UPE met with the Department of Human Services Agency (HSA) on February 11, 2025, for a second time to discuss telework Administrative Policy #242. We are pleased to share that eligible employees will soon be able to telework for up to 50% of their scheduled work hours during a given pay period.
UPE fought hard to protect your telework rights. Initially, the department had plans that would have excluded many employees from telework. The Adult and Aging Services Branch, which was originally not going to allow Office Assistants II & III to telework, will now include them in the policy. The Administrative Services Branch had excluded Account Clerks III, but they are now eligible. In the Children’s Services Branch, Office Assistants III and Legal Clerks I & II, who were previously left out, are now approved for telework. The Family Services Branch had initially prevented Office Assistants I & II from teleworking, but they, too, are now eligible. In the Housing and Support Services Branch, Office Assistants III, Facility Assistants, and Registration Information Assistants, who were originally denied the option, now have access to telework.
Another important change is that dependent care arrangements will no longer be an absolute requirement for telework. Instead, dependent care arrangements will only be required on an as-needed basis, depending on the circumstances, allowing employees greater flexibility based on their individual situations. UPE advocated this because we wanted our members to have greater flexibility in securing telework opportunities given the varying circumstances they could have.
Stay tuned for more updates as UPE continues meeting with the county on this issue throughout March.
UPE would like to thank UPE Merced County Unit 3 Governing Board member Melisa Hernandez for her advocacy and participation.
