May 31, 2022
Good Morning,
In addition to being the unofficial start to summer, today is the beginning of the next phase of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Re-Entry (see our DHHS Calendar of Important Dates).
Here is the link to the DHHS Telework Approval Form. Workers who qualify for telework should fill out this Approval Form between now and July 1, 2022. Supervisors will begin approving forms on June 20.
We have a few reminders for you:
- To assist you in filling out the DHHS Telework Approval Form, we have posted training slides that will walk you through the process. They are available on our Office Re-entry Planning for DHHS Staff site.
- We urge you to think about your productivity and work / life balance and talk to your supervisor or HR with questions before you fill out the Approval Form.
- This will be an iterative process: as we review requested telework schedules, we may ask you for additional information or modify your preferred schedule.
- While we aim to respect your preferences, we may adjust your telework days in the approval process based on operational needs, space constraints, and other reasons.
- Take your time: this is not a race. Approvals will not be on a “first come / first serve” basis. Again, we encourage you to communicate with your supervisor about your telework plan.
- We are learning too: the DHHS Telework Policy is the first of its kind and we ask for patience if and when we have to make adjustments along the way.
If you have questions about the policy, check out the FAQs. We also continue to collect general questions at: employeequestions.dhhs@maine.gov.
This is an exciting milestone in implementing a 21st century work policy. We stand ready to assist you as we move into this next phase.
Thanks, Jeanne
Jeanne M. Lambrew, PhD,
Commissioner