University of Washington Human Resources

Determining eligibility for hybrid or remote work

Whether the position or person is suitable for remote or hybrid work is based on the nature of the job duties, employee readiness for telework, and/or manager and team readiness for telework. Determinations are at management discretion and should be made thoughtfully, not based on any one factor alone (cost savings, employee preference, etc.), and reviewed with the employee for any changes or updates at least annually. Determinations should also be made and in a consistent, fair and transparent way that prioritizes equity and employee engagement.

Definitions

• Unit is a unit or campus with an administrator reporting directly to the President or Provost. This includes UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, and UW Medicine.
• Unit head is the administrator reporting directly to the President or Provost.

Position suitability

A position(s) suitable for telework is one that has responsibilities that can be conducted through telework, using basic telecommunications technology at home without affecting service quality or organizational operations.

Characteristics of positions that DO NOT lend themselves to telework

• Job duties require access to specific personnel, onsite files, or specialized space/equipment/technology in order to effectively perform the job
• The position had regular in-person client/customer/student interaction pre-COVID which became less efficient or effective in a remote environment.
• Position’s job duties require participation in onsite meetings or presentations.
• Telework relationship adds additional cost to the employer. For example, a remote telework arrangement should not typically result in the duplication of office equipment.
• Employee’s continued telework negatively impacts team performance.

Characteristics of positions that DO lend themselves to telework

• Job duties can be conducted outside of the worksite
• Teleworking does not affect the service quality or organizational operations
• Teleworking does not add additional cost to the employer.
• Teleworking does not negatively impact team performance.

Job profile flags in Workday indicate which staff job profiles are typically suitable for telework and are meant as a guide as units consider which staff positions to flag as typically suitable for telework based on position duties. When hiring new employees and transitioning current employees to new telework agreements, units are not prohibited from executing telework arrangements for staff employees in positions without a “Not typically telework eligible” flag, but it should be an indicator that any agreement should be carefully considered.

Job profile telework designation flags

Job profile flags (found under “Additional data” on the job profile) are for use on all staff job profiles including classified non-union, contract covered staff, professional staff, ICA contract coaches, Hall Health physicians, temporary hourly staff, or other staff job profiles. Each job profile is marked with one of the following flags:

• Typically telework eligible – Job duties typically lend themselves to telework
• Not typically telework eligible – Job duties typically do not lend themselves to telework, including all “temporary” job profiles due to their short duration.
• Indeterminate – Job duties are not specific enough to determine whether the work is typically telework eligible (e.g., “Temporary staff helper” or “Professional staff project position.” Determination must be made at the position-level.

Student, academic personnel, or “other” (e.g., contingent worker) job profiles are not flagged because position-level and worker-level telework designations are not used on those employment types.

Position-level telework designation flags

Position-level flags (found as a “custom organization” in Workday) are determined by the unit, are independent of the incumbent in the position, do not specify amount, and should take into consideration both the job profile flag as well as the characteristics of the position. The values include:

• Typically telework eligible (remote/hybrid) – The position’s duties typically do lend themselves to some amount of telework.
• Not typically telework eligible — The position’s duties typically do not lend themselves to any amount of telework.

Employee suitability

Hybrid work suitability criteria

Some employees may be better prepared than others to manage the unique requirements of teleworking. When evaluating a new telework request or a request to extend an existing telework agreement, managers should consider whether the employee has a record of satisfactory performance in the workplace and has demonstrated the ability to:

• Prioritize work to meet deadlines.
• Display self-discipline and accomplish job duties with minimal supervision/direction.
• Consistently follow UW policies and team norms regardless of work location.
• Understand their role and expectations.
• Be organized, highly disciplined and self-motivated.
• Communicate and coordinate effectively with clients, stakeholders, and team members over phone, email, and Zoom/Teams.
• Manage time effectively.
• Meet work performance and/or productivity levels whether onsite or teleworking.

Before approving a telework request, consider any changes needed to ensure your team continues to meet its objectives. Ensure that the employee and work product will be as effectively managed as their on-site colleagues.

Additional considerations include:

• Whether the employee has space that supports and is conducive to successful telework
• Whether regular onsite meetings or in-person client/customer/student interactions preclude a hybrid arrangement may depend on their frequency and degree to which they are within the teleworking employee’s control (e.g., a consultant or trainer may be able to schedule sessions for days they are onsite, whereas an advisor whose students “drop in”, or an employee at a customer service window cannot).

Remote work suitability criteria

Remote work agreements (100% telework) are supported by compelling policy, critical skill-based requirement, or family health circumstances.

In addition to considering the worker criteria above for hybrid telework, evaluate the employee’s performance based on the following additional criteria:

1. Has the employee’s work performance and/or productivity during COVID remote work remained stable or improved?
2. Is this a key employee to retain for your organization because of significant institutional knowledge or unique expertise that is hard to replace/replicate?
3. Does the cost of recruitment for and training of a new employee outweigh the impact to team culture and any challenges with telework?
4. Will the employee’s continued telework jeopardize the performance of a team? Does the employee manage a large or complex team?

Worker-level telework designation flags

Worker-level telework flags (found under “Additional data” on the worker in Workday) represent the amount of telework agreed to between a unit and the employee. The indication of a telework designation assumes that a telework agreement is on file in the department and supports one of the following values:

• Yes – hybrid telework arrangement (3 days or more/week) – Employee teleworks three or more days per workweek
• Yes – hybrid telework arrangement (2 days or less/week) – Employee teleworks two days or less per workweek
• Yes – occasional telework allowed – Employee typically does not telework, although occasional telework during operational suspensions or other ad hoc situations is allowed upon manager approval
• Yes – remote work arrangement (100% telework) – Employee works remotely
• No – Employee does not telework.
• N/A – Value does not apply
  Note: Do not enter “N/A” for employees in hourly and salaried staff positions. “N/A” should be used for workers in staff job profiles that are paid fees or stipends.

Where an employee holds more than one position and teleworks in at least one, the worker-level flags should indicate telework.

Approval processes and documentation