The Office of State Human Resources did not respond to a request for comment, possibly because the person responsible for responding was working from home.

By KENT DAVISON | State Government | May 21, 2026

MEMORANDUM
TO: All State Personnel, Telework-Eligible Classifications 1–7
FROM: NC Office of State Human Resources, Division of Workforce Presence & Flexible Accountability
SUBJECT: Statewide Remote Work Presence Standards, Revised Guidelines v4.2

DATE: April 21, 2026

Colleagues,

Some staff across North Carolina’s state agencies remain unclear on expectations regarding remote work presence, professional appearance, and engagement simulation during designated telework hours. This memorandum exists to correct that. It applies to all executive branch agencies, departments, commissions, boards, and offices, with the exception of those that have already developed their own guidance, which this memorandum supersedes unless it doesn’t.

I. VIDEO CALL PRESENCE
Camera angle shall be no lower than chin level. Angles suggesting the employee is lying down, eating cereal, or reviewing their own expression will be noted in the employee’s Statewide Presence Record, which is maintained centrally and has never been audited.
Approved virtual backgrounds: the State Seal of NC, a bookshelf of ambiguous titles, or a neutral wall. Unapproved: beaches, mountains, other states, or any location implying the employee has options.
Lighting shall be adequate. Employees appearing as silhouettes will be asked to acquire a ring light. The state will not be providing ring lights at this time but has allocated funds to study the feasibility of a ring light procurement pilot program.

II. DEFINITION OF “PRESENT"
"Present” shall mean any of the following:
— Camera on, face visible, eyes directed generally forward
— Status set to “Available” or “In a Meeting,” regardless of whether either is true
— A response to any direct message within three business hours, excluding 11:15am–1:45pm, which OSHR recognizes as a productivity window during which employees may be unreachable for reasons that need not be specified and will not be investigated

III. APPROVED CALL ACTIVITIES
The following are permitted during active calls provided they produce no audible sound and do not visibly affect the employee’s expression:
— Reviewing email
— Reviewing a second email
— Online ordering (essential items only; OSHR defines “essential” broadly, consistently, and without judgment)
— Consuming beverages. Consuming meals during calls under 45 minutes is discouraged but not prohibited. Over 45 minutes is understandable. Over 90 minutes is a separate HR matter.

IV. PETS
A single pet appearance per call requires no acknowledgment. A second requires a one-sentence apology without elaboration. A third constitutes a Recurring Pet Incident (RPI) and must be logged in the employee’s Statewide Presence Record. Employees with three or more RPIs per quarter will complete OSHR’s online module “Boundaries in the Home Environment: A Framework for Statewide Professional Coexistence,” which runs 45 minutes and may be completed during a video call.

V. AGENCY-SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS
Agencies with public-facing missions are reminded that the public cannot see your home office and does not know you are there. This does not change your obligations under these guidelines. Agencies currently under legislative scrutiny (i.e., DAVE) are encouraged to review Section II carefully, particularly the definition of “present,” which has been remotely reviewed by counsel.

VI. A NOTE ON PRODUCTIVITY
These guidelines address presence and engagement simulation across all 82,000 state agency employees, excluding the Judicial Branch, the General Assembly, and the School of Science and Mathematics, whose absence from this guidance is noted without comment. Questions regarding actual work product, measurable outcomes, or the relationship between hours logged and services delivered are outside the scope of this memorandum and will be addressed in a future communication currently scheduled for Q3, pending approval, pending the formation of a Workgroup to develop the communication.

We are proud of whatever work North Carolina’s state employees do together, wherever they are doing it from.

“Working,” for purposes of this memorandum, is a separate classification and is addressed in a forthcoming guidance document currently in the review and approval process.

MARTIN J. BYRDE
Second Assistant Managing Interim Director, Division of Workforce Presence & Flexible Accountability
NC Office of State Human Resources
Sent from my home office, which is also my dining room table

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