Overview
CAS supports flexible work arrangements for our classified staff and Officers of Administration who work in department/program administration, when consistent with a unit’s operational needs and other eligibility considerations. When used appropriately, these arrangements can be a tool to recruit and to retain diverse and talented staff, to support staff who have caregiving responsibilities at home, to maintain positive morale, and improve efficiencies in certain areas of work.
CAS expects the quality and volume of an employee’s work product to be the same regardless of the location where the work is performed.
Types of flexible work arrangements for staff include:
- Flexible schedule
- Compressed work week
- Remote work (including hybrid remote/on-campus arrangements)
- Part-time/part-year positions.
Unit managers should follow University HR’s Flexible Work Arrangements Process to determine which employees and positions are eligible for remote or flexible work.
Guiding Principles for Flexible Work Arrangement Decisions
The primary consideration in the decision-making process should be whether the flexible work arrangement will meet the operational needs of the unit and if the position’s essential functions can be performed effectively under the flexible work arrangement.
Unit managers are the supervisors of the administrative staff and operations, and CAS affirms their expertise in making decisions that are best for their units.
Student services need to be provided in person. This might mean less flexibility is possible for positions that are primarily student-facing; however, some units may prefer to set drop-in hours, during which students can meet with staff in person, to allow staff other times for uninterrupted work and/or remote work.
Flexible work arrangements may be implemented on a trial basis, and the University reserves the right to terminate a flexible work arrangement at any time due to performance concerns, organizational needs, or failure to follow any of the terms of the agreement.
Nothing in this guidance is intended to supersede units’ past practice or unit managers’ expertise. If flexible work arrangements or set student drop-in hours have been in place and working well in the past, they may continue. Likewise, if a manager determines, in accordance with the University’s Flexible Work Arrangements Process, that an employee or position is not eligible for flexible work, CAS will not require them to implement any flexible work agreement, although our goal is to be consistent across units.
Logistical Considerations
Most of the logistical considerations (for remote work in particular) are outlined on University HR’s Remote Work Arrangements Guidance page.
CAS will not increase unit budgets or provide additional one-time funding for the purchase of equipment or furniture for home offices.
Flexible work agreements are subject to revocation and/or modification at any time.
For COVID-specific logistical considerations, see the University’s coronavirus return to campus guidance.
Process
To implement flexible work arrangements for administrative classified staff and Officers of Administration, managers should follow the steps on University HR’s Flexible Work Arrangements Process page.
- In Step 2, “Request and Approval,” agreements of 31 days or more over the course of a year must be approved by the Dean's Office (Sherri Nelson).
- The direct supervisor is the final approver for agreements of fewer than 31 days over the course of a year.
UO Resources
Flexible Work Arrangements Policy and Guidance (contains many subpages of process, policy, FAQs, etc.)