Flexible Work Policy
I. Purpose
Goucher College recognizes the importance of maintaining a vibrant campus community while balancing this with employee well-being, engagement, and productivity. Flexible work arrangements may not be appropriate for every position and employee. The purpose of this policy is to establish the definitions, eligibility requirements, and procedures under which employees are permitted to follow a flexible work arrangement.
II. Scope
This policy applies to all non-union regular staff and all part-time and full-time faculty.
III. Statement
Goucher College is a liberal arts college with a residential undergraduate academic program. All employees whose work supports the undergraduate academic program are expected to work on campus in order to foster a vibrant campus community for the undergraduate students.
IV. Definitions
Alternate Work Location: An approved location within the United States, other than the employee’s central workplace, where official college business is performed. The most common alternate work location is an employee's home, subject to approval described in this Policy.
Approved State: An approved state within the United States where the employee resides and the College has authorized an employee to work. The Office of Human Resources maintains a list of authorized states where employees are permitted to work for the College.
Central Workplace: An employer’s place of work where employees are typically located. Most commonly, this is on the Goucher College campus.
Flexible Work: Work structures that deviate from the traditional in-office, 9-to-5 framework. Examples of flexible work arrangements include:
- Compressed work schedule: Employees perform their work over the course of fewer days than in a 5-day work week, i.e., 4, 10hr days.
- Flexible start and end times: Employees have the flexibility to change when they start or end work as long as they are consistently working during department/office-established core hours, if deemed applicable by department/office.
- Reduced hours: A work schedule that is less than 40 hours/week.
- Fully remote work: An employee who almost exclusively works off-site at a non-Goucher location for the full work week. This would also include those who may come to campus a few times a year, but do not have a dedicated Goucher location/space.
- Hybrid work: An employee who regularly works on-site at Goucher for part of the week and off-site at a non-Goucher location for part of the week.
V. Eligible positions & employees
For an employee to be approved for a flexible work arrangement, the College must determine that both the employee’s role and the employee, based on skill sets and/or job performance, are appropriate for such an arrangement. In consultation with the Division Vice President, supervisors will analyze the nature of a position and how the work is performed and determine which positions are eligible to designate or approve for flexible work. Several factors are considered in determining the feasibility of flexible work arrangements, including the College’s ability to supervise the employee adequately and whether any duties require the use of specific equipment or tools that cannot be replicated at an alternate work location. Other critical considerations include whether:
- there is a need for face-to-face interaction and coordination of work with students and other employees.
- there is a need for regular in-person meetings with colleagues, students, parents, clients, or other customers.
- the position requires the employee to have immediate access to documents or other information located only in the central workplace.
- the alternate work location is in an approved state.
- the flexible work arrangement will adversely impact service quality or college operations, or increase workload for other employees or costs to the College.
- the position can be structured to be performed independently of others with minimal need for support and in person interaction.
- performance can be measured by quantitative or qualitative results-oriented standards, not time spent doing the job.
It is an accepted practice for teaching and research faculty to carry out their work with varied schedules on campus and at alternate work locations. Normally, a formal Flexible Work Agreement will not be required for faculty unless the normal work assignment is consistently at an alternate work location (i.e., not the assigned office at the central workplace).
If an employee in an eligible position requests approval for flexible work, the supervisor, in consultation with the Division Vice President, will determine whether the employee is eligible. Generally, the following conditions must be met to approve an employee for flexible work, in addition to those described above:
- the employee has a demonstrated ability to work productively on their own and is selfmotivated and flexible; and
- the employee has a consistent record of satisfactory performance.
Supervisors must ensure that flexible work arrangement decisions are made for appropriate, nondiscriminatory reasons. All decisions regarding flexible work arrangements must be approved by the divisional Vice President. HR and Payroll must be consulted for any flexible work arrangements that involve working outside of the state of Maryland or reduced hours. HR must be notified about approved flexible work arrangements that involve compressed work schedules or fully remote work.
VI. Terms and conditions of employment
A. Salary & benefits
Except in the case of Reduced Hours, an employee’s salary, job responsibilities, benefits,
and college insurance coverage will not change as a result of flexible work arrangements.
Goucher College policies and procedures shall apply to and be followed by the employee
with a flexible work arrangement, regardless of where/when the work is performed.
B. Work hours
Employees with flexible work arrangements will have regularly scheduled work hours agreed upon with their supervisors. Employees will manage personal responsibilities in a way that does not interfere with the successful completion of job responsibilities.
Employees who have an alternate schedule who are not exempt from the overtime requirements
of the Fair Labor Standards Act will be required to accurately record all hours worked
in Workday. Hours worked in excess of those scheduled per day and per workweek require
the advance approval of the employee’s supervisor. Failure to comply with this requirement
may result in the immediate termination of the Flexible Work Agreement.
C. Workspace
Employees who work at an alternate work location will provide a designated workspace
that is adequate for the performance of employment duties. The workspace will be agreed
to by the supervisor; maintained by the employee, as appropriate; and subject to supervisor
visits, upon request, to ensure that safe work conditions exist and that college equipment
is appropriately maintained.
D. Equipment & incidental costs
Unless otherwise required by law, employees who work from an alternate location are responsible for purchasing furniture and equipment necessary for the set-up and continued maintenance of their designated alternative workplace. These employees are also generally responsible for all utilities and other expenses associated with working remotely, including but not limited to the internet, insurance, and maintenance.
Employees who work from an alternate location may be provided with certain equipment (e.g., laptop, printer) as agreed between the supervisor/department and the employee. Provision of such equipment by the College will be determined solely at the College’s discretion based on business need.
All employees will use reasonable care to protect all equipment provided by the College and use it only for work purposes. Such equipment, along with any work-related files and other materials, remains the property of Goucher College and will be returned to the College upon termination of employment, or as otherwise requested by the College.
The College will supply employees with appropriate office supplies (pens, paper, etc.)
as it deems necessary. The College will also reimburse employees for business-related
expenses that are reasonably incurred in carrying out the employees’ duties. Employees
must seek approval from the divisional vice president prior to incurring any business-related expense that exceeds $100. Any reimbursement of business-related
expenses is charged to the operational budget of the employee’s department.
E. Travel
Remote and hybrid employees who are required to report to the central workplace will
not generally be compensated for the travel time between their home and the central
workplace. Such travel is considered commuting time and is non-compensable. Non-exempt
employees who travel between two or more worksites during the day will generally be
compensated for the travel time between worksites, except that if the employee is
traveling only between the central workplace and their home, and working in both locations
in one day for the employee’s convenience, such travel time is generally non-compensable
and considered as a regular commute. For more information, see the Food, Travel, and Purchases Policy.
F. Other expenses
Expenses related to an employee’s flexible work schedule are not explicitly covered
in this policy and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis between the employee
and their supervisor in consultation with the divisional vice president.
G. Security
Employees who work at an alternate work location will take all precautions necessary
to secure the College’s proprietary information in their possession and prevent unauthorized
access to any college system. Steps include the use of locked file cabinets and desks,
regular password maintenance, and any other measures appropriate for the job and the
environment.
H. Taxes
Employees may be subject to additional or alternative taxes due to working from the
employee’s alternative work location. Such taxes are the sole responsibility of the
employee, who is advised to consult with a tax professional.
I. Liability
The College assumes no liability for injuries that occur to an employee in the employee’s alternate work location outside the agreed-upon work hours. Injuries sustained by the employee in an alternate work location and in conjunction with their regular work duties are normally covered by the College’s workers’ compensation policy. Employees are responsible for notifying the Office of Human Resources of such injury, no matter how minor, immediately in the same fashion as if the injury occurred in the central workplace.
The College is not responsible for any injuries to family members, visitors, and others in the employee’s alternate work location.
VII. Emergency procedures
In exceptional situations, including but not limited to cases of public emergency and/or in compliance with public health guidance for contagious diseases, temporary flexible work arrangements may be approved for alternative work arrangements. This is a short-term discretionary program and is discussed and considered on a case-by-case basis with the individual employee and their supervisor. Temporary flexible work arrangements must be approved in advance by the supervisor and implemented through the use of the Flexible Work Arrangement Agreement (Exhibit A, attached). The terms of this Policy shall be followed in such circumstances, to the extent practicable. The Policy may be modified on a case-by-case basis by the Associate Vice President for Human Resources to meet unanticipated staff and equipment needs.
VIII. Agreement
Requests must be documented as approved through a Flexible Work Arrangement Agreement (Appendix A) between the employee and the College. Additional terms and conditions governing a specific flexible work arrangement may be specified in such Agreement. Flexible work arrangements are offered to Goucher employees when the supervisor and divisional vice president determine that such an arrangement will not adversely affect the operations of the department or impede the work of other members of the department.
In consultation with the Office of Human Resources, the supervisor may modify or terminate the Flexible Work Agreement early (before the end of the specified term) due to performance concerns, changing operational needs, or any other non-discriminatory reason. The employee may also terminate the Flexible Work Agreement at any time unless emergency circumstances prohibit a return to campus or the flexible work arrangement was a condition of employment. Any termination typically will be made with at least two weeks’ advance notice, unless such notification is deemed impossible or impracticable by the College.
IX. Responsible office
The Office of Human Resources is responsible for the administration of this policy.
X. Related policies
Related Goucher College policies include:
XI. Contact
The Associate Vice President for Human Resources is responsible for questions regarding this policy.
XII. History
Adopted: October 2021
Revised: March 2026