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REFERENCE TITLE: telecommuting; alternative schedules; state employees |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session 2023
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SB 1513 |
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Introduced by Senators Mendez: Diaz, Epstein, Fernandez, Gonzales, Hatathlie, Hernandez, Sundareshan, Terán; Representative Salman
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An Act
amending title 41, chapter 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding article 8; RELATING to state employees.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 41, chapter 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding article 8, to read:
ARTICLE 8. TELECOMMUTING AND ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES
41-811. Definitions
In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Alternate work location":
(a) Means an approved location other than the state employee's central workplace where official state business is performed.
(b) Includes the home of a state employee and a satellite office.
2. "Alternative work schedule":
(a) Means a schedule that differs from the standard forty-hour workweek schedule, if that schedule is deemed to promote efficient state agency operations.
(b) Includes four ten-hour days, rotational shifts and large-scale job sharing.
3. "Central workplace" means a state employee's place of work where state employees normally are located.
4. "Telecommuting" means a work arrangement in which supervisors direct or allow employees to perform their usual job duties away from their central workplace at least one day per week and in accordance with work agreements.
5. "Work agreement" means a written agreement between the employer and a state employee that details the terms and conditions of the state employee's work away from the state employee's central workplace.
41-812. Telecommuting; alternative work schedules; statewide policy; state employees
A. The director shall establish a comprehensive statewide telecommuting and alternative work schedule policy under which eligible state employees, as determined by their respective state agencies, may telecommute or participate in alternative work schedules. The director shall periodically update the policy as necessary.
B. The telecommuting and alternative work schedule policy shall include guidelines, rules and procedures for telecommuting and participating in alternative work schedules and shall identify broad categories of positions that are determined to be ineligible to participate in telecommuting and alternative work schedules and the justification for that determination. The policy may also include an incentive program, to be established and administered by the department, that encourages state employees to telecommute or participate in alternative work schedules and state agencies to promote telecommuting and alternative work schedules for eligible state employees.
41-813. Telecommuting; alternative work schedules; state agency policies; targets; annual report
A. In accordance with the statewide telecommuting and alternative work schedule policy, the head of each state agency shall establish a telecommuting and alternative work schedule policy under which eligible state employees of the state agency may telecommute or participate in alternative work schedules, or both, to the maximum extent possible without diminished state employee performance or service delivery. The policy shall identify all of the following:
1. The types of positions that are eligible for telecommuting and alternative work schedules.
2. The broad categories of positions that are determined to be ineligible for telecommuting and alternative work schedules and the justification for that determination.
3. The benefits of telecommuting, including the use of alternate work locations that are separate from the state agency's central workplace.
4. The benefits of participating in alternative work schedules.
B. Each state agency's policy shall promote the use of state information technology assets where feasible but may allow eligible state employees to use computers, computing devices and related electronic equipment that are not owned or leased by the state agency to telecommute, if the use is technically and economically practicable and meets information security standards that are established by the state agency or the use receives an exception from the information security standards that are approved by the department. Each state agency shall update the policy periodically.
C. Each state agency head shall set annual percentage targets for the number of positions that are eligible for alternative work schedules. On or before July 1, 2024, each state agency shall have a goal of not less than twenty-five percent of its eligible workforce participating in alternative work schedules. On or before January 1, 2025, each state agency, except the department of public safety, the state department of corrections and the department of juvenile corrections, shall have a goal of not less than twenty percent of its eligible workforce telecommuting.
D. On or before January 1 each year, each state agency head shall report to the director on the status and efficiency of telecommuting and participating in alternative work schedules and to the governor regarding specific budget requests for information technology, software, telecommunications connectivity or other equipment or services that are needed to increase opportunities for telecommuting and participating in alternative work schedules.
Sec. 2. Effective date
This act is effective from and after December 31, 2023.