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Rumor Mill separates fact from fiction Hagood Lot Rumor: Several people have reported to the Rumor Mill that badly needed repairs will not be made to the Hagood Lot. The Office of Parking Management asked that the following facts be posted.  Truth: The City of Charleston is responsible for maintaining the surface of the Hagood Parking Lot. Repairs were ordered several weeks ago but were delayed by frequent rains. Several large piles of ROC have been delivered to the lot in preparation for the work. Future Employee Parking Rumor: Which garage will become employee parking? We were told Charleston High School, now we heard “No.” If not, will Rutledge Garage convert to employees when the high-school garage is built? Truth: The Ashley Avenue Garage (CHS site) is programmed to become a patient/visitor garage. This will allow for the Rutledge Tower Garage to be fully dedicated to staff, faculty and student reserved parking. More importantly, by separating patient/visitor and reserved parking, all MUSC parking can be utilized more effectively. The result will be an increase in available staff, faculty and student parking greater than could be achieved by opening the new garage as a mixed-use facility. E Lot Waiting List Rumor: Is it true that Parking Management holds parking spaces in E Lot for faculty who were offered jobs for the upcoming new year? I've noticed that during the past several months the waiting list has come to a standstill. It's disheartening for people who have waited more than 10 years to get better parking, just to be denied by more important people. Truth: No one is eligible to have his/her name placed on a parking waiting list until that person is actually on board. Similarly, parking spaces are not held for faculty who are offered jobs for the upcoming new year. Movement on the waiting list for PGII has not been at a standstill. However, it has been slow. The rate of new assignments is always tied to the cancellation rate, which may vary. Also, the Office of Parking Management (OPM) has been required to return some former PGII parkers to PGII from locations that  have been closed,  reduced in size, or otherwise affected by university construction projects and hospital expansion. As cancellations occur, OPM calls faculty and classified employees from the waiting lists in rotating order as prescribed by parking policy. OPM anticipates a significant improvement in the on-campus assignment rate and on-campus parking convenience for employees when the university's newest parking garage is completed next summer. Working From Home Rumor: I heard that in certain circumstances non-faculty employees can receive permission from Human Resources, after receiving permission from their supervisors, to work from home several days a week. Is there a state personnel policy or an MUSC policy regarding individuals working from home? Truth: There is no university or state policy governing the infrequent or occasional  times when an employee is allowed to work at home on behalf of the university. It is left to the discretion of the department head to determine the need and closely monitor its  use. It is also the responsibility of the department head to ensure that employees who are non-exempt from wage and hour laws are paid for all of the time they work on behalf of the university. However, should it become necessary for an employee (faculty or non-faculty) to work from home over an extended period of time, this arrangement would need to be reviewed by the Department of Human Resources Management and the university's Occupational Safety and Health Division. State regulations require that the university's Occupational Safety and Health Division conduct a worksite evaluation of the room/area in the employee's home where the work for the university will be performed to ensure that the worksite is safe. Additionally, employees who are approved to work from home are covered by Workers' Compensation if they are hurt while working for MUSC in the designated worksite. Reproduced from http://www.musc.edu/rumor/.  Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.