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Message 5-24-2021 | FWA Policy | FWA FAQ | FWA Resources

Emory Campus Life, Fall 2021

Overview

Emory is preparing for a fall semester in which all students, staff, and faculty are expected to be on campus by August 1. In most Campus Life organizations, the work involves being physically present and available. Campus Life’s mission demands student engagement, and the Emory campus is designed to facilitate a shared sense of community, which is essential to our success as a university. 

As campus density increases this fall, the Policy on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) supports the well-being of our staff, while ensuring that the operational mission and goals of Emory Campus Life are achieved. As always, our policy and guidelines are designed to ensure protection for our staff, especially the most vulnerable in our organization. The policy is subject to modification, as required, to ensure the division’s mission and business needs are met and to respond to changing university or governmental guidelines.

This FWA policy assumes: 

  • K-12 schools will return to in-person learning for the fall of 2021  

  • vaccines are readily available and most members of our community will be vaccinated 

  • additional safety measures such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will remain in place for the fall of 2021.  

While staff in some offices have been working on campus since the pandemic began, others “will phase in” their return over the summer. The expectation is that all departments will return to campus to their typical business hours no later than August 1. It is important that we work in our campus spaces and experience the rhythms of staggered schedules before students begin returning to campus in mid-August.   

Departmental plans 

All ECL units/departments shall develop departmental in-person work plans by June 15, 2021. These in-person work plans should include timing for staff returning to on-campus work, any adjustments needed to prepare space for staff returns, etc. Managers/leaders whose spaces have physical challenges should request a space review with Mekeshua North, director of Human Resources, Staff Development and Training, and Ben Perlman, director of Student Center Operations and Events. In collaboration with Ben and Mekeshua, who will have the most updated Environmental Health and Safety Office guidelines, and the respective ELT member, recommendations for space adjustments will be made as appropriate. If adjustments cannot be made, managers and ELT members will discuss next steps in collaboration with Mekeshua. 

Policy details

Employees who demonstrate a sustained level of performance and the ability to work under minimal direct supervision may be eligible for a flexible work arrangement (FWA). Additionally, an employee’s job must be suitable for such an arrangement, as assessed by their supervisor and division leadership.

Flexible work arrangements should not disrupt the quality of service for students, faculty, staff or other members of the community, nor should they result in increased workloads for other employees. 

To ensure equity, jobs with similar requirements and responsibilities should be eligible for similar types of flexible arrangements.

Emergencies arise. There are extenuating circumstances that require informal flexibility, such as the ability to occasionally leave work for personal needs, an option that should be available for all employees. Time away from work should be made up, or appropriate leave may be used.

Whether working onsite 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 onsite. If you do not have offsite clocking, please have your supervisor request this option from the ECL Human Resources team at dclhr@emory.edu.

Departments may consider one or more of the following flexible work arrangements (FWAs)

  • Flexible work hours: An employee may request workday start and end times that differ from the established standard (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), maintaining the same number of hours per week. With the supervisor’s permission, the workday start and end times may vary within the week from the normal agreed schedule. Departments may specify core working hours.

  • Telecommuting: An employee may work from a remote location up to one day per week with the permission of their supervisor and their ELT member. If important meetings, events, or other matters that require onsite presence arise on a normal remote workday, an employee may be expected to work on campus, as the circumstances require. A workday may be split between remote and onsite on the same day, if needed.

  • Compressed work week: An employee may work a 40-hour week over four days instead of five, or make other arrangements that cover the same number of hours, again, with the approval of their supervisor.

  • Fully remote work: Working remotely on a full-time basis is viewed as an exception and will be considered under the following circumstances:

    • staff members hired into roles designed to be remote (i.e., contact tracers in Student Health Services)

    • areas with short-term and specific space challenges related to Covid-19 work environments (i.e., health providers in Student Health Services)

    • staff members unable to return to work in-person and who have received an exemption based on criteria below.

Process for request and approval of FWAs

To request an FWA, an employee must submit a written proposal to their supervisor. The proposal should include the work arrangement being requested and details regarding how work responsibilities can be managed and measured throughout such an arrangement. See the workplace flexibility page on Emory’s Human Resources’ website for additional details. Once a general agreement is reached, the specifics of the FWA should be captured, in writing, in an FWA Agreement. A sample agreement can be found on the HR Workplace Flexibility webpage under Working Flexibly. Details of the arrangement must be documented and agreed to in writing and by the employee and the supervisor.

Employees must be able to work free from distraction at the remote workplace if they are working remotely. Employees working from an off-campus location are required to have adequate space to support the employee’s ability to perform their job effectively and seamlessly. Customer service expectations are the same whether an employee is working on or off campus.

Remote office setups and mobile devices

Campus Life is not responsible for the supply or set up of a remote office for an employee who elects to telecommute. However, ECL will consider, where feasible in the normal replacement schedule, the replacement of desktop computers and phones with laptop computers, notebooks, use of softphones, headphones, and other devices that enable greater mobility. Such planning will ensure staff have the technical support they need from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) when working offsite and utilizing devices that are compatible with current technologies enabling them to work most productively. Employees may use basic supplies from Emory when working in their remote office, such as pens, notebooks, and paper.

It is the responsibility of the employee to obtain and maintain any “home office” equipment, services, furniture, or supplies needed for remote work, including secure, reliable, high-speed internet connectivity and/or phone service, as well as a desk, office chair, or other items that are typically part of an office workstation. 

High-speed internet

Employees working from locations other than their Emory office must have access to high speed internet to support video calls (i.e., Zoom). A bandwidth test of higher than 2 mbps is normally required to support most of Emory’s video technology such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. A free Bandwidth test can be found at: https://speedtest.xfinity.com.

Security

Employees agree to use secure connections (e.g., VPN ) as required by Emory OIT and security policies described at https://it.emory.edu/security/policies-procedures/teleworking-security-guidelines.html. It is the employee’s responsibility to understand and follow such policies. Questions about any security policies, standards, guidelines, or best practices should be directed to Emory’s IT Security Team.

Remote phones

Employees who use their Emory-assigned phone number and who have an office phone must forward their office phone calls to their remote location when telecommuting, so callers can reach the employee directly. Additional information related to phones can be found here: https://hr.emory.edu/eu/working-covid-19/preparing-to-work.html. Requests for assistance with remote call setup and forwarding should be directed to the university’s Office of Information Technology at 404-727-7777.   

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 404-727-7777.

Loss of connectivity

If the employee’s remote location Internet connection or local power goes out on a scheduled telecommute day, the employee is expected to report to their on-campus office to work the remainder of the workday or to make other accommodations to continue working. The Employee may take leave if approved by their supervisor, unless there is a widespread weather emergency recognized by Emory University.

Training

In order to participate in a flexible work arrangement, employees and supervisors are strongly encouraged to complete FWA training offered by Human Resources.  

Evaluation, modification, or termination of the FWA

A trial period is recommended for new FWAs with a review each semester to evaluate the effectiveness and ongoing suitability of the FWA. If employee productivity or performance does not meet departmental expectations or if the job is no longer suitable for an FWA, the arrangement may be suspended, amended, or terminated at any time by Campus Life. Consistent with Emory policies, supervisors should perform mid-year and year-end performance reviews of employees. Performance reviews should include assessment of the continued appropriateness of a flexible work arrangement and the employee’s performance on an FWA.

Emory University resources

The Emory WorkLife Resource Center can advise employees and supervisors about flexible work arrangements. The center also supports management in evaluating, implementing, and measuring these programs. The center does not mandate a business unit to implement a workplace flexibility solution, nor does it advocate on behalf of an employee for an FWA program.

Contacts

For questions about this policy, please contact Mekeshua North, director of Human Resources, Staff Development and Training.