Laurie Taylor column

From: The vice-chancellor

Subject: Working from home

At a recent meeting of the Staff Efficiency Committee (myself and the bursar) it was agreed that the following clarifications should be made to the existing regulations relating to "working from home".

1. The "home" that is worked "from" should be a designated home.

In the absence of other information it will be assumed that this "home" is the address that is currently recorded in the staff address list.

2. Anyone who is "working from home" must be present in the said home during normal staff working hours (between 8.30am and 6.30pm). In order to ensure such presence, the Staff Efficiency Committee has instituted a system of randomised telephone calls to the stated home. The failure to respond to such calls will be treated as prima facie evidence of absence from duty.

3. All heads of department will be required to obtain detailed documentary evidence from staff of the work that has been done from home.

4. It is recognised that there are times during the four-week formal vacation period when staff may be working in their home. This is to be described as "working at home" and is not subject to the provisions listed in this document.

5. Members of staff who have more than one home must designate one such home as the home from which they will always work. This is to counter the so-called Piercemuller Tendency in which "homes" lack fixed location.

6. The university does not recognise "research bases" or "ethnographic sites" or "fieldwork stations" as "homes" from which staff can work.

Yours sincerely

The vice-chancellor (signed in his absence)

P.S. The committee received one request from a departmental secretary (Maureen) asking for permission to spend some of her time "working from home". This was rejected without discussion.