Department of Orthopaedics: Policy on Duty Stations and Reasonable Commuting

Summary

The purpose of this policy is to define requirements for Duty Station and Reasonable Commuting for all Department of Orthopaedics employees.

Body

Unit Policy

Title

Department of Orthopaedics: Policy on Duty Stations and Reasonable Commuting

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define requirements for Duty Station and Reasonable Commuting.

Scope

This policy applies to all Department of Orthopaedics employees.

Policy

Policy Statement

An employee’s on-site designated working station is considered their duty station and is used for the purpose of defining the primary work location for HR, teleworking, and mileage calculations. For the purposes of teleworking department, employees must live in the State of North Carolina and within a reasonable commuting distance if they are required to report to campus.

Duty station and reasonable commuting distance.

Faculty

Faculty with call, teaching or research responsibilities should consider the following location as their Duty Station:

UNC Orthopaedics Department

130 Mason Farm Road,

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

For community faculty, who do not come to the main campus, their Duty Station should be considered the clinical location in which they spend more than 50% of their time.

SHRA Employees

The Duty Station for SHRA is:

UNC Orthopaedics Department

130 Mason Farm Road,

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Flexible Work Locations

Employees approved for flexible work locations are expected to be able to report to their on-site duty station within a reasonable period of time when directed due to operational needs and/or due to changes to or revocation of their flexible work arrangements. There may be some exceptions for: recruitment of those with unique or scarce skills; arrangements for faculty who teach exclusively in distance education programs; or arrival or departure of employees for a transitional period of relocation. All such exceptions must have the written approval of the Department Chair.

Out of State Work Locations

As the University is intended in part to contribute to the economy of the state, it is the University’s official position that to the greatest extent practicable, the University will principally employ individuals who reside within or in close proximity to the state of North Carolina. The department will avoid long-term flexible work arrangements for employees who reside outside a reasonable commuting distance.

Mileage Reimbursement

The university will not reimburse any employee for travel between an employees’ home and their duty station nor an employees’ flexible work location and their duty station. The Duty Station must be used as the base for any other business-related mileage reimbursement.

Short-Term Telecommuting Requests (Less than 30 days) – SHRA Employees

For teleworking requests that will be 30 calendar days or less in duration, within the state of North Carolina and within a reasonable commuting distance to campus, the unit and/or supervisor has discretion to approve such arrangements as long as they meet the requirements set forth in the FWA Policy and Procedures.

Recurring short-term teleworking arrangements (for more than a one- or two-time event) must be documented and maintained by the unit’s HR Officer. Documentation should include the relevant terms of the arrangement and can be accomplished through an email exchange.

Short-Term telecommuting request outside of the State of North Carolina will not be approved by the department.

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: James O. Sanders, MD - Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery

Telephone: 919-966-9072

Email: james_sanders@med.unc.edu

Other Contacts

Name: Paul Marini, MHA, FACHE - Associate Chair of Administration

Telephone: 919-843-9382

Email: Paul_Marini@med.unc.edu

Details

Details

Article ID: 159828
Created
Mon 1/5/26 3:44 PM
Modified
Mon 1/5/26 3:44 PM
Responsible Unit
School, Department, or other organizational unit issuing this document.
School of Medicine - Orthopaedics
Issuing Officer
Name of the document Issuing Officer. This is the individual whose organizational authority covers the policy scope and who is primarily responsible for the policy.
Issuing Officer Title
Title of the person who is primarily responsible for issuing this policy.
Associate Chair for Administration
Next Review
Date on which the next document review is due.
01/01/2027 12:00 AM
Last Review
Date on which the most recent document review was completed.
01/01/2026 12:00 AM
Last Revised
Date on which the most recent changes to this document were approved.
01/01/2026 12:00 AM
Effective Date
If the date on which this document became/becomes enforceable differs from the Origination or Last Revision, this attribute reflects the date on which it is/was enforcable.
01/01/2026 12:00 AM
Origination
Date on which the original version of this document was first made official.
01/01/2026 12:00 AM