The following information was shared with all employees via email on Dec. 22, 2021.
We are pleased to announce that the New York State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) has approved an extension of the SUNY-wide telecommuting program.
The extension runs to June 30, 2022, for M/C employees and all bargaining units, except for PEF. The extension for PEF employees runs to March 31, 2022. The new PEF Collective Bargaining Agreement requires a permanent telecommuting policy be implemented by April 27, 2022 (nine months from ratification). SUNY and GOER will be meeting with PEF in 2022 to discuss this matter.
The parameters and conditions of the program remain unchanged from the policy that was in place during the fall 2021 semester.
We remind employees that the telecommuting program is not an entitlement and may not be possible for all areas or all positions. Decisions on telecommuting remain at the discretion of the College. Proposed schedules or plans must be discussed with your supervisor and require approval by the divisional vice president. Supervisors will be responsible for ensuring that work articulated in the plan is being met and that operational needs are supported properly within the plan(s) approved. Supervisors must take into consideration the operational needs of their area, the constituents they serve, and whether employees currently meet or exceed performance expectations.
Instructional faculty do not need to submit a request for telecommuting but must continue to communicate with department chairs and deans regarding any requests for changes in modalities of instruction or changes to obligation.
Instructions for extending or updating existing telecommuting plans, or approving new plans
If the Vice President is approving continuation of an approved plan with no changes:
Supervisors should send an email to hrdi@newpaltz.edu, with a copy to their Vice President. The subject line should read “Continuing telecommuting plan – no changes.” The email should include the name and department of the employee whose plan is being extended to a new date.
If the Vice President is approving continuation of an approved plan with changes in work or schedule:
Supervisors should send an email to hrdi@newpaltz.edu, with a copy to their Vice President. The subject line should read “Updated Telecommuting Plan.” The email should include the name and department of the employee whose plan is being updated and extended to a new date. Please attach an updated SUNY Telecommuting Application and Workplan.
If the Vice President is approving a new plan:
Please follow the directions of the application process and send a confirmation email to hrdi@newpaltz.edu and attach the SUNY Telecommuting Application and Workplan.
We hope that these incremental approvals will result in permanent adoption of this program. Where appropriate, this program has proven to be a valuable tool in supporting our current and future workforce.
Tanhena Pacheco Dunn
Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
