MSU Extension Organizational Development

Return to Onsite Work

Effective April 1, 2021, MSU Extension administration will consider approving infrequent, recurring office hours for those Extension professionals with significant business-related justifications to work from their assigned county office. These approvals will be rare. No one is expected to return to their public office if they are not comfortable doing so. Further, county-based employees who can work effectively from home or their chosen remote location should continue to do so. 

NOTE: This does not apply to campus-based Extension faculty and staff. Professionals whose main office is on campus must continue to work remotely until MSU leadership approves a campus-wide return to campus offices. 

If you need to travel to the office or any other location sporadically for programmatic purposes, you must use the travel waiver for one-time programmatic travel.

If you wish to request recurring, onsite office time, please send an email to your district director with the following information:

• Business justification for requesting onsite office time.
• Day(s) you would like to work. Indicate if there is any flexibility for adjustment.
  • County support staff, regardless of funding lines, may request up to five calendar days per week in the office.
  • Academic and program staff may request up to three calendar days per week in the office.
• Hours you would like to be onsite. Again, indicate if there is any flexibility.
  • Strongly consider the maximum number of hours you need to be onsite to effectively do your job. Shorter time periods are best.

When working onsite, you MUST follow the MSU Community Compact. This includes completing the daily health screening prior to going to the office, and wearing a mask at all times, including when you are alone in your personal office space.

Working onsite is a personal choice and should only be considered if you feel you cannot effectively do your job from home or your chosen remote location. No MSU employee is expected to return to their office before they are ready, or the pandemic has been widely declared to no longer be a threat to public health. This may differ for county-funded support staff based on guidance from local government as your employer. No one should suggest to any MSU employee that they should be working from their county office. This is a personal decision for each employee. If you feel pressured or forced to return to the office, please notify your DD, ID or Patrick Cudney immediately.  

• Expectations for those who work in the office and those who work remotely will not change. 
• Again, working onsite is NOT a requirement. 
• It is imperative that we respect our colleagues’ privacy and not question why someone does or does not wish to work from their county office. 

Please don’t misconstrue the ability to return to onsite work as a green light for in-person programming. Programming will remain virtual at least through May 1, 2021. 

Travel Waiver for One-time/Programmatic Travel

Beginning April 5, those wishing to travel into their office or other location to complete program-related tasks or pick up supplies must submit the one-time/programmatic travel survey. This includes requests to attend in-person partner meetings as a speaker or guest.

This should not be confused with in-person programming. Programming will remain virtual at least through May 1, 2021.

• Beginning in April, we will support staff on a limited basis that need to attend other organizations’ meetings or programs in a professional capacity, provided that MSU Extension professionals follow the MSU Community Compact, and the Additional Guidance for Engaging with Partners and Public Events. 
• Again, no one should suggest to any MSU employee that they must attend any function where they feel uncomfortable. This is a personal decision for each employee. If you feel pressured or forced to participate in any event, please notify your DD, ID or Patrick Cudney immediately.  
• Beginning on May 3, 2021, some limited, in-person MSU Extension programming may be requested. Approval of requests will depend on need and public health conditions. Our return to in-person programming will be slow and intentional. These programs must be approved through the in-person event waiver approval process well in advance; this form will be available on the OD website starting on April 19. This waiver process should only be used by MSU Extension staff.
• The face-to-face task force has published a list of approved 4-H activities, which will be updated regularly. Other programming will be added to the website as other institutes expand their in-person offerings, specifically those that involve volunteers. 

We will continue to follow the MSU Community Compact. 

• Face coverings, social distancing, self-monitoring, daily health screens and adherence to signage remain imperative. 
• Please review the compact before requesting onsite office time.