The STEM LEAF/NSF ADVANCE Family Care Working Group is happy to share updates on the items we’ve been working on since our group was formed in Fall 2022. Our group is exploring short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions to the challenges facing Clarkson employees in need of care for their family members.
- We collaborated with SUNY Canton to create a powerpoint explaining child care resources online for our community members. That powerpoint will be sent out as soon as it’s ready.
- We are working on a resource that can be a one stop shop for any family care questions Clarkson faculty and staff might have. This document will include Clarkson policies on parental leave, eldercare resources, etc.
- We are working on an outline of best practices for catastrophic sick time policies for all employees, a policy that Clarkson doesn’t have but may want to consider.
- Below, we’ve compiled a list of potential considerations to include if your department is considering submitting a remote policy plan and the process to follow under Clarkson’s current remote policy. This list may change if the current policy changes.
Potential considerations when drafting a remote policy plan for your department under Clarkson’s current remote work policy:
- Have an initial conversation with your manager to ensure they will endorse your ability to draft a remote work proposal.
- Please keep in mind that Clarkson students are primarily in-residence, so maintaining quality student experiences is a must. Other key talking points when seeking initial approval prior to drafting a plan include impact on the department and your colleagues/other campus stakeholders.
- If you have received initial approval to draft a remote work proposal please follow the subsequent steps:
- Review your Job Description and look for tasks and duties that can be completed remotely and calculate how much time each week you spend completing those tasks.
- Develop a metric that can easily be tracked for the completion of these identified tasks.
- Write up the details of the proposed plan in the remote work request form.
- Provide documentation (a statement) that this remote work plan won’t be affected by child/elder care.
- If you need to care for a child/elderly family member please contact the benefits manager at Clarkson for your options under paid family leave.
- If you have any other documentation that could support your role’s case for a remote work plan, also attach that.
- Send the newly documented plan to your Supervisor for review. Upon approval it will get sent to your Cabinet member for one last review and eventually HR for documentation.
If you have any questions or considerations regarding any of the above please feel free to contact us at advance@clarkson.edu. The members of ADVANCE’s Family Care Working Group are Laura Ettinger, Shantel Ingersoll, Tom Langen, Krista Larock Wells, Dana Olzenak McGuire, Jeremy Riedl, & Sarah Treptow.
