Managing Flexible Work Arrangements
Managers are expected to thoughtfully review flexible work proposals by evaluating the individual’s performance, responsibilities, and work style. When issues related to workplace flexibility arise, the manager should address the issues promptly.
Managers Guide to Flexible Work Arrangements
- Communicating the Flexible and Remote Work with Staff
- Ensure everyone is aware about the Flexible Work Arrangements
- Schedule conversations with each staff member around the subject of flexible work.
- Share the university’s guidelines.
- Share business needs and expectations (e.g. business hours, customer expectations, etc)
- How will staff meetings be scheduled?
- How to communicate if a meeting is changed or cancelled?
- How will information be shared? (google drive, shared drive, email, chat?)
Questions to Consider
- Department/Work Unit Considerations
- What are the core business hours?
- What is your department’s core business?
- Who are your customers/stakeholders?
- What are the expectations of your customers/stakeholders?
- Does your core business support remote work?
- What has been learned from the experience of remote work? What new best practices or efficiencies should be retained?
- How will there be a continuity of “presence” for high traffic offices to maintain a vibrant campus experience?
- How would remote work impact the University's overall value proposition or brand?
- Individual Position Considerations
- Review individual job descriptions and identify the duties that may be performed remotely.
- What work must be done in the office/on campus?
- Does a flexible work arrangement support the business needs of the team, unit, and/or department, without increasing workload for others, impacting service levels, or department/school/university operations?
- When working remotely, what are the impacts to service delivery?
- Does the role have flexibility as to who does the work?
- (i.e. do others perform the same work or similar work and can a rotation be developed?)
- Does the role have flexibility as to what, when, or how the work is done?
- Does the position supervise staff or students employees and what would be the impact to the direct reports and/or operations, if a flexible work arrangement was approved?
- What duties on the position description are standard weekly duties and which duties are performed less frequently?
- What would be the best use of time while in the office or working remotely?
- Once flexible work arrangements are approved
- Set expectations around responsiveness, turnaround times, and communication methods
- Effective dates of flexible work arrangements
- Percentage of time and schedule approved for remote work (if applicable)
- Be clear about special circumstances (i.e. projects, meetings, events) that may require adjustments to flexible work arrangements. Provide as much notice as possible in these cases.
- Assessment plan and how feedback will be collected
- Communicating with the SCU Community
- How will the SCU community be notified?
- Hours of Operations
- Will there be an impact to service delivery?
- How and when can staff be reached? (phone, email, text, cell, chat?)
- What if there is an emergency, who should be contacting?
- Do you have a central email or phone number for seamless operations?
- Is there an option for in person, phone, or zoom meeting?
Assessing the success of Flexible Work Arrangement
The collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, that is applicable to unique business operations, should be identified, communicated, and evaluated for the duration of the program. This ongoing assessment at all levels will empower employees, supervisors, and leaders to speak to their experience and provide important insights to university leadership.
- What is going well?
- What could be improved?
- What is better because of remote work?
- What services or deliverables are impacted by remote work?
- How can you measure this?
Potential Opportunities for Data Collection:
- Surveys
- Focus Groups
- Staff Meetings
- One on one meetings with employees
- Documentation of observations and feedback
- Documentation of employee performance
- Anecdotal evidence
- After action reviews
Considerations:
- Are business needs being met?
- Impact on student experience and SCU’s mission
- Is there office “presence” during normal business hours?
- Customer and/or Student Satisfaction
- Performance of remote employee
- Impact on operations, colleagues, and quality of services
- Outcomes and quality of work
- Employee engagement and satisfaction
- Responsiveness and dependability
- Meeting deadlines
- Collaboration opportunities
- Technical abilities and need for training
- Work-life integration and Wellness