Overview
At The Hartford, we care about the safety and well-being of our employees. We understand that during periods of extreme weather, significant business interruption or other emergency conditions, employees may not be able to perform their usual work duties. In addition, there may be times when an employee may not be able to work due to a Hartford systems' issue or a non-Hartford related employee technology issue.
Work Disruption Event
On occasions of extreme weather, significant business interruption or other emergency conditions, the organization may declare a “Work Disruption Event” and applicable business resiliency plans, which include the timeframe of when the declared event will go into effect for those affected. If a declared Work Disruption Event occurs, employees may be asked to work from an alternate remote or office location.
Impacted employees will recieve notification from Everbridge (our mass notification platform for critical events) with additional details regarding the Work Disruption Event. Please ensure your contact information is up to date in Workday.
Employees will be paid "Company Time" for scheduled work time missed due to a declared Work Disruption Event. If an employee has PTO, Unpaid Unscheduled or any leave time scheduled at the time of the Work Disruption Event, then that time will be charged accordingly.
Inability to Work due to Hartford Systems' Issues
For Hartford related system issues, employees must immediately report the issue to their supervisor and contact the Service Desk at (855) 893-4357. Employees must provide the myTechExpress (mTE) ticket notification to their supervisor.
Employees will be paid "Company Time" for scheduled work time missed due to a confirmed Hartford-related system issue.
Inability to Work due to Non-Hartford Employee Technology Issues
We understand there may be periods when a remote employee is unable to perform their usual work duties due to a technological issue which is unrelated to Hartford systems. Examples of this include, but are not limited to:
- Power outage/disruption
- Internet outage/disruption
- Insufficient internet speed
- Incorrect computer setup
On these occasions, employee must immediately report the issue to their supervisor. If the employee is unsure whether the technology issue is on their end, they should contact the Service Desk at (855) 893-4357 and forward a copy of the mTE ticket to their supervisor.
If the Service Desk determines there is no issue with Hartford systems, it will be the responsibility of the employee to assess and correct the issue on their end.
Non-exempt (hourly) employees who are unable to work due to a technology issue may use "PTO-Scheduled" for no more than eight (8) hours per calendar year to rectify the problem, regardless of the number of technology events; or make up the time within the same work week with manager approval (state specific requirements apply for CA employees).
For non-exempt (hourly) employee technology events exceeding eight (8) hours in a calendar year, "PTO-Unscheduled" or "Unpaid Unscheduled" will be recorded in Workday and will be subject to the terms of the Attendance Management Policy.
It is the responsibility of the employee to correct technology events as quickly as possible. Employees may be asked to provide supporting documentation for outages, and they may be asked to work from an alternate remote or office location. Extended or repeated technology issues may result in formal disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Network Requirements for All Remote Workers**
Remote employees are required to have reliable, high-performance internet infrastructure to ensure consistent productivity and meet performance standards. The following internet requirements and guidelines are mandatory to create a stable, efficient, and uninterrupted remote work environment.
High-Speed Internet Connection:
All remote employees are required to have a high-speed broadband cable or fiber internet service. This requirement is essential to ensure optimal work performance and minimize potential disruptions throughout business hours.
Direct Connection to Modem or Router:
Your laptop or docking station should be connected directly to your home modem or router using a proper Ethernet cable. A wired connection delivers the stability and speed required for optimal performance, compared to wireless.
Avoid Wireless and Cellular Connections:
Wireless/Wi-Fi, DSL, cellular hotspots, MiFi, cellular 5G (ex. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T), satellite, and cellular internet are not recommended. These options are prone to frequent disconnections and significantly slower performance, which can disrupt productivity and impact work quality.
Internet Speed Requirements:
- Tier 1: 100MB download/10MB upload. Designed for standard individual users and non-contact or non-call center roles. Supports occasional participation in Teams video conferences and occasional uploading or downloading of small files.
- Tier 2: 300MB download/10MB upload. Designed for individual users in contact or call center roles, as well as developers and Citrix/ATO users. Supports regular participation in Microsoft Teams video conferences and the transfer of large files throughout the workday.
Managers are encouraged to lead with empathy and manager discretion while actively engaging employees regarding Work Disruption Events to include Hartford systems and employee technology issues.
We encourage employees to take advantage of The Hartford's Employee Assistance Program and resources for additional support.
** Note: Successful remote work performance is not guaranteed. Several factors such as personal devices (e.g., cell phones, tablets, PCs, gaming consoles, TVs), additional users on your home network during work hours, and limitations from your internet service provider (ISP) can impact network quality. Additionally, using a corporate VPN consumes extra bandwidth because of the encryption required for secure data transmission.
Revised 1/9/26