Flexible Work Guidelines

Return to Campus Guidelines for Fall 2021 
Flexible Work Arrangements

 

Overview  

Oxford is preparing for a fall semester in which all students, staff and faculty are expected to be on campus.  Our teaching and research missions are fundamentally experiential, and the Oxford campus is designed to facilitate the sense of community that is key to our success. 

These guidelines were developed to support the needs and well-being of our staff while ensuring we meet the operational mission and goals of Oxford as we increase campus density. The Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) policy is subject to change to ensure the business needs of the College are met or to meet additional university or governmental guidelines. 

While some Oxford offices have already been working on campus, others will “phase-in” their return to campus over the summer.  It is the expectation that all staff return to campus no later than August 2.  All staff in student-facing offices will work on campus full time, based on their scheduled hours of operation, as long as health and safety protocols can be observed.  All other staff are asked to be physically present a minimum of 30 hours per week during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday) as long as health and safety protocols can be observed. By the conclusion of the fall 2021 semester, expectations for staff presence on campus may change.  

Flexible Work Arrangement Policy Details 

Oxford College staff who demonstrate a sustained level of performance and the ability to work under minimal direct supervision may be eligible for FWA. Each staff member’s job duties must be suitable for FWA as assessed by their supervisor and school/division leadership.  

FWAs should not disrupt the quality of service to students, faculty, staff, or other members of the community, nor should they result in increased workloads for other staff/colleagues. FWAs must be agreed upon by department-level leadership and the staff member, and during the summer and fall of 2021, Oxford Human Resources will review all requests. 

To ensure equity for all staff across departments, jobs with similar requirements should be eligible for similar types of flexible arrangements, as appropriate. As always, informal and occasional flexibility--for example leaving work for personal reasons (doctor’s appointments, personal errands, etc.)--should be available to all staff. If the staff member requesting the accommodation is unable to make up the time, appropriate leave may be used for time away from work. 

The following are considered FWAs:  

  • Flexible Hours: Staff may request workday start and end times that differ from the established standard (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), while maintaining the same number of hours per day. 
  1. Departments/Programs will provide in-person presence, at minimum, 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.  Employees should be able to respond to whatever in-person needs arise.   
  • Compressed Work Week:  An employee may work a 40-hour week over four days instead of five. Staff who request this arrangement and use the Time and Attendance system will need to manage their schedule to avoid overtime. 
  • Telecommuting: Staff, when appropriate, may request to work from a remote location no more than 10 hours per week. If important meetings, events, or other matters arise on a normal remote workday, staff may be expected to work on campus. 
  • Staggered or Split Schedule: To assist with space limitations and physical distancing requirements, the department may also offer an on-site staggered or split schedule; for example, on certain days, some staff may work on-site, while other staff are allowed to work virtually, and vice versa. 

FWAs may be discontinued at any time based on performance, departmental requirements, school needs, university policy, or other factors.   

Expectations to be Considered/Included in the FWA Document 

  • Whether working on-site or virtually, it is expected that all staff adhere to the standard Time and Attendance policies, to the extent possible.  
  • Biweekly paid employees are expected to clock in/out each day as they would normally when working on-site. 
  • Supervisors and employees should complete a Flexible Work Arrangement Agreement. A sample can be found here.   
  • Details of the FWA must be documented in writing and signed by the employee, the supervisor, and Oxford Human Resources. 
  • The written document should include: 
  • the FWA determined 
  • details regarding how job performance can be managed and measured throughout such an arrangement 
  • expectations as to how communications will be managed 
  • coverage during absences (sick, vacation, off-site appointments) 
  • notation of peak workdays (e.g., deadline day or registration days) where remote work would NOT be permitted. 
  • Supervisors and their staff should meet to discuss the needed coverage for their area.  Consideration of employee preferences should be made, when possible, within the College’s expectations of weekly, all day, in-person, and department services coverage. 
  • Department employee work plans should be submitted to Oxford HR.  
  • All requests for an employee to work 100% remote must go through OxfordHR and Central Human Resources for review and approval. Employees and supervisors will be required to provide documentation supporting these requests.
     

Remote Office Setup 

  • Oxford College is not responsible for the setup of a remote office for staff who elect to telecommute. However, Oxford may consider, where feasible, the replacement of desktop computers, phones, laptops, and notebooks. Planning for a remote setup will ensure that Oxford faculty and staff have the technical support they need from OCIT (Oxford College Information Technology) when working off-site and are using devices that are compatible with current technologies. 
  • All requests for office equipment must be approved by the department chair/director with the understanding that such an expense would be covered by the department.    
  • Staff working from locations other than their Oxford office are strongly encouraged to have access to high-speed internet. (Internet service is not a reimbursable expense.)  
  • Staff agree to use secure connections (e.g., VPN) as required by Emory OIT and Security Policy and Procedures. It is the responsibility of all staff to understand and adhere to such policies. Questions about security policies, standards, guidelines, or best practices should be directed to Emory’s IT Security Team at 404-727-7777.  
  • Staff working remotely on personal devices may not have full access to technical support provided by the Emory LITS Help Desk. This limitation must be considered and addressed prior to approval of FWA. 
  • Remote phone setup: Employees who have an Emory-assigned phone number can make and receive calls from a remote location on their PC, MAC, Apple, or Android device via an Avaya IX Workplace Softphone Client (formerly Equinox /Avaya Communicator). This feature allows users to control their desk phone from their preferred device via a mobile app. For most users, the IP Softphone feature is the recommended and preferred method of remote phone access. It also eliminates the concern of sharing the user’s personal home phone or cell number via caller ID as the user’s Emory-assigned, campus phone extension is what is shared with callers.  
    To obtain this service, submit a request through the IT Shopping Cart (VPN connection required). The item is listed under "Phone-Other, IX Workplace Softphone." Additional call forwarding and “extension to cellular” services are available to those that need them. Information related to phones can be found here: IT Voice Service Catalog. Assistance with remote call setup should be directed to the OIT Service Desk at 7-7777. 
  • Staff working remotely should maintain the same online presence as would be expected when working on-site, through technology tools used for communication and collaboration. 
  • Regular, clear communication will be maintained between a staff member and his/her supervisor. The best means of communication should be agreed upon between supervisor and staff in advance of finalizing arrangements. Staff members are expected to maintain the same response times for all communications as they would while working on-site. 
  • If a staff member’s remote location Internet connection or local power is scheduled for disruption of service on a planned telecommute day, the staff member is expected to report on-site for work that day, make other accommodations to be able to continue working, or take a leave day, if approved by the supervisor. 
  • Requests for substitute telecommute day(s) must be approved by the employee’s supervisor, in advance, after ensuring limited disruptions to the operation of the department and/or College. 
  • Most documents and files should be accessible electronically through the Emory approved document storage systems. If staff need to use confidential paper/hard copy documents related to their work, it is expected these documents will be kept secure and confidential. Staff working remotely should ensure sensitive and confidential information is not shared with non-Emory individuals or others who do not have a business “need to know.” 


Review of Flexible Work Arrangement 

  • On a monthly basis for the first six months (quarterly at a minimum thereafter), the employee and supervisor must meet to evaluate the effectiveness of the FWA. If staff productivity or performance does not meet expectations of the supervisor, adversely impacts the work of the College, or if the job is no longer suitable for FWA, the supervisor may suspend or terminate the arrangement. 


Performance Reviews 

  • Consistent with Emory policies, supervisors are expected to conduct performance reviews of all staff. Performance reviews should include assessment of the continued appropriateness of an FWA and the employee’s demonstrated performance in the areas of work results, timeliness, quality, demonstrated accountability, and communication. 


Additional Resources 

The Emory Work Life Resource Center can advise staff and supervisors about FWAs. The Center also supports management in evaluating, implementing, and measuring these programs.  

For more information and resources related to workplace flexibility at Emory, please visit the workplace flexibility page on Emory’s Human Resources website. 

Emory supports workplace flexibility in accordance with the guidelines outlined in this policy. All FWAs must conform to the overtime, record keeping, and meal break provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

 

For questions related to this policy, please contact Oxford HR.