Employee Reimbursement of Expense for Remote Work

Administrative Procedure 5.207

Purpose

The purpose of this Administrative Procedure is to describe the process to adhere to the Illinois Wage and Collection Act (820 ILCS 115/9.5), where employers are required to reimburse employees for “necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee within the employee’s scope of employment and directly related to services performed for the employer”. Certain employees may incur additional expenses for internet and cell phone plan use in the course of fulfilling job responsibilities while working remotely. Therefore, the College may grant reimbursement of those expenses.

Eligibility  

Any employee who has been directed or granted by their supervisor a remote work arrangement. This will be verified by the Human Resources department by supervisor notification or timesheet. This does not apply to employees who decide to use their personal devices off-hour to check work email or to complete work versus using work equipment.

Reimbursement Amount  

The reimbursement amount will be based on the employee’s actual expenses, regardless of when the remote work begins within the month.

The reimbursement amount will be processed through Accounts Payable. The reimbursement will be charged to the recipient’s home department, generally the same department as the person’s salary is charged. The Administration reserves the right to alter this payment method during emergency and/or unusual circumstances.

Process  

If there is an individual remote work arrangement between an employee and supervisor, the supervisor must notify the Human Resources department of this arrangement, explaining the need for reimbursement, and the duration. The employee will submit evidence to the supervisor for approval and forwarding to Accounts Payable for processing. The College reserves the right to determine if the evidence submitted is acceptable.

This policy was last reviewed on 08/31/2023.