Return to Campus Guidelines - UCI Merage School

UCI Remote Work Guidelines for Staff UCI Human Resources The purpose of these guidelines is to help supervisors and employees develop remote work arrangements that are clear, policy compliant, and in the best interest of both the University and the employee. Supervisors are also expected to follow these guidelines when developing and approving remote work arrangements. A Remote Work Agreement must be completed before the employee begins a traditional remote work arrangement.

Guidelines on remote work are not intended to serve as a substitute to the interactive process as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While remote work may be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA, reasonable accommodation requests are separate and distinct from these guidelines and reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Supervisors are expected to work closely with the University Disability Management Consultant during the interactive process.

The opportunity to work remotely is a privilege that may be appropriate for some positions. The remote work arrangement is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval at management’s sole discretion and does not change the terms and conditions of employment with the University. Selection decisions will be in alignment with the University’s policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace.

DEFINITION Remote work is an arrangement in which the employee performs regularly scheduled work from an alternative worksite for all or part of a workweek. Successful remote work arrangements serve the needs of both the employee and the University.

There are two types of remote work arrangements: (1) traditional remote work arrangements and (2) temporary remote work arrangements.

A traditional remote work arrangement is part of an employee’s regular, ongoing schedule, and is established when management follows the guidelines set forth here and determines a remote work arrangement is appropriate. The employee and management must sign a Remote Work Agreement. The remote work agreement will be reviewed annually and updated if needed.

A temporary remote work arrangement is short in duration and established in response to a unique event, special work

assignment, or other circumstance that justifies a short-term remote work arrangement. The employee and management may agree to a temporary remote work arrangement without the need to sign an agreement.

CONDITIONS The following conditions must be met to establish a traditional remote work arrangement: 1. Any remote work arrangement requires the Remote Work Agreement.

2. The supervisor and the employee must have a clear understanding of what work will be performed and the way it is to be completed.

3. Remote work is not a substitution for child or dependent care. Although an employee’s schedule may be modified to complement child or dependent care needs, the focus of the arrangement must remain on maintaining job performance and meeting business demands.

4. If an employee is in a non-exempt position, the supervisor and employee must closely monitor work schedules, meal and rest periods, and time tracking to ensure that overtime policies and other work rules are properly observed. Supervisors seeking remote work for nonexempt positions should work with their assigned Human Resources Business Partner on a case-by-case basis.

5. Employee has an appropriate and safe workspace conducive to performing their duties.

6. A trial period of at least 30 days is to be established.

During the trial period, the supervisor and employee must evaluate the effectiveness of the remote work arrangement and whether to extend the agreement.

AUTHORITY Department authorities (deans, vice chancellors, associate chancellors, chiefs, or their designees) have the authority to approve remote work arrangements.

If more employees request remote work arrangements than a department can reasonably accommodate, the department is expected to respond to requests in accordance with these guidelines, in a way that is fair and equitable to all employees and that supports the requirements and operational needs of the department.

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IMPLEMENTATION STEPS The supervisor is responsible for determining if remote work is a viable option for the employee and the position. If the supervisor determines a traditional remote work arrangement is feasible, the supervisor obtains approval from their department authority. The supervisor then works with the employee to establish the formal written agreement which must then be signed by the department authority.

1. The supervisor will determine if remote work is a viable option for the employee and the position by considering factors including, but not limited to, the following: • Job responsibilities and nature of the work.

The supervisor should determine whether the job responsibilities and nature of the work lend themselves to remote work. For example, jobs that entail working alone or working with equipment that can be kept at the alternate work site may be suitable for remote work. However, jobs that require physical presence at the worksite to perform effectively are normally not suitable for remote work.

• Equipment. The supervisor should determine whether the employee has all the equipment necessary to perform the work remotely, and whether the employee needs specialty equipment to perform their job. Environmental Health and Safety is available as a resource to provide information on a safe and ergonomically sound work environment. All equipment that is to be provided by the University must be approved by the appropriate department approver and be consistent with University purchasing guidelines.

• Security. The alternative worksite must ensure the accessibility and protection of proprietary, private, and sensitive information.

• Cost effectiveness. The supervisor should review any cost savings the department would realize or additional expenses the department would incur because of any agreement.

• Scheduling. The supervisor should consider whether the employee would be available during normal business hours and/or when the department needs to contact the employee.

• Space allocation. Employees on a remote work agreement who perform their duties from a nonUniversity worksite fewer than three days a week should have an assigned workspace at their location.

Employees on a remote work agreement who perform their duties from a non-University worksite three or more days a week may have an assigned workspace, or an alternate workspace will be made available to them.

• Department workload. The supervisor should evaluate whether the remote work arrangement would adversely impact the services or workload of the department.

2. After the supervisor determines a traditional remote work arrangement is feasible, the supervisor is responsible for obtaining approval from their department authority.

3. If a traditional remote work arrangement is approved, the employee is responsible for confirming their ability to meet the following requirements: • Security. Ensuring that University equipment and records are maintained in a safe and secure condition.

• Equipment. University-provided equipment is to use exclusively by the employee and primarily for University business.

• Availability. Being available for contact during the agreed-upon remote work schedule and ensuring that University records are available to the department when requested.

• Communication. Communicating regularly with their supervisor and providing updates as appropriate. The employee must communicate with their supervisor if they experience any issues or challenges while remote work that may interfere with their performance.

• Commute. The employee must be able to report onsite or travel when required. Remote employees who are working outside of the job location at their own convenience are not on travel status as defined in Business and Finance Bulletin G-28, Travel Regulations, as “the period during which a traveler is traveling on official University business outside the vicinity of their headquarters or residence.” If an employee must travel to their job location, that is considered a non-reimbursable commuting expense.

Reimbursement for work-related travel should be made from the employee’s job location, not from where the employee’s services are performed (for remote employees, the employee’s home, or other work location).

4. The supervisor works with the employee to complete the Remote Work Agreement, obtains signatures, forwards a copy to their local HR professional, and provides a copy to the employee.

5. During the period of remote work, the supervisor and employee are both responsible for: • Equipment. An inventory of University equipment, including serial numbers or other identifying information, shall be completed before the employee begins remote work, and updated as needed.

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maintenance, and repair, which may require the employee to bring equipment to their primary work location.

• Workplace Injuries. The employee must immediately report work-related injuries incurred in the alternative worksite, during agreed upon working hours, to their immediate supervisor. Work-related injuries will be handled in the same manner as injuries incurred at the employee’s primary worksite.

• Evaluation. The effectiveness of the remote work arrangement will be periodically evaluated with consideration for employee performance, impact to the office, and employee welfare. Ending or modifying the terms of the arrangement may be required.

6. An employee’s mental health is as important as their physical health. Supervisors should inform employees of available resources on well-being and self-care, including mindfulness practices located at UCI HR Wellness and UCI Employee Assistance Program.

UC Business and Finance Bulletin G-46 UC Policy G-28: Travel Regulations Represented Employees See appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

Personnel Policies for Staff Members PPSM-3: Types of Appointment PPSM-22: Probationary Period PPSM-23: Performance Evaluation PPSM-30: Compensation PPSM: 2.210: Absence from Work OSHA Workplace Safety Notice Workers’ Compensation Notice ADA Americans with Disabilities Act UCI Resources Remote Work Agreement

REFERENCES

UCI HR Wellness

University of California Policies

UCI Employee Assistance Program

Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace

Future of Work

Merage School Remote Work Guidelines Merage School Human Resources The following provides specific guidelines to Merage School department leaders when implementing on-site, remote, or hybrid work options. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide greater clarity and better prepare managers and their staff members for remote work arrangements while following University policies and procedures.

It is important to note that while individual Merage School departments may differ in their workforce strategies, equity will be maintained through the completion of a required planning workbook by each department. Resulting work schedules will be aligned based on key stakeholder needs and not comparisons against other Merage School departments. Final approval of all Merage School department staffing models is required by the Dean’s Office, as well as any subsequent changes related to hours of operation, staggered work schedules or office closures.

Staff who disagree with the remote work eligibility decision may ask for a review of the decision.

KEY MERAGE SCHOOL VOCABULARY a. Dean’s Office – anything related to Dean Williamson and his office b. Executive Leadership Committee – Dean, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans and primary day-to-day department leaders c. Department Leads, Line/Hiring Managers – key decision makers around stakeholder needs, workforce planning, and ongoing remote work assessments and monitoring

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d. Merage Tech – Merage School department in charge of technology support, including hardware, software, cloud computing, and overall school cyber security e. Facilities – Merage School department in charge of onsite office support and overall facilities management f. Student Workers – Student employees hired to support Merage School departments regardless of work study or hourly

MERAGE SCHOOL REMOTE WORK GUIDELINES WHEN DETERMINING OPTIMAL WORKFORCE MODEL The following guidelines will be applied across all Merage School departments while providing room for flexibility based on stakeholder assessments. To provide continued equity, ongoing departmental reviews will be held by the Merage School Executive Leadership Committee and Dean’s Office to review guidelines, provide clarification, and discuss needed adjustments. When determining department-based workplace strategies, the following guidelines apply: General Guidelines: 1. Stakeholder needs and optimal service delivery will dictate department workforce models. a. All department workforce models require final approval by the Dean’s Office following the completion of the Merage School planning workbook by each day-to-day department lead. b. Optimal service delivery will be evaluated based on service location (on-site/remote) and mode of delivery (live, virtual or hybrid). Department leaders will determine based on department assessments, which location and mode of delivery is optimal for key stakeholder needs. Therefore, it is possible that a staff member may provide virtual offerings from the office if that combination is deemed most appropriate by the department lead. Impacting factors might be homebased technology capability or team collaboration needs. c. Departments that are considered student facing will need to provide for ongoing, daily office coverage based on drop-in needs, such as questions, advising, and coaching. This does not mean that virtual meetings aren’t acceptable, but for students on campus, access to office personnel remains a priority. d. Office coverage may differ based on student facing positions; however, if staggered schedules are leveraged, all in-office staff will be required to support all student populations if an immediate on-site need arises and a requested staff member is working from

home. This also can be accomplished by setting aside a workplace location (e.g., office) for students to reach needed staff members virtually if they are not in the office, but available.

2. UCI and/or Merage School technology requirements must be in place to work remotely. a. Inconsistent internet or documented security breaches (e.g., not following Merage School policies) may require staff to work from the office for specific activities or return to an in-office location permanently. b. UCI/Merage School security protocols must be followed to remain in good remote work standing. This includes leveraging VPN remote desktop, maintaining file management protocols and other criteria established by Merage Tech.

3. Final remote schedules will be developed and approved by department leadership, not individual employees. a. Employees will have the opportunity to provide feedback on their desired schedule based on the department’s stakeholder and activity assessments, but department leads will prepare and approve the final schedule, including use of staggered schedule strategies and office composition. b. All employees approved for hybrid work must have a signed staff remote work agreement on file with HR. c. Department schedules will be evaluated at a minimum annually by department leads for potential changes in employee rotations.

4. Work/life flexibility outside of predetermined work schedules will continue to be discussed and approved by department leads.

5. Merage School employees are expected to report on site for industry/campus events, stakeholder meetings and/or UCI/team/Merage School collaboration/social events as requested. a. If UCI “Remote Work Outside of California” guidelines support that a staff member can be fully remote outside of Southern California (but within the United States), approval from the department lead, Dean’s Office and HR is required and a signed staff remote work agreement must be in place. b. Commuting to/from campus continues to be at the employees’ expense unless travel is requested for business reasons by the department lead or line manager. c. Dual mode (e.g., Zoom/Teams) can be leveraged when appropriate, but in-person discretion will remain with department leadership.

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6. Those who work on site less than three days per week may be assigned a shared or hoteling space rather than a dedicated on-site workspace. a. Department leads will need to request additional office/ storage space for employees who work remotely more than 50% of time, but have program preparation or storage needs (e.g., residentials, Executive Education, etc.).

Day-to-Day Merage School Operations: 1. Open office hours are at the discretion of department leadership in order to best meet the needs of key stakeholders. a. Office hours may change quarterly or seasonally based on determined needs set by department leads.

2. Departments are encouraged to leverage shared staff calendars or “Working Elsewhere” calendar feature to alert coworkers of work from home days.

3. Dual mode (Zoom/Teams) meeting capability will be required to accommodate hybrid workforce schedules. a. Grace periods for tech set-up and troubleshooting should be built into meeting timelines.

4. All outlined health and safety guidelines must be followed by staff members when on campus.

5. “Seasonal” needs may require time periods where employees working regular hybrid schedules are required to be on campus. a. Driven by stakeholder needs, this might include planning seasons, recruiting, etc., that require a departmental change in schedule. This must be outlined in final Dean’s Office approved workforce plan with ample notice given to all impacted department members.

Key Stakeholder Engagement: 1. Employer, donor and other external stakeholder meeting locations should be based on stakeholder preference and accommodated under the guidance of department and line managers. a. Team schedules can be provided to key stakeholders for ease with meetings that might require dual delivery if select staff members need to take them from a remote location.

Performance Management: 1. Line managers should continue to schedule 1:1 meetings and Achieve check-in meetings (or the annual performance evaluation for represented staff) during fall 2021 to review schedule success and retool as needed with Dean’s Office approval.

2. On-boarding new Merage School employees should happen on-site as designated by hiring manager and approved by department lead. a. Associated team members will need to accommodate requested in-person time as needed to support onboarding schedules. b. Hiring managers will be responsible for designating remote work options within job descriptions for new employees for continuity within department and related positions.

3. Student workers are eligible for remote work, but require careful consideration when off and on campus. a. Student workers are not to be left alone when working in on-campus offices. A career employee must be in the office to help supervise and answer needed questions, as well as to close the office. b. For students working remotely, a clear assessment of work must be completed with ongoing meetings by supervisor as with all employees.

Effectiveness Monitoring: 1. Line managers are expected to review department schedules at least twice a year to determine if workforce plan is meeting stakeholder needs. a. Staff should be engaged throughout the decisionmaking process to keep them informed and part of discussion and feedback loop.

2. Executive Leadership Committee will review escalated concerns or disputes as they arise to ensure consistency of guidelines and planning equity. All final approvals will be by the Dean’s Office. a. Consultation with appropriate groups (e.g., HR) will be engaged as needed.

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