March 16, 2020 – COVID-19: Temporary Telecommuting Program

To: Campus Community
From: President Gayle Hutchinson

As part of the University’s effort to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our faculty, staff, and students, we recently announced the suspension of in-person instruction through April 24, 2020.  Our goal is to reduce the number and density of individuals on campus, person-to-person contact, and the risk of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.

With the understanding that the University remains open for business, we have adopted a voluntary and temporary telecommuting program to further reduce the risk of potential COVID-19 transmission among Chico State employees.

The details of the program are laid out in our Temporary Telecommuting Program (PDF).

At this time, we are asking all managers to review the program and consider whether any jobs in their area can be accomplished at a remote location. We understand that not all jobs are conducive to telecommuting, and not all requests to telecommute can be accommodated given the operational needs of a particular unit.

Student employees are intended to be covered by this program.

Ultimately, managers, with the agreement of their next-level supervisor, must determine whether a particular job can be accomplished remotely. If it is determined that telecommuting is an option for a particular position, the Individualized Telecommuting Agreement (PDF) must be completed.

We also encourage supervisors and employees to consider how the concept of social distancing can be implemented in physical workspaces. Additional FAQs can be found on the University’s COVID-19 News & Info website, and we are working to update this information based on feedback received from the Labor Council.

The above measures all help the University accomplish its mission of keeping the campus community safe and healthy during these difficult times. While there have been many mitigation measures put in place by the University based on guidance from public-health agencies, Cal-OSHA has not to date declared workplaces unsafe due to COVID-19. Cal-OSHA has recently updated its guidance for employers(opens in new window).