Managers' Toolkit

Here are some tips for managing remote workers:

Set Expectations

1. Review and clarify performance expectations, responsibilities, and assignments.
2. Communicate timelines and deadlines.
3. Communicate expectations for employees working hours, availability, contact methods and what to do if an employee becomes sick while working remotely.
4. Regularly review expectations; communicate updates as needed.

Be Available for Your Team

1. Respond to your team members in a timely manner. Provide timely and clear communication as to how you can be contacted.
2. Encourage team members to call, Google chat, or email you while working remotely.
3. Be accessible to team members by phone and email - ensure they know how to contact you.
4. Need to meet? Consider a conference call, Google Hangout, or Zoom.
5. Open Google Chat to create chatrooms for periodic check-ins (e.g. once per day) or to interact with another co-worker so no one feels isolated.

Manage Customer Expectations

1. Ensure your customers know how to contact you and your team members.
2. Let customers know when and what they can expect from you and your team.
3. Communicate your timelines for responding to inquiries—share it on your voicemail and email signature line.
4. Response should be seamless, similar to being in the office.

Tools & Technology

1. Ensure team members have the tools and technology to work remotely.
2. Encourage team members to find a private and quiet location for working.
3. Review SCU’s Technology for Working Remotely site for accessing email, network drives, VPN, voicemail, and Zoom.

In the Resources section, you will find tip sheets and articles from a number of sources. Topics include: Successful Teleworking, and a Guide to Managing Remote Workers, among others. If you would like to discuss a particular concern, please contact Shirley Mata at smmata@scu.ed to for additional guidance and resources.

See the COVID-19 HR Resources under “Staying Engaged” for articles. For additional resources and guidance, contact Shirley Mata, Employee Development manager at smmata@scu.edu. 

During this time, communication with your employees and understanding your employees' situation is important. Supervisors are expected to be flexible and creative in scheduling the workday during this time. There are many resources available to you and your staff depending on the needs. Start with the Covid-19 HR Resources or contact Shirley Mata (smmata@scu.edu) for information on additional benefits and resources that may be available.

HR resources are available to address health and well-being concerns as well as family related resources. Supervisor flexibility and support are strongly encouraged. 

There may be a need to redistribute work or temporarily reassign employees during this time. Here are some things to consider. Be sure to involve your team in helping to figure out how to best divide the workload. If you'd like to discuss this further, email Shirley Mata, Employee Development Manager at smmata@scu.edu. 

1. Review business needs. What tasks and services need to be done during this time?
2. Review current staff workloads. Note any unbalance.
3. Are there opportunities for redistribution of tasks or projects either within the team or with help from other teams?
4. Communicate your initial plan and ask your team for input.
5. Implement the plan - be sure to communicate roles and expectations.
6. Schedule check-in dates to re-evaluate everyone's workload. This is a time for team members to share progress, ask for help, solve problems, and redistribute workload if needed.

Article(s):

Make Sure Your Team's Workload is Divided Fairly (HRB, 2016)

If the position is conducive to remote work, employees should continue to work from home, even when a unit has been notified they can resume on-campus operations. Supervisors and/or department leadership will determine which positions will return to campus based on business need. If due to personal circumstances and employee cannot return or does not want to return, contact your HR liaison to discuss options. 

Under normal circumstances, non-exempt employees should record actual hours worked on their timesheet.

Due to the current environment, starting with the pay period ending on March 31 and until further notice, non-exempt staff fall into one of the two categories for completing their timesheets:

1. All benefits eligible non-exempt employees who are either not working or working reduced hours due to the shelter-in place order should record on their timesheet their regular scheduled hours; or
2. For those who continue to work their regular hours, actual hours worked should be entered on their timesheet.

For either case above, vacation and/or sick leave reporting still apply. At this time, overtime hours should not be scheduled for non-exempt employees, however, if hours worked exceed their normal scheduled hours, the hours must be reported and the employee must be paid for actual hours worked. The overtime hours should then be discussed with the employee to ensure that overtime is not incurred in the future.

Falsification of timesheets is a violation of university policy and employment laws. Violators may be subject to disciplinary action. Supervisors may consult with HR and/or ask for task/status reports from direct reports. 

Note: Special timesheet instructions apply during the shelter-in order: https://www.scu.edu/ts-covid-19/