County Policy: All county departments must follow County Telework Policy #870, which requires that if the Department allows eligible employees to telework that it establish an agreement between the Department and employee and monitor telework arrangements, among other requirements.
Telework Definition: Telework is an arrangement by which an employee works at home (primary residence) for a specified portion of time. The county's Telework policy and these guidelines only address the telework arrangements. Departments have the discretion to assign worksite assignments for field staff whether in a County facility or some other location for the purpose of performing the employees specific job duties. These locations should be free from distraction and secure so as to appropriately protect information used in the course of county business.
Telework is Not a Right. It Is a Voluntary Agreement: Teleworking is not a right. It is an agreement arranged between the department and is voluntary between both the department and the employee and must be approved by the department.
Eligibility: Each county department should determine eligibility for all department employees to participate in telework. When determining eligibility, departments should consider telework on a position-by-position basis, the nature of the work that needs to be performed, and assess whether permitting a particular employee to telework would diminish employee performance and/or department operations. Employees are not eligible to telework until they have completed telework training as designated by the department and/or an employment probationary period.
Loyalty Oath: County employees are declared to be disaster service workers subject to disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their supervisors or by law. To that end, departments have the discretion to ensure that employees report to the County department worksite within a reasonable amount of time taking into consideration the practices.
Notification: Employees should be notified of their option to telework, and if allowed, directed to the County's policy.
Equitable Treatment: Treat teleworking employees the same as an employee working in the office with respect to performance management, conduct, training and promotional opportunities. Performance standards for teleworking employees should be the same as performance standard for non-teleworking employees.
Monitoring Performance: Managers/supervisors should identify measures to monitor and assess the performance of employees. By focusing on the work product instead of the activity, managers/supervisors may find it more effective to communicate clear expectations to employees. Given that performance is considered when determining eligibility for teleworking, managers/supervisors and employees should agree on job expectations to help facilitate productivity and job satisfaction.
Permanent Full-Time Telework is Not Allowable: Departments may not enter into a permanent full-time teleworking agreement with employees. When determining the frequency and/or duration in which an employee may be authorized to telework, departments should consider the nature of the work that needs to be performed and assess whether there would be any impacts on employee performance or department operations. There is no substitute for person-to-person contact in the workplace. In-person contact helps build stronger relationships with colleagues, improves employee engagement and development, and provides the necessary personal connection with the public.
Information Technology (IT) and Cybersecurity: Teleworkers must adhere to all county information technology policies, which can be found https://insideadminmanual.saccounty.net/Pages/Information-Technology.aspx. Consistent with County telework policy, security measures must be taken by the teleworker to safeguard confidential information and data. To ensure security of data, telework must be performed through the County's Virtual Personal Network (VPN) connection.
In furtherance of county policy, managers/supervisors and employees should also be guided by the following IT and Cybersecurity best practices to ensure the safety and security of county information:
Employee Best Practices
- Teleworkers should use computers with the most updated operating system whether using a PC or Mac;
- Maintain a secure Internet connection (i.e., password protected Wi-Fi connection)
- Regularly check for software updates;
- Use Two-Factor Authentication when connecting to Virtual Private Networks or Remote Desktop;
- Use updated virus protection software on computers used to telework;
- Do not store business documents on home computers/devises and return material (paper documents, flash drives, etc.) containing all confidential or restricted information to the County of Sacramento for proper handling or disposal, as may be required by the department;
- Use County of Sacramento information systems only for authorized purposes and ensure that confidential and restricted information is not disclosed to any unauthorized person;
- Adhere to copyright law by not copying or sharing any County of Sacramento owned software utilized by teleworkers, and when no longer employed by County of Sacramento, remove all such;
- If a teleworker is using a County owned computer, they must immediately report if it is lost or stolen to an immediate supervisor and the County Help Desk at 916-874-5555; and
- Follow the latest National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines for securing telework computers/devices:
- Promptly report any computer related problems to the County Help Desk and notify an immediate supervisor.
County Standards and Best Practices
- VPN networks are monitored and logs are kept for Cyber Security and reporting purposes; and
- The County is not responsible for personal computer or other devices used for teleworking
Records Retention and Security: Documents produced by employees are the property of the County and must be retained according requirements. It is important to remember it is the responsibility of the employee working from home to protect and manage the records and other sensitive information stored on telework devices and transmitted across external networks. Employees who telework from home need to keep County property and information safe, secure, and separated from personal property and information. Departments may limit access to or removal from the office any County records for the purpose of maintaining the security of that information.
Manager/Supervisor and Employee Training: Once training is developed and made available, managers/supervisors that oversee the work of an employee who teleworks must receive training on teleworking at least once per year. An employee who teleworks must receive training on teleworking prior to approval of a telework agreement and once per year thereafter.
Regular Review of Telework Agreements: Departments should establish a schedule for regularly reviewing telework agreements to ensure that the teleworker continues to meet departmental operational and employee expectations and needs. Agreements must be reviewed at least annually.
Teleworking Resources
County managers/supervisors and employees can access teleworking resources online by vising the internal Personnel Services web site via your VPN connection.
- Manager/Supervisor Resources
- Employee Resources