A Teleworking Tale

1. A Teleworking Tale Presented by: Michelle Cross Amber McMurry Multnomah County Risk Management Section

3. Multnomah CountyAt-a-Glance • Approx. 4500 FTE • Plus 1000 volunteers, 150 inmates, multiple on-calls, temporary, seasonal workers; • 7 Departments; • 3 Agencies w/elected officials (District Attorney, County Auditor, Sheriff); • Board of County Commissioners • With an elected County Chair.

4. Why pay attention? • Current practice • Increase productivity & morale • Boost efficiency of space • Reduce operational costs • Lesson environmental impact • Accommodate special needs

5. The beginning was critical Risk was asked the questions early on Liability-General & Property Safety-Employees & others Workers’ Comp liability Risk asked their own Tasks Frequency

6. The beginning was critical The exposure/risk research Discussed the “what if’s” and “how to’s” Presented options to HR and TD

7. The details • Personnel Rule • Administrative Procedure • Contractual & Ad-Hoc ↓ • Self-Assessment ↓ • Safety Assessment

8. SELF-ASSESSMENT: Is Telework Right For You? [Adapted from The Manager’s Quick and Easy Guide to Telework (Oregon Department of Energy, 1997).] Do you have an appropriate work environment at the telework office?  A safe, comfortable work space where it is easy to concentrate on work  The required level of security  A telephone (with a separate home office line if required) and an answering machine or voice mail  If your telework office is at home, household members will understand you’re working and will not disturb you • 9. Do you have the right job for telework? •  Low face-to-face communication requirements with the ability to free up days when communication can be handled by telephone, voice mail or e-mail. •  Minimal requirements for special equipment •  Ability to define tasks and work products with SMART goals. •  Ability to control and schedule work flow • 10. Do you have an appropriate work environment at the telework office? •  A safe, comfortable work space where it is easy to concentrate on work •  The required level of security •  A telephone (with a separate home office line if required) and an answering machine or voice mail •  If your telework office is at home, household members will understand you’re working and will not disturb you

9. Safety in the Telework Contract “EE acknowledges ER right to visit during normal work hours to ensure area meets county safety standards”…. “EE may request RM training and/or assessment of home work area for safety & ergonomic assistance”….

10. Safety in the Telework Contract “The employee has completed and the supervisor has reviewed the Telework Safety Checklist”

11. Safety Checklist “Completed prior to start & submitted to supervisor” Identifies: Temp, noise, lighting, ventilation, storage, tripping potential, electrical, ergonomics, emergency preparedness.

12. Hazards and Risks

13. Talent Development training effort evolved • Classroom training by target group • All groups participate • Online only

14. Talent Development training effort Current recorded attendance: • 251 classroom participants • 58 online participants

15. Current Training • Target Audience:Employees who will have routine telework arrangements, as well as supervisors who oversee telework agreements.Online Class • Instructor:online only, Talent Development • Competencies:Stewardship, Respectful and Safe Working Environment

16. Current Training • Course Overview: Telework means working at home or a satellite office, instead of commuting to the main office or place of business. Telework may be used to increase productivity and employee morale, boost efficiency in the use of space, reduce operational costs, and accommodate special needs of employees. • The purpose of this training is to review essential concepts for responsible telework, to review telework guidelines and procedures, and to introduce key concerns in terms of Safety, Risk Management, and Information Technology. • This is a mandatory class for employees who will have routine telework arrangements, as well as for supervisors who oversee the telework agreements.

17. Current Training • RESOURCESThe following are documents or online resources referenced in this training. • Telework Agreement Form Word document • iMitigate (Ergonomics Self-Assessment) file • VPN Request Form Excel spreadsheet • Telework Personnel Rule 3-65 PDF document Additional Resources • Telework Safety Checklist Word document • Self Assessment for Telework Word document Zoomerang survey to verify completion

18. Current Training

19. Preparing to telework?  • Remember that in order to telework, you and your supervisor must take the mandatory "Preparing to Telework" class. The good news is that this course is offered on Multco Learns. • Telework may be used to increase productivity and employee morale, boost efficiency in the use of space, reduce operational costs and accommodate special needs of employees. This training will review essential concepts for responsible telework, guidelines and procedures, and introduce key concerns in terms of safety, risk management and information technology.   • Click here to complete the "Preparing to Telework" class.

20. Currently a hot topic Sandberg v. JC Penny, Inc (2011) Fallreporter.com: “Dogs, bears and horseplay: Strange but true workers’ compensation cases” HR Daily Advisor web news: “I’m Worried They’re Doing the Laundry Instead of the Work”

21. How well does it work? 24,905.50 Hours recorded as Telework hours in 2012 Periodic questions: Volunteer participation Incident reporting

22. How well does it work? “Multnomah County strives to be an example of how telework can enhance organizational and operational efficiency while enhancing the quality of life in Oregon” PR3-65

23. Questions