When You Can Teleserve

AmeriCorps Fellows should generally be providing service directly to the people and in the communities where they serve rather than serving remotely (outside of the community). Fellows are required to live within their state of service by their first day of service, and must live within a region no more than 50 miles from their service site’s office. Fellows are expected to serve in person and be physically present when requested at the service site and/or community events.

Therefore, teleservice (serving from home) is limited to certain situations determined appropriate by CivicSpark (and approved by your Service Site). This would include situations such as:

• The host site’s office operations a hybrid or mainly work from home schedule

• The COVID-19 public health emergency

  • If your site temporarily closes due to potential COVID risk or enacts a telework requirement or your site encourages you or otherwise allows you to teleserve. 

  • You have any symptoms of an illness (symptoms of acute respiratory illness, fever, or other) but are feeling well enough to serve. See our COVID 19 - Guidance on Medical Circumstances for more info about our COVID guidelines.

  • If you or the people you live with have medical conditions that make your exposure in the workplace a significant risk to you or them.

• if the office is closed for a holiday not observed by CivicWell or AmeriCorps and the Fellow is allowed to serve from home that day; 

• if weather does not permit for safe travel to and from the office;

• Power blackouts (such as California’s public safety power shutoffs (PSPS)) that are affecting the site’s office but not the Fellow’s home;

• Other reasons for which the Fellow would need to teleserve - requests will be considered and approved on a case by case basis by the Program and Partner.

Relating to COVID, you should have discussed with your partner site their teleservice plans for the year, and you both should have agreed on a timeline and process if you will be teleserving on a regular basis.

Remote service is NOT permitted under the AmeriCorps State and National program (except under specific situations as requested and approved by AmeriCorps). Remote service is defined as an arrangement in which a Fellow is not located within the commuting area of the geographic community where the service is to occur and is not expected to be physically present at the service site and/or community events.

When You May NOT Teleserve

• If you are unwell and unable to serve - you should take personal time off.

• When you are traveling away from your service community; you may not teleserve from outside of your state of service.

• If your site is open, and you have no explicit reason to teleserve related to health and safety or specific site requirements, recommendations, encouragement, or permission. 

Requesting Permission

Per AmeriCorps policy, all teleservice for any reason must be approved in advance before you can begin. Both your Partner site and the Program must approve your request so we have critical information about how you are serving. In order to request teleservice, you will need to:

• Discuss service and schedule plans with your Host Site.

• Connect with CivicSpark staff for program approval.

As a reminder, Fellows cannot teleserve for their entire service year, but you may request to do so given the circumstances listed under “When You Can Teleserve”.

Schedule and Communication While Teleserving

The Shared Expectations agreement will delineate the following items in regards to Fellow teleservice: 

• Expectations of the communication requirements between supervisor/Host Site staff and Fellow(s)

• How the Fellow and Host Site will work together to avoid attendance abuse / false hours logged

• Appropriate supervision from the Host Site on Fellow project work and hours

• Verification of hours logged by Fellow

During their teleservice, Fellows must maintain their agreed upon work schedule and attend all meetings and check-ins virtually, as technology allows. During teleservice, you may be contacted by either your RC or SS at random times as a check-in to ensure you are serving as planned.

Ending Teleservice

• If your teleservice was a result of your illness due to COVID, you can not return to your site until you are symptom-free for 24 hours without medication. CivicSpark is following CDC guidance for determination of when you may return to work.

• If your teleservice was a result of a site closure or a teleservice requirement or recommendation and the site opens and any recommendation to work from home is rescinded, you can and should return to on-site service as soon as possible (e.g. the first day following if not the same day).