Employment and Employee Conduct

Bryant University requires all employees to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. The University is committed to compliance with the laws and regulations to which it is subject. The University’s internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect and prevent or deter illegal or improper activities. However, even the best systems of controls cannot provide absolute safeguards against irregularity. The University has a responsibility to investigate and report to appropriate parties allegations of suspected illegal or improper activities, and to protect those employees who, in good faith report these activities to the appropriate authority.

The University provides various mechanisms to assist and encourage employees to come forward with reports or concerns about suspected compliance issues. The University encourages this reporting of suspected wrongdoing on a timely basis.

Although the University encourages employees to report concerns to their immediate supervisor, there are times when an employee may feel it is necessary to report a concern of financial wrongdoing outside of the traditional reporting mechanism. The University has adopted a whistleblower policy for these instances. The whistleblower policy allows allegations to be made outside of the immediate area that the suspected employee is associated with and allows for a degree of confidentiality for the reporting person, if necessary.

The whistleblower policy governs only the reporting and investigation of suspected violations of law, external regulations or University policy of a financial nature or misuse of University resources. Such violations may include, but are not limited to, misappropriation or misuse of University resources; bribery; forgery or alteration of documents; fraudulent financial reporting; and authorizing or receiving compensation for goods not received, services not performed, or hours not worked. The policy is not intended for, and may not be used for, personal or employment grievances, general compensation and benefits complaints, opinion on policy, etc.

Employees who have knowledge of or information about misconduct in University operations should report the misconduct to the Vice President of Human Resources. If the reporting person desires anonymity, the report should be in writing and delivered via regular mail, campus mail, or by hand, rather than via e-mail. Every attempt will be made to keep the whistleblower’s identity confidential, unless

• the person agrees to be identified;
• identification is necessary to allow University or law enforcement officials to investigate or respond effectively to the report;
• identification is required by law;
• or the person accused of violations is entitled to the information as a matter of legal rights in disciplinary proceeding

Persons reporting misconduct should not attempt to investigate the matter independently, as doing so may compromise the integrity of an official

investigation and adversely impact both the reporting person and the University.

The Vice President of Human Resources will promptly and discreetly investigate any report of misconduct in University operations, in consultation with the President and Vice President(s). However, such consultation(s) may be limited if necessary to preserve the integrity of the investigation. In addition, the Vice President of Human Resources may seek the assistance of other University officials as appropriate. The Vice President will report the results of their investigation and any recommendations for appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action to the University President. The President will consult with the appropriate senior administrators in the affected division before implementing corrective or disciplinary action. The imposition of discipline, if any, will be made in accordance with the University’s Employee Handbook, any applicable collective bargaining agreement (if the misconduct involves a union employee), and any other applicable University policies.

If the Vice President of Human Resources or the University President is the subject of a report of misconduct in University operations, the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees will be advised of the situation and will appoint individuals to substitute for the Vice President or President in his or her investigative or decision-making role.

A confidential report will be made to the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees at the conclusion of every investigation.

Employees should be aware that the filing of the statement acknowledges their understanding that an investigation may commence. Reports under this policy should be made as soon as possible, preferably within six months of the occurrence.

An employee who in good faith reports a suspected violation of law or University policy will be protected from retaliation under this policy. Good faith means that the person had reasonable grounds to believe that the reported allegations are substantially true. A person who intentionally makes a false report may be subject to disciplinary or other action. The failure of a report to result in a finding of misconduct is not alone evidence that the report was intentionally false.

In addition, employees are protected by The Rhode Island Whistleblower’s Protection Act – R.I. Gen Laws 28-50. Specifically:

• 28-50-3 : Protection – An employer shall not discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an employee regarding the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, location or privileges of employment (1) because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, reports or is about to report to a public body, verbally or in writing, a violation which the employee knows or reasonably believes has occurred or is about to occur, of a law or regulation or rule promulgated under the law of this state, a political subdivision of this state, or the United States, unless the employee knows or has reason to know that the report is false, or (2) because an employee is requested by a public body to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry held by that public body, or a court action.
• 28-50-4 : Relief and damages – (a) A person who alleges a violation of this chapter may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages or both within (3) years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this chapter (b) An action commenced pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may be brought in the superior court for the county where the alleged violation occurred, the county where the complainant resides or the county where the person against whom the civil complaint is filed resides or has their principal place of business. (c) As used in subsection (a) “damages” means damages for injury or loss caused by each violation of this chapter. (d) An employee shall show by clear and convincing evidence that he or she or a person acting on his or her behalf was about to report to a public body, verbally or in writing, a violation which the employee knew or reasonably believed had occurred or was about to occur of a law of this state, a political subdivision, or the United States.

The act provides for relief and damages for any adverse impact that may result from violation of Chapter 28-50-3 as noted above.

Questions regarding retirement plans or social security retirement benefits should be addressed to the Human Resources Department.

When a full-time employee leaves the employ of Bryant University, they must return all University equipment to various offices (ID to DPS, keys to Facilities, library books to the Library, computer equipment/mobile devices to IS, etc.) in order for clearance forms to be sent to the Human Resources office. An employee’s final paycheck will be released once the Human Resources Department has received all clearance forms. Supervisors are responsible for retrieving and returning equipment from part-time employees (including adjunct faculty).

Notice of intent to leave the employment of Bryant University should be submitted to the University in writing in the form of a resignation letter and should provide one pay period’s notice before termination of employment. Bryant University may choose, in its sole discretion, to make effective an employee’s resignation at any time from the date of notice of resignation to the employee’s noticed termination date. Before their final day of work, an existing employee should contact the Human Resources Department to schedule an appointment to finalize exit paperwork. An employee’s termination date shall be their last day of actual work. Accrued and unused vacation time will be paid upon termination and may not be used to extend the termination date.

Certain standards of performance and conduct must be maintained in any work group, e.g. businesslike behavior, observance of work hours, policies, procedures, satisfactory performance, etc. Generally, these performances and conduct standards are recognized and observed by individual members of the work group without any need for action by the supervisor. When an employee does not observe these standards, counseling or a verbal reminder by a supervisor normally results in the employee doing so in the future.

When an employee does not respond to a verbal reminder, more formal discipline may be necessary. What is appropriate discipline cannot be decided in   advance or   with precision.  No two cases are identical,

therefore, the immediate supervisor must decide based upon the circumstances in each case. Depending on the severity of the offense, disciplinary action may, among others, take the following forms: withholding salary/wage increases, verbal warning, written warning, demotion, suspension (with or without pay), or termination. Termination without prior warning, or suspension, may be justified for certain offenses as determined by the University.

Bryant University is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment for all members of the community and encourages all staff members to treat each other with mutual respect. We do understand that employment-related issues may arise and it is our intent to resolve such concerns as they are brought forward. The University’s problem resolution policy is designed to afford employees a method of resolution for issues concerning dissatisfaction with job related issues, feelings of unfair or disparate treatment, or perceived violations of written policies or procedures of the University.

Employees are encouraged to first discuss the issue with their supervisor. If the supervisor is unavailable or if the employee believes it would be inappropriate to discuss the issue with him/her, the employee should discuss the issue with the next level of management or with a representative from Human Resources. If the employee is unable to reach a satisfactory resolution with their supervisor and/or next level manager, the employee may bring the issue to their division’s Vice President and/or the Vice President for Human Resources.

The University will make every effort to resolve issues in a timely fashion and will strive to ensure consistent, fair and equal treatment for all employee issues.

All employees may go directly to the Vice President for Human Resources for issues concerning potential discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual preference or orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, ethnicity, disability, veteran or marital status.

Bryant University maintains personnel files for all employees. Any employee who wishes to view their personnel file must contact the Human Resources Department for an appointment.

Employees should notify the Human Resources Department in writing of any changes in name, address, marital status, dependents, telephone number, or beneficiaries. This will enable the Human Resources Department to maintain accurate records, thus allocating your proper pay, deductions and benefits.

All positions that become available on campus will be posted internally for a minimum of five (5) business days and may also be posted externally. Should a current employee accept a transfer to another position on campus, they are expected to give the equivalent of one pay period’s notice to their current department.

Generally, an employee who transfers under this policy shall not be eligible for a subsequent transfer for one (1) year following the transfer to another position.

Bryant University recognizes that employees may be employed outside of the University. Such employment is permitted as long as the outside employment does not:

• Coincide or conflict with the employee’s hours of work for the University;
• Conflict with the employee’s University job responsibilities;
• Cause an employee to arrive late for, or leave early from, any scheduled shift or work hours in the University job;
• Constitute a conflict with University interests;
• Occur on University property or utilize University resource

Employees engaged in outside employment activities are also bound by the requirements of Bryant’s non-solicitation policy, which prohibits employees from soliciting during their work hours and during the work hours of other employees, and   from distributing literature or other materials during their work hours and during the work hours of other employees.

If an employee is unsure as to whether his/her outside employment is prohibited by this policy, the employee should in the first instance discuss the outside employment with his/her immediate supervisors.

Exceptions to this policy are only valid if approved in writing.

Compliance with this policy is the responsibility of the employee. When a supervisor has reason to believe an employee’s outside employment is a violation of this policy, the supervisor shall consult with the Human Resources Department.

Employees are expected to apply themselves to their assigned duties during the full schedule for which they are compensated. Employees are expected to abide by all University policies and are expected to meet established performance standards. Conditions or circumstances that prevent an employee from performing effectively or from completing assigned tasks should be reported to the employee’s supervisor.

It is important for all of us working at the University to conduct ourselves in a manner that is fair to each other and to our common objectives.

Over the years, our success has been achieved only because our employees have recognized this requirement and have demonstrated their commitment through their good conduct and work performance. However, as is true with any group of people working together, from time to time there are situations when a specific policy or an obvious rule of common sense is broken. In these cases, the University will take appropriate action.

We believe each employee, student and community member should be treated and respected as an individual. For this reason, employee conduct is approached in a flexible, case-by-case manner. Some infractions are more serious than others and an employee’s length of service, work record and prior conduct all are considered in determining the proper action to be taken.

It is our practice to use progressive counseling procedures. Of course, some serious incidents of misconduct may require immediate discharge from employment. Whenever appropriate, misconduct will be dealt with by counseling before termination of employment is considered.

As part of the University’s commitment to an inclusive campus community, the Bias Incident Committee has been developed to address incidents that occur on-campus or at Bryant-sponsored events. We urge all community members to promptly report any incidents that violate the standards that we as a community seek to uphold. For more information on bias incidents visit the Bias Incident Committee page.

Except as set forth below (under “Limited Exceptions”):

• Any Bryant non-student community member is strictly prohibited from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships or behavior with any currently enrolled Bryant University undergraduate student – even if both or all parties in the relationship believe the relationship is consensual.
• Bryant non-student community members are strictly prohibited from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships or behavior with currently enrolled graduate students when the non-student community member teaches, evaluates, supervises, advises, or has authority or power over the graduate student, or when he or she is likely to do so (or have such power or authority over the graduate student) in the future.

Limited Exceptions

• In cases where a Bryant employee is enrolled as a student in graduate or undergraduate courses, this policy does not prohibit that employee (who is also in a student status) from engaging in relationships with other Bryant employees; unless prohibited by other University
• In cases where a recent Bryant graduate becomes an employee, this policy does not prohibit the recent graduate from continuing a pre-existing romantic or sexual relationship with an undergraduate or graduate student; as long as (i) no conflict of interest exists, (ii) and there is no teaching, evaluative, supervisory, or advisory relationship between the parties, or any other unequal power
• To the extent, on the date when Bryant implements this policy, any Bryant employee is in a pre-existing romantic or sexual relationship with a undergraduate or graduate student, Bryant may, in its absolute discretion, grant an exception to this policy, if (and only if) (i) the employee reports the pre-existing relationship to the Human Resources Department, (ii) there is no teaching, evaluative, supervisory, or advisory relationship between the parties (or any other unequal power dynamic), and (iii) the employee complies with all other University directives to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of

Individuals with concerns about any potentially prohibited relationships should contact the Human Resources Department. Any potentially prohibited relationship is subject to University review.

Employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Please see the University’s sexual misconduct policy for definitions related to consent and other applicable terms.

Reporting Options

Complainants (or others who become aware of an incident of prohibited conduct) are encouraged to report the incident to the University through the following reporting options:

The Human Resources Department

401-232-6010

humanresources@bryant.edu

The CARE team

401-232-6046

Care Team website and referral form.

Electronic Reporting Form

Complaints regarding prohibited conduct may be made by third-party individuals in which case, they will be treated as sexual harassment complaints in accordance with the University sexual misconduct policy. If an individual wishes to report a concern or violation of the Bryant fraternization policy, they may use the fraternization policy reporting form.

Advocacy Resources

The University offers a wide range of resources to provide support and guidance to students and employees in response to any incident of prohibited conduct. In the reporting process, complainants are entitled to enlist the support of an advocate of their choice from the community. Suggested advocates may include:

For Students – Director Hochberg Women’s Center & Pride Center Advocacy Helpline 24/7 – 401-258-4209

For Faculty – Federation Advocate

For Staff – HR Division Partner (will not be involved in investigation

This policy applies to any individual who receives compensation from the University for services rendered. No spouse, parent, child, stepchild, sibling or in-law of a Bryant University employee may be hired to work in the same work shift of the department as the employee, work in a capacity where there would exist direct supervision or control, or work in any capacity where the University determines it would adversely impact on a rational business need. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Human Resources Department.

When the Human Resources Department receives a request for credit information from a bona fide agency, store, or bank, non-confidential information such as date of employment, position classification and name of department will be released once the agency is positively identified. However, confidential information such as pay rate and projected earnings will not be released to any agency without specific written authorization from the employee.

The University understands that there are times when an employee will have unanticipated absences. If it is necessary to be absent from work due to sickness or for any other personal reason, the employee must notify her/his supervisor before the start of her/his scheduled workday if possible, or as soon thereafter as possible. The Supervisor must also be contacted on each additional day of absence. The University has the right to require reasonable documentation for absences of more than three consecutive days or in cases where there is a clear pattern of unscheduled absences on a day immediately before or after a holiday, weekend or scheduled vacation. Failure to notify your supervisor of an absence for three (3) consecutive days will be considered a voluntary resignation.

Bryant University expects all employees to maintain good attendance and to report on time. Excessive absences and tardiness hinder the effectiveness of a department and must be kept to a minimum. Excessive absences without good cause or repeated tardiness will result in disciplinary action.

Normal Hours

Regular office work hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Summer Hours

During the summer months, office hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Thursday and 8:30am-12:00pm on Fridays (these hours are subject to change from year to year).

Alternate Work Hours

Due to the 24-hour per day, 7 day per week nature of Bryant’s residential community, alternative work schedules may be utilized to operate the many departments of the University in accordance with the operational needs of the department to which an employee is assigned.

Overtime

Bryant University compensates all non-exempt staff members for hours worked in excess of 40 during the work week at one-and one-half times their hourly rate. This is in compliance with federal and state law or in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements. Overtime should only be worked when approved by the direct supervisor. All hours up to 40 will be considered regular hours.

Lunch Period and Rest Period

Under normal circumstances, employees are allowed one hour for lunch or a lunch period as defined within the employee’s collective bargaining agreement. The scheduling of this break is to be determined by the department head. Departments must have sufficient coverage during lunch breaks.

For most employees a twenty-minute rest period or coffee break is permitted each morning, or in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement, to provide employees an opportunity to pause and relax for a few minutes during the workday. The scheduling of this break is determined by the department head and cannot be used for early release or coming in after normal starting time.

Activities during the lunch break and the rest period are a matter of individual choice, as long as a professional atmosphere is maintained, and such activities do not interfere with the rights of others or the policies of the University.

Flexible Work Arrangements

There may be times when it is in the best interests of both the employee and the University to arrange a flexible work schedule. The employee and his/her supervisor should discuss the feasibility of a flexible work schedule, document the arrangement, and seek approval from the divisional vice president. It may not be possible to accommodate flexible work arrangements in some departments or for some positions.

Remote Work Policy

• Scope  This policy applies to Bryant University, (hereinafter the “university”). It applies to all regular full-time and part-time eligible staff of the university.

• Purpose   The purpose of this policy is to allow employees to work at alternate work locations for all or part of their workweek depending on business need. In many circumstances remote work can improve productivity and job performance as well as promote administrative efficiencies (e.g. reducing office and parking space), reduce traffic congestion and transportation costs, support environmental sustainability, support continuity of operations plans, and sustain the recruitment and retention of a highly qualified workforce by enhancing work/life balance.

• Definitions:

      Alternate work locations: approved locations, other than the employee’s central workplace, where official university business is performed. The most common alternate work location is the home of an employee, subject to the approval described in this Policy.

     Central workplace: an employer’s place of work where employees normally are located.

     Remote Work Agreement: a work arrangement where the employee enters into a formal agreement with the university to perform his/her usual job duties in an alternate work location at least one day per week, or some other duration or period of time.

• Policy

Remote work is a voluntary work alternative that is appropriate for some employees and some jobs but not all employees and all positions. No university employee is entitled to or guaranteed the opportunity to work remotely. Certain categories of positions, such as facilities and public safety positions, by necessity are ineligible for remote work. For positions eligible for remote work, whether a particular employee may be approved for remote work is a decision made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration operational needs, an evaluation of the likelihood of the employee succeeding in a remote work arrangement and an evaluation of the supervisor’s ability to manage remote workers. Remote work arrangements most commonly are for partial remote work, for example one day per week and for a set amount of time (subject to change based on operational needs of the University). Some positions may be eligible for remote work only during semester breaks. For reasons relating to taxation and compliance, work location may also be a consideration in the granting or continuation of a remote work accommodation.

Remote work may also be considered on a case-by-case basis as a reasonable accommodation as provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act for qualified employees with disabilities.

Employees who are approved for remote work will be required to sign a remote work agreement with the university consistent with this Policy. There may be instances where employees who are not on an approved remote work arrangement have an unanticipated need to work remotely. Supervisors should use their judgement and discretion in approving these unanticipated situations on an exception basis.

Employees approved for a remote work agreement perform essentially the same work that they would in the central workplace in accordance with their same performance expectations and other agreed-upon terms. Remote work agreements may be established for a long-term or short-term period. An employee’s classification, compensation, and benefits will not change if the employee is approved for remote work.

The university may establish remote work as a condition of employment, based on the university’s business needs. In such cases, this requirement should be included when the position is advertised and in correspondence offering employment. In these cases, there will not be a waiting period prior to implementation of remote work.

Eligible Positions and Employees  Supervisors, in consultation with Human Resources, will analyze the nature of a position and how the work is performed and determine which positions are appropriate to designate or approve for teleworking. Several factors should be considered in determining the feasibility of remote work, including the university’s ability to supervise the employee adequately and whether any duties require use of certain equipment or tools that cannot be replicated at home. Other critical considerations include whether:

• there is a need for face-to-face interaction and coordination of work with other employees
• in-person interaction with outside colleagues, clients, students, or customers is necessary
• the position in question requires the employee to have immediate, or easy access to documents or other information located only in the workplace
• the remote work arrangement will impact service quality or university operations, or increase workload for other employees
• the position can be structured to be performed independently of others with minimal need for support and little face-to-face interaction and
• performance can be measured by quantitative or qualitative results- oriented standards, not time spent doing the job
• Typically, a position designated as remote work-eligible indicates that partial rather than full-time remote work is feasible
• If an employee in an eligible position requests approval for teleworking, the division head, in consultation with Human Resources, will determine whether the employee is eligible. Generally, the following conditions must be met to approve an employee for teleworking:
  • The employee has been in the position for at least 90 days;
  • The employee has no active disciplinary actions;
  • The employee has a demonstrated ability to work productively on his/her own and is self-motivated and flexible; and
  • The employee’s performance meets standards.
  • Supervisors must ensure that teleworking decisions are made for appropriate, non-discriminatory reasons. Vaccination status in and of itself is not a reason for granting a remote work arrangement.

Ineligible Categories of Positions  Human Resources, in consultation with the departments, has identified the categories of positions that are not eligible for remote work and the justification.

General Expectations and Conditions

• Compliance with Policies. Employees must agree to comply with university rules, policies, practices, and instructions and understand that violations of such may result in the revocation of the remote work arrangement and/or disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Employees who telework will be subject to the same policies as other employees, including policies relating to information security and data protection; see item 7 below.
• Hours of Work. The total number of hours that employees with remote work agreements are expected to work will not change, regardless of work location. The university also expects the same level of productivity from employees with remote work agreements that is expected from employees at the central workplace. Teleworking employees who are not exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act will be required to record all hours worked in a manner designated by the university. Hours worked in excess of those specified in the remote work agreement require the advance approval of the supervisor. Teleworking is not intended to serve as a substitute for child or adult care. If children or adults in need of primary care are in the alternate work location during employees’ work hours, the expectation is that the individual engaged in remote work must be primarily and principally engaged in their work during their assigned working hours. An exception to this requirement may be granted in special or limited circumstances. Employees should check with Human Resources on available options. Please note, the Employee is still required to work their total hours for each work week in these circumstances, but the hours may be adjusted around child and/or elder care duties with advance permission from the Employee’s supervisor.
• Use of Leave. Employees cannot use remote work in place of sick leave, Family and Medical Leave, Workers’ Compensation leave, or other types of leave. However, the university may determine whether it is appropriate to offer remote work as an opportunity for partial or full return to work based on the university’s return-to-work policies following an injury or illness and the criteria normally applied to decisions regarding the approval of teleworking.
• Liability. The university assumes no responsibility for injuries occurring in the employee’s alternate work location outside the agreed upon work hours or for injuries that occur during working hours but do not arise out of and in the course of employment. The university also assumes no liability for damages to employee’s real or personal property resulting from participation in the teleworking program. Workers’ compensation coverage is limited to designated work areas in employees’ homes or alternate work locations. Employees agree to practice the same safety habits they would use in the central workplace and to maintain safe conditions in their alternate work locations. Employees must follow normal procedures for reporting illness or injury.
• Equipment and Materials. Normally, the university will provide equipment and materials needed by employees to effectively perform their duties; however, the university will not duplicate resources between the central workplace and the alternate work location. Employees approved for remote work agreements may use university-owned equipment only for legitimate university purposes. Employees are responsible for protecting university-owned equipment from theft, damage and unauthorized use. The university will maintain, service and repair university-owned equipment used in the normal course of employment. The university will stipulate who is responsible for transporting and installing equipment, and for returning it to the central workplace for repairs or service. The remote work agreement may also permit employees to use their own equipment, provided the use of such equipment has been approved by the Vice President for Information Services or designee. When employees are authorized to use their own equipment, the university is not responsible for the cost, repair or service of the employee’s personal equipment, unless otherwise expressly agreed to in advance in the remote work agreement.
• Costs of Remote Work. The university is not obligated to assume responsibility for operating costs, home maintenance, or other costs incurred by employees in the use of their homes as alternate work locations. The university may use appropriated funds for remote work costs if there is a significant business need, remote work is required for the position, and funding permits for: installation and basic telephone service in employee’s alternate work location; cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) for business use; reimbursing employees for business-related long distance calls made from their personal telephones if no cell phones or PDAs are provided; or internet access and related services.
• University Information. Employees must safeguard university information used or accessed while teleworking, in accordance with the university’s Acceptable Use Policy and other applicable information technology policies. The university must grant permission according to university procedures for employees to work on restricted-access information or material, as defined by the university, at alternate work locations. Teleworking employees must agree to follow university-approved security procedures in order to ensure confidentiality and security of data.
• Training for Managers and Supervisors. The university encourages the successful and appropriate use of remote work within the university and will make available training to supervisors and managers for effectively managing teleworking employees.

Remote Work Agreement  Teleworking must be documented as approved through a remote work agreement. The remote work agreement establishes the specific conditions that apply to employees working in alternate work locations. The remote work agreement must be approved by the employee’s supervisor, the head of the employee’s department, the division head and Human Resources. The approved agreement is kept in the employee’s personnel file in the Human Resources office. A remote work agreement typically will be for six months, with a renewable term, but an agreement may be made for a shorter term. Renewal is not guaranteed; the remote work arrangement, employee performance and other circumstances will be considered by the supervisor in determining whether to renew the agreement. Each department tracks the agreements and renews them as required.

• Exceptions to the Remote Work Agreement Requirement. It is an accepted practice for teaching and research faculty to carry out their work with varied schedules on campus and at alternate locations and therefore these scenarios fall outside of the scope of this policy. On occasion, a department may also determine that employees may need to work at an alternate work location for a short period of time to accommodate unusual circumstances, such as a brief office closing for renovations or relocation. In such cases, the formal remote work agreement is not required, but should be documented for department files by memorandum or email, specifying work expectations and duration.
• Emergencies and Other Unexpected Contingencies. In the event of emergency, including but not limited to pandemics, fire or other significant disruption to facilities or the physical operations of departments, supervisors are authorized to establish remote work arrangements with qualified employees for limited duration with permission of the department head. Such arrangements are intended to allow for effective response to such disruptions and to maintain critical functions, operations and services. These remote work arrangements are to be maintained only until normal operations can be restored at the central workplace.
• Modification or Termination of the Remote Work Agreement. The supervisor, in consultation with Human Resources, may modify or terminate the remote work agreement early (before the end of the specified term) for performance concerns, changing operational needs, or any other non- discriminatory or retaliatory reason. The employee may also terminate the remote work agreement at any time, unless it was a condition of employment. Any termination of a remote work arrangement typically will be made with at least two weeks’ advance notice.
• Enforcement; Complaints or Appeals  An employee who disagrees with a denial of a request for permission to enter a remote work agreement or any other action relating to this policy is encouraged to discuss the concern with his or her supervisor. If the discussion with the supervisor does not resolve the issue, an employee may appeal the matter to the Vice President for Human Resources.

Employment classifications at Bryant are defined as:

• Regular: An employee who holds a position, other than a temporary/contingent
• Temporary/Contingent: An employee whose employment is contingent upon the continuation of a grant, appropriation award, time-specific contract or agreement, or is conditioned by a special circumstance. Employment as temporary/contingent is designated at the time of the job offer.

Regular and Temporary/Contingent will be further defined in the following categories:

Full/Part-Time

• Full-time: A position that is budgeted for 1,000 or more regular work hours per year
• Part-time: A position that is budgeted for less than 1,000 regular work hours per year

Exempt/Non-Exempt

Exempt: In accordance with federal law, a position that is excluded or exempt from overtime compensation for time worked over 40 hours per week:

• Professional
• Administrative
• Faculty
• Executive

Non-Exempt: In accordance with federal law, a position that is compensated at time and one-half hours for hours worked over 40 hours per week:

• Service Employees
• Public Safety
• Support Staff