United Public Employees (UPE) met with Merced County on October 7, 2025, to discuss the County’s proposed Telework Policy. During this meeting, UPE proposed several significant changes to make the policy fairer and more practical for employees. The County agreed to many of these proposals, which resulted in key improvements to the final version of the policy.
UPE proposed that employees be allowed to telework in consecutive days, removing the previous restriction that prevented consecutive telework days. UPE proposed, and it was agreed to add an appeal process for telework denials and termination, requiring management to provide a reason in writing when a request is denied and allowing a procedure for further up the chain of command requiring review of denials or termination.
UPE expressed concerns over technical issues that may arise while teleworking. If an employee experiences computer or connectivity problems, they are no longer required to report to the office immediately. Instead, the employee may first contact IT to attempt to resolve the problem. If the issue cannot be fixed remotely, employee have the option to come in or use their accrued leave for that telework day.
The policy language was also improved regarding employee availability while teleworking. Previously, employees were required to answer all calls during telework hours. UPE proposed changing this to state that employees can return the call within a reasonable time. This change helps protect employees by staying in compliance with policy even if missing a call. Lastly, UPE proposed adding a response timeline for supervisors to ensure that telework requests are not delayed or ignored. The County agreed that supervisors should respond to telework requests within at least 10 business days of receiving them.
Notably, UPE proposed—and the County agreed—to remove restrictive language that previously prohibited employees from using an Alternate Work Schedule (AWS) while teleworking. This change now allows employees to participate in both arrangements concurrently, offering greater flexibility in how work is performed. If you have any questions about telework or believe the policy is not being followed properly in your department, please contact your UPE representative for assistance.
UPE WOULD LIKE TO THANK UPE MERCED COUNTY UNIT 3 GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS LISA SYKES AND MONICA LERMA FOR THEIR ADVOCACY AND PARTICIPATION
