Work Policy — Hybrid, Remote & In-Office

This Work Policy applies to all SyntheStudio LLC employees, contractors, interns, and temporary workers performing services in the United States. It governs where, when, and how work is performed, and supplements the Employee Handbook and individual employment agreements. Nothing in this policy creates a contract of employment or alters the at-will employment relationship under US law.

SyntheStudio operates a flexible hybrid model. Most team members may work remotely from any approved US location, with optional in-office collaboration days at our Wyoming headquarters or partner co-working spaces.

• Remote-first: Default arrangement is remote, with asynchronous communication as the standard.
• In-office days: Teams may designate 1–2 anchor days per week or month for in-person collaboration, workshops, and onboarding.
• Fully remote: Available for eligible roles, subject to manager approval and tax/legal review of the work state.
• Fully on-site: Available for roles requiring secure facilities, hardware labs, or client-site presence.

Hybrid and remote arrangements are a privilege, not an entitlement, and depend on role, performance, and business need. Eligibility is determined by the employee's manager and People Operations, and may be modified or revoked with reasonable notice. Approved work locations must be within the United States; international remote work requires separate written approval and may not be available in all jurisdictions.

Standard core hours are 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM in the employee's local US time zone, during which team members should be reachable for synchronous collaboration. Outside core hours, schedules are flexible.

• Non-exempt employees must accurately record all hours worked, including overtime, in the company time-tracking system, in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable state wage-and-hour laws.
• Exempt employees are expected to work the hours necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.
• Overtime for non-exempt employees requires prior written manager approval but will always be paid when worked.

SyntheStudio provides a company laptop and required software licenses to every full-time team member. Employees in states with mandatory expense-reimbursement laws (including California Labor Code § 2802, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia) are entitled to reimbursement of reasonable and necessary business expenses, including a portion of internet and phone costs used for work.

Team members are responsible for maintaining a safe, ergonomic, and distraction-minimized home workspace.

Remote and hybrid work must comply with our Security Statement and Acceptable Use Policy.

• Use only company-approved devices, password managers, and VPNs.
• Enable full-disk encryption and multi-factor authentication on all work accounts.
• Never store client or production data on personal devices or unsanctioned cloud services.
• Work in private spaces when handling confidential information; public coffee shops and shared screens are not appropriate for sensitive material.
• Report lost devices, suspicious activity, or suspected breaches to security@synthestudio.com within 24 hours.

We default to asynchronous communication to respect deep work and distributed time zones. Team members are expected to:

• Respond to messages within one business day during core hours.
• Keep calendars, status, and project trackers up to date.
• Use video for meetings that benefit from face-to-face engagement; otherwise prefer written updates.
• Document decisions in shared tools so remote and in-office teammates have equal context.

Performance is measured by outcomes, not hours logged or physical presence. Managers conduct regular 1:1s and quarterly performance reviews. Failure to meet performance, availability, or communication standards may result in revocation of remote-work privileges, performance improvement plans, or termination of employment, consistent with at-will employment principles.

SyntheStudio complies with all applicable US leave and accommodation laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), USERRA, and applicable state and local leave laws.

Team members may request reasonable accommodations — including modified schedules, additional remote days, or assistive equipment — by contacting people@synthestudio.com. Hybrid and remote work arrangements are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. See our Equal Opportunity Employer statement for details.

Team members must notify People Operations before relocating to a new US state or working from a state other than their registered work location for more than 30 consecutive days, so we can address payroll, tax withholding, workers' compensation, and unemployment-insurance obligations. Business travel to in-office days or client sites is reimbursed under our Travel & Expense Policy.

SyntheStudio may modify this Work Policy at any time to respond to business, legal, or public-health conditions, with reasonable notice to affected team members. The most current version is always published at this URL, with an updated effective date and version label.

Questions about this policy, accommodation requests, or hybrid-arrangement requests should be directed to people@synthestudio.com. Security concerns should be reported to security@synthestudio.com.