
Working part- or full-time outside Ohio on a full time - or even more regular - basis is generally not permitted at the university. Working part- or full-time outside Ohio can raise significant tax and regulatory issues depending on the state in which an employee lives when working off-campus.
Please contact Juliana Dotson (juliana.dotson@case.edu), Out-of-State Employment and Hybrid Staff Coordinator, within the Tax Department of the Controller’s Office for further information and guidance. It is important to contact the Controller’s Office prior to working out-of-state on more than an occasional basis.
More information will be made available on the Tax Department's website: https://case.edu/controller/tax.
As of the Aug. 31, 2022, pay date, the university began basing employees’ local tax withholding and reporting on the work schedule outlined in the Staff Hybrid Work Plan. Per an agreement with the local tax agencies, the distribution of salaries will be done on a percentage basis rather than actual hours worked. For example, one remote day per week is 20% to the resident city and 80% to Cleveland, two remote days per week is 40% to the resident city and 60% to Cleveland, etc. The resident city will be based on the home address listed in HCM.
Employees should ensure their home address listed in HCM is current and notify the Payroll Office at payroll@case.edu if there are any changes.
See the Sept. 1, 2022, Daily article, or contact the Payroll Office at payroll@case.edu or 216.368.4290 with any additional questions about local tax withholdings.
If that new employee has successfully completed the orientation period, please submit an updated list of all employees—including that individual—to HR and the Payroll Office using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
For staff eligible to work hybrid
If a “one-off,” or out of the ordinary, situation comes up that may require the staff person to work from home on a different day than scheduled or for an extra day in that particular week, then with supervisor approval, the employee may utilize a remote day to deal with their one-off situation and use the appropriate TRC remote code (REGEH for exempt staff or REGWH for non-exempt staff).
Examples:
- Staff Member John Doe is eligible to work 2 remote days per week. John Doe generally works remotely on Tuesdays and Thursdays. John Doe worked remotely on Tuesday. However, on Wednesday the plumber is coming by John Doe’s house and needs access. Supervisor may approve John Doe to switch his remote day to Wednesday, instead of Thursday, as his second remote day that week with the expectation that John Doe works on-campus the remainder of the week. John Doe should enter the TRC remote code (REGEH for exempt staff or REGWH for non-exempt staff) for Wednesday and the regular on-campus TRC code (REG) for Thursday.
- Same facts as above except John Doe already worked both of his usual remote days on Tuesday and Thursday, but on Friday morning he asks for an additional remote day to have a plumber come to his home to fix a leaking hot water tank. With supervisor approval, he may utilize an additional remote day on Friday, enter the appropriate remote code, and insert a brief note in HCM regarding the reason for a third remote day that week.
The staff member should put in the reason for the one-off remote day in the comments column in HCM.
For staff NOT eligible to work hybrid
The staff member should use the regular on-campus TRC code (“REG”). Such situations should be infrequent to help employees manage urgent and unexpected situations and should only be permitted when an employee can accomplish meaningful work remotely.
Otherwise, use of vacation or sick time may be appropriate for the situation.
Assuming the position is eligible for hybrid work, then hybrid work for staff new to the university begins after the successful completion of orientation (typically three months).
Please note that internal transfers to a different position within the university are eligible for hybrid work upon the successful completion of the first month of orientation (again, assuming the position is eligible for hybrid).
Before starting to work the hybrid schedule, the supervisor should submit an updated list of all employees—including the new hire—to HR and the Payroll Office using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
Working fully remote from another state is generally not permitted at the university. Working part- or full-time outside Ohio can raise significant tax and regulatory issues depending on the state in which an employee lives when working off-campus.
However, employing an out-of-state employee may be approved in very limited situations when warranted due to exceptional and unique circumstances. Due to the significant incremental compliance and financial cost to the university for having an out-of-state employee, a one-time fee of $10,000 will be assessed against the hiring department for each new out-of-state employee. This fee, which will help to cover legal fees, registration fees, and support staffing, is non-negotiable and unable to be waived.
In addition, there may be other expectations the hiring department must take responsibility for and adhere to, including state-specific financial implications, to stay in continued compliance with having an out-of-state employee.
If you are looking to employ an employee outside of the state of Ohio, please contact Juliana Dotson (juliana.dotson@case.edu), Out-of-State Employment and Hybrid Staff Coordinator, within the Tax Department of the Controller’s Office for further information and guidance. It is important to contact the Controller’s Office prior to making your decision to employ any individuals out-of-state.
More information will be made available on the Tax Department's website: https://case.edu/controller/tax.
This scenario should not happen. A position should be approved for hybrid work or an out of state arrangement PRIOR to the posting of the position and PRIOR to extending an offer. The details of any approved work arrangement should also be included in the offer letter.
The staff member no longer meets the eligibility criteria for hybrid remote work, and is not eligible to work off campus over the next 12 months (or, in the alternative, they no longer meet eligibility for Flex Comp Days).
The supervisor must submit an updated list of employees—including that individual—to HR and the Payroll Office using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
After expiration of the 12-month period, and if the staff member has received a successful or above rating on the new Annual Performance Review, the employee is eligible for hybrid remote work again. The supervisor should send an updated list of employees—including this staff member—to HR and the Payroll Office using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
The staff member no longer meets the eligibility criteria for hybrid remote work, and is not eligible to work off campus over the next 12 months (or, in the alternative, they no longer meet eligibility for Flex Comp Days).
The supervisor must submit an updated list of all employees—including that individual—to HR and the Payroll Office using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.
After expiration of the 12-month period, when the employee is eligible for hybrid remote work again, the supervisor will submit an updated list of all employees—including that individual—to HR and the Payroll Office using the updated hybrid submission process that will be shared:
- in the August 31, 2023, Hybrid webinar session;
- on the HR Staff Hybrid Remote Work Program website; and
- in Daily announcements.
Please look for details and updated forms.