State of Ct Telework Agreement

A structure for negotiating and, if necessary, arbitrating a final agreement, which should enter into force by 31.12.2021. The parties have agreed on the immediate implementation of this new agreement or award (unless a specific provision requires legislative funding and approval, which would then be expected before mid-March 2022). Unless the parties find common ground, the question "what cap, if any, should be imposed on the number of days or percentage of expected working time during the biweekly pay period, an eligible worker may telework" will be decided this fall. Key provisions of the revised agreement include: Instead of continuing a fight over which state employees are eligible for telework, the union coalition and Gov. Ned Lamont settled the issue on Monday. "Like other state agencies, DSS is doing everything possible to meet telework arrangements while meeting the needs of Connecticut residents who are eligible for our services," said David Dearborn, a spokesman for the agency. "DSS employees have strengthened their usual dedication and professionalism during the pandemic." In March 2020, the governor issued his "Order to Stay Home, Stay Safe," and all state employees were ordered to telework up to 100 percent of the time to protect their health and safety during the pandemic. On the 13th. In May 2021, the governor sent an email to some officials (who are directly under the supervision of the executive branch) indicating a plan for some state employees to return to a "new normal work environment." That`s it. The coalition did not agree that the state had the power to make the decision to return to work without first negotiating with the coalition. As a temporary solution to this disagreement, the parties concluded a transitional telework agreement on 17 June, which would have expired on 1 September 2021.

This interim agreement covered employees of collective bargaining units "for whom the Industrial Relations Office is the collective bargaining partner designated by the Governor" — essentially those directly affected by the May 13 email. With a few exceptions, the transitional arrangement allowed members who had teleworked to continue teleworking at 50% of their schedule and "to request more than 50% if it is compatible with professional and operational requirements, but generally not more than 80%"; It provided relief if such requests were denied and included a provision for continued telework for employees who had been medically advised not to return to the site because a serious medical condition was making them or a family member vulnerable to COVID. The transitional agreement also left the parties with their respective positions on what would happen on September 1 if that agreement were to expire, leaving everyone unsure of what would happen to telework after that date. In a lawsuit filed in Hartford Superior Court last month, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, which represents state employees, said the Lamont government is "unilaterally changing the telework plan for state employees." Does this reset period apply to all executives who teleworked before July 1, 2021? Lamont said some groups of government employees have low vaccination rates, including correctional officers. But he didn`t want to say for sure what he was doing. Under the agreement signed on 31 July, civil servants who request the use of telework at less than 50% of their planned working time would have the possibility of teleworking. Those looking for longer teleworking periods would be considered if their bosses agreed that it would not hinder their professional functions, SEBAC said in a separate statement announcing the deal. The union coalition and the state plan to negotiate this fall on whether there should be a cap on the amount of telework state employees should be able to do under the collective agreement. In a statement Monday, the Lamont government said it had reached an agreement with the unions that would allow employees who teleworked before Lamont returned to work to return to their schedules or maintain the current schedule during the peak of the pandemic.

New Agreement: The parties have now agreed to resolve the complaint, the charge of prohibited practices and the accompanying injunction. Instead of continuing to discuss the telework transition hours agreement, the parties agreed on a new agreement that covers the same bargaining units for which the Industrial Relations Office is the Governor-appointed head of collective bargaining, which now runs until December 31, 2021. Here are the three main components: The State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) and the Lamont administration have officially concluded an agreement on telework. Many DSS employees have used telecommuting to stay in touch with customers and avoid the spread of COVID-19, officials said. SEBAC filed a complaint against Lamont in early July to maintain telework during the pandemic. This agreement does not apply to employees with dangerous tasks, employees of the judicial service or employees of the higher education sector. A "reset period" of 60 days. Within 60 days of the conclusion of the new agreement, employees who were teleworking prior to the Governor`s Email on May 13 (which included the implementation date of the return to work on July 1, 2021) will have the option to return to their schedule before July 1 (i.e., the one that was in effect approximately from March 2020 to July 1). 2021), or they can continue with what is currently in effect. It should be noted, however, that this decision, at the calendar before 1.

July, as the transitional agreement does not apply to employees with hazardous assignments or "those whose constant presence on the construction site or on the ground is now required due to the reopening of personal activities suspended before July 1. 2021, period. That is, if the operation has been reopened on an employee`s construction site or in the field and these operations cannot be performed by teleworking within the scheduled timeframe before July 1, the employee will only be approved for the amount of telework, if any, that can be performed from the employee`s home. .