The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to establish the terms and conditions of a Telework Program for Clerk Craft employees assigned to the Enterprise Customer Care Centers (ECCCs) and Customer Retention Teams (CRTs).
Telework is defined as being able to perform assigned duties successfully and efficiently from an approved location other than their official duty station ("alternate workslte"). The parties agree that Clerk Craft bargaining unit employeEis assigned to the ECCCs and CRTs will be allowed to telework during scheduled workdays and hours in accordance with the provisions outlined below. The alternate worksite must be within commuting distance to the employee's official duty station.
Participation in the Telework Program is volllntary for all eligible employees meeting the pariicipation criteria stated below. A request to participate in the Program must be submitted to the employee's supeNisor or manager for review. Telework Program Agreements will be approved for the term of this MOU.
Participating in the Telework Program will be made available to employees who:
• Have completed all required training (e.g. New Agent Training and 'Cybersafe Teleworking Working Remotely-HERO Course Number 2022ISEC6101SS01 ') for the employee's duty assignment. Normally, the required training wlll be completed no later than eight (8) weeks from when an employee reports to the duty station;
• Have adequate internet access to consistently meet the operational need regarding customer calls and access to Postal Service systems (broadband Is recommended);
• Assume responsibility for any increase In his/her personal utility costs that may result from the employee using his/her own personally owned property as an alternate worksite, including maintenance, insurance, Internet access, or utilities (e.g., heating, electricity, water); and
• Have fully executed the Ente,prise Customer Care Center/Customer Retention Teams Telework Agreement and Enterprise Customer Care Centers/Customer Retention Teams Telework Safety Requirements ancf Certification for the Alternate Worksite documents.
The following work rules will apply for the Telework Program:
• Participants will be expected to work their normal duty assignment from the alternate worksite and any deviations from the employee's normal duty assignment must be approved in advance by the employee's supervisor or manager;
• Participants are required to keep their alternate workslte address (which is their Postal Service address of record) updated and to remain within commuting distance throughout the entirety of this MOU:
• The Postal Service will provide the necessary equipment/hardware for employees to perform the duties. Equipment/hardware may include a laptop, Virtual Private Network (VPN) token, and access to Postal Service Systems;
• Participants will be provided a USPS laptop for use at the alternate worksite, which remains the property of the Postal Service. Employees are required to follow all Postal Service policies, including but not limited to, Information Technology (IT) bulletins and CyberSafe instructions and regulations, governing the use of the USPS-provided laptop;
• Participants must protect and secure Postal Service-owned equipment and information in accordance with applicable Postal Service policies, Including but not limited to, Handbook AS-805, Information Security, Handbook AS-805-C, Information Security for General Users, and Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management;
• Postal Service equipment, including but not lim ited to the USPS-provided laptop, must be serviced and maintained only by the Postal Service, and participants may be requ ired to report to their official duty station for this purpose, including reactivation to Postal systems after extended leave or quarantines of unpatched devices;
• Participants will be required to make themselves available via telephone, electronic mail, and chat, using technologies (such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams) as designated by Management, and virtual meetings with or without video at Management's discretion (virtual backgrounds or the background blur can be used);
• If the participant has technological or other issues that prevent the completion of assigned duties, the participant must alert his or her supervisor or manager immediately and may be required to report to his/her official duty station until the issue is resolved;
• At the discretion of Management, a participant may be temporarily scheduled to report to their official duty station to attend in-person meetings with ECCC or CRT EAS personnel for sessions related to, but not limited to, training, mentoring, and coaching sessions. Notice to report to the duty station will be provided to the employee and the local union by Wednesday of the preceding service week;
• While teleworking, participants are not permitted to have any nonwork-relatedmresponsibilities (e.g., child and dependent care, domestic duties, controllable distractions} during work hours;
• An employee may request to report to his/her official duty station temporarily upon providing a notice to his/her supervisor/manager in writing, with a courtesy copy to the local union;
• Upon ending participation in the Telework Program, including separation/removal from the USPS, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, the employee will be required to return the USPS laptop and all other USPS property whether equipment or information, in working order, or face disciplinary action, civil and/or criminal penalties, and/or responsibility for re imbursement to the Postal Service for any costs associated with the replacement or repair of unreturned, lost, stolen, or mistreated/abused equipment or information, consistent with Article 28.3 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• If an employee who is teleworking requests to meet with a union steward in accordance with Article 17, the meeting may be conducted virtually, If documents that contain sensitive/confidential information needs to be exchanged between a union steward and an employee, the union may determine if an in-person meeting is necessary. When deemed necessary, the meeting should be scheduled in advance and the entire workday will be completed at the official duty station,
• Other than as stated in this agreement, this agreement is not intended to alter or amend the USPS/APWU National Agreement or its application to the participants in the Telework Program.
Management may revoke the Telework Agreement for any Individual participant with a minimum of two (2) weeks' notice. If such decision is made, the Union and employee will be notified of the reason for the action. The revocation of participation in the Telework Program cannot be done as an alternative for disciplinary action. If revocation is being considered management will defer the decision to the parties at the national level and will provide a response within two weeks. The employee and/or Union may challenge the reason for revocation through the Alternative Dispute Resolution Process (ADRP). The employee and/or Union may challenge the reasons for denial of voluntary participation in the Telework Program, as a result of the supervisor or manager review process, through the ADRP. Employees will be able to reapply for the Telework Program in no less than thirty PO) days after revocation. Additionally, employees participating in the Telework Program who decide they no longer want to participate can notify their supervisor or manager in writing and return to their official duty station.
The parties agree that the above provisions will continue for the remainder of the 2021-2024 USPS/APWU National Agreement, unless agreed to extend. Further, the parties agree to continue discussions on a permanent Telework Program and any issues concerning this pilot as it evolves.
Either party may end this MOU with a ninety (90) day written notice. If this MOU is ended, the parties will develop a transition plan tor employees to return to the official duty station.
The Postal Service confirms its commitment to using APWU-represented bargaining unit employees to perform bargaining unit work at the ECCCs and CRTs for the term of the 2021- 2024 USPS/APWU National Agreement. Additionally, tor the duration of this MOU, the Postal Service commits to maintaining adequate workspace at the applicable offlcialI duty stations for all Customer Care Agents or Customer Retention Agents assigned to the duty station to return. This MOU will not be cited in any future arbitration except to enforce its terms.
Document Type: Memorandum of Understanding