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UF Health University of Florida
PHHP Resources College of Public Health and Health Professions
Governance Overview

Flexibility in the Workplace Policy

Effective Date: September 1, 2022

Purpose

Collaboration and social cohesion are essential, core elements of the College of Public Health and Health Professions (PHHP) culture. We highly value in-person interactions among colleagues and believe that regular in-office presence is essential for maintaining and strengthening our college’s culture and for providing exemplary teaching, research, and service.  However, we also recognize the need to foster a flexible work environment that promotes the academic, research, and business needs of the college while also allowing employees to maintain a healthy work/life balance.  PHHP recognizes that the increased availability, affordability, and recent adaptability of technology offers possibilities, through the establishment of a formal telecommuting program, for gains in productivity, reduction of costs, increased recruitment and retention of specific positions, and the ability to repurpose some space from administrative to academic use.

This means offering the opportunity for the college’s current operations to include telecommuting, alternative work hours, and condensed work schedule arrangements when the employee, position duties, and college needs are suited for such an arrangement.  This policy provides guidance and expectations for how these opportunities should be identified and the current college policies for offering, revising, or approving such position alterations.

Individual positions that meet the requirements below may, at the discretion of the supervisory team, transition to an appropriate flexible work arrangement.  The supervisory chain of each position retains sole discretion as to whether the option is appropriate in any individual circumstance. This program is not intended to establish an entitlement, it is not a college-wide benefit, and it does not change the terms and conditions of employment with the college.

 All flexible arrangements must be formally documented in a Remote Work Location Agreement that is signed by the employee, direct supervisor, Department Chair, and approved by the College Dean or their designee.  For additional clarification, refer to the Formal Approval Process section of this policy.

Definitions 

  • Alternate Work Location: location, other than a PHHP facility, most typically an employee’s personal residence where work is completed.
  • Business Hours: shall be defined as 8am to 5pm (eastern time), weekdays. During this time, the college and each department must ensure offices and primary services are open and capable of providing in-person service to our alumni, colleagues, and collaborators.
  • Condensed Schedule: allows employees to perform their work duties over fewer days within work hours (see below), e.g., allowing an employee to work four days with ten-hour shifts, giving the employee an additional day off, in lieu of the more traditional five-day, eight-hour shift.
  • Flexible Work Arrangement: an arrangement that varies from a traditional work arrangement. This includes telecommuting and condensed schedule options.
  • Office Hoteling: an alternative approach to space management where multiple employees are assigned to an office space in a schedule/reservation process. Work spaces in this concept may include desks, offices, conference rooms, etc.
  • PHHP Facility: an official University of Florida (UF) owned or leased facility, most commonly in Gainesville, Florida
  • Shared Office: physical office space shared by two or more people.
  • Telecommuting: refers to a work arrangement whereby the employee occasionally (scheduled or intermittent) works from their home and “commutes” to their office using technology. There are two options for telecommuting:
    • Remote Work: this term defines positions that primarily work from an alternate work location. This designation can be determined in the position announcement and required as part of the position or be voluntarily selected by the incumbent and their supervisory team.  The employee in this category must reside and work within the United States. Remote work outside the State of Florida requires additional review and approval.
    • Hybrid: defines positions that work portions of their work assignment at a PHHP facility and portions of their work assignment at an alternate work location.
  • Traditional Work Arrangement: This policy works with the assumption that the traditional work arrangement is for employees to report to a PHHP facility with an assigned work location, and to work from 8am to 5pm (eastern time) with a one-hour lunch break.
  • Unit: refers to a group of people or an organization managed within or primarily supported by an academic department (e.g., a faculty lab, center, etc.). When used singularly may refer to a workgroup that exists at any level within the college.
  • Variable Schedule: allows employees to perform their work duties through use of fluctuating schedules from day-to-day within work hours (see below), e.g., allowing an employee to work four nine-hour days and one four-hour day, giving the employee an extra morning or afternoon off, in lieu of the more traditional five-day, eight-hour shift.
  • Work Hours: shall be defined as the period of the day within which employees may perform their work duties. This period is traditionally defined as 7am to 6pm (eastern time) on weekdays (Friday through Thursday, consistent with the university work week).

 Position Eligibility

A position’s suitability for telecommuting is based on the specific job duties and responsibilities assigned to each individual position as defined in the employee’s position description and the business needs of the unit, department, and college.  The supervisory team should take into consideration the work assignment in the position description and whether that work can be productively and appropriately conducted under the suggested flexible work arrangement.

Before entering any telecommuting arrangement, the employee and supervisor, with the assistance of the PHHP Human Resources (PHHP HR), will evaluate the suitability of such a plan, reviewing the questions found in the UF Human Resources (UFHR) Alternative Work Location Policy and/or the following areas:

  • Position Duties and Responsibilities – the employee and supervisor will discuss the position’s duties and responsibilities and determine if the position is appropriate for a flexible work arrangement. Ultimately, the onus is on the supervisory chain to determine that essential functions of the position can be done under the flexible work arrangement without disruption to the flow of work and communication, and without hindering the level of service to faculty, students, and other staff.  Additionally, there needs to be reasonable methods to measure and monitor job performance.
    • Position Types that are commonly suited for Remote or Hybrid Telecommuting would include positions where job duties are not tied to physical location, the position and individual can operate mainly on an independent basis, secure information does not need to be managed on a regular basis, and communication can transition to non-face to face interactions easily.
    • Whereas positions that are not suited for Remote or Hybrid Telecommuting include positions where job duties involved student-or patient-facing responsibilities that may include classroom instruction or advising. This would also include positions that involve specialized lab management and procedures, which require UF or PHHP facilities to safely perform.
  • Employee Suitability – for any flexible work arrangement, the employee and supervisor will assess the needs and work habits of the employee and whether they will be best served in the flexible work arrangement. Considerations should include a supervisor’s assessment of the employee’s ability to work autonomously and without consistent need for on campus resources, face-to-face communication, reliability concerning work hours, self-discipline, and work quality as well as prior performance in the position.
  • Alternate Workspace Requirements – the employee and supervisor will ensure that appropriate telecommuting workspace, equipment, and technology exist for the flexible work arrangement. If an alternate work location is part of the flexible work arrangement, the employee is responsible for establishing an appropriate work environment at the location including high-speed internet, cellular phone service, and appropriate privacy, information security and safety measures are followed.
  • Information Security: Consistent with the University’s expectations of information security for employees working on campus, telecommuting employees will be expected to ensure the protection of confidential information accessible from their alternate work location. Employees must ensure their work environments and habits remain compliant with the university’s HIPAA and FERPA policies.  Steps include the use of locked file cabinets and desks, locking their computer (requiring password) when away from it, and any other measures appropriate for the position and the environment.  When working outside of a PHHP facility, UFIT recommends using the secure virtual private network (VPN).
  • Safety: Employees are expected to maintain their alternate workspace in a safe manner, free from safety hazards just as they would in an office at a PHHP facility. Telecommuting employees are responsible for reporting any work-related incidents or injuries as soon as practical and report any changes that would affect his or her health and safety.  The employee is liable for any injuries sustained by visitors to his or her alternative work location.

Flexible work arrangements will be terminated if the employee cannot maintain the connectivity, safety, privacy, and/or security measures at their alternative work location.

Academic Positions

For positions that are offering teaching services, these teaching services are expected to be provided in the regularly scheduled university format, i.e., residential, on-campus course must be taught in-person.  Additionally, in the spirit of Florida Statute 1012.945 and University policies, Faculty shall provide students predictable access to faculty time outside of class, i.e., office hours.  Office hours must be posted in a conspicuous place, such as the syllabus, CANVAS and/or outside of their faculty office.  In general, office hours are to be held in-person, on campus during business hours.  These duties cannot be altered through a Flexible Work Arrangement.

Academic & Student Service employees will work in-person, at a PHHP facility during peak times, defined as the first three weeks of each academic semester.

On-Campus Coverage, Events, and Meetings

All positions will have required and/or mandatory in-person, on-campus events.  These commitments may arise throughout the term of the year, as well being pre-scheduled events, and will include team and community building activities.  Each position considering an alternate work location as part of a flexible work arrangement will need to identify a minimum number of days the position is expected to be on campus each month.

Employees on flexible work arrangements are still expected to be present at these events as designated by university administration, the College Dean, Department Chair or other parts of their supervisory chain.

Additionally, all units are responsible for making sure that their unit is open, operational, and provides in-person, on-campus support during the university’s standard business hours.  The need to provide this coverage must be considered in the consideration of flexible work arrangements.  Employees on flexible work arrangements may also be requested to return to a PHHP facility to provide appropriate coverage for the department as staffing coverage and demands fluctuate.

Equipment, Supplies, and Furniture

All approved telecommuting agreements require the use of university-owned and managed computing equipment, computer accessories, and software.  A typical telecommuting setup includes computing equipment (a laptop with docking station or desktop computer with 1-2 monitors), computer accessories (keyboard, mouse, and webcam) and necessary software licenses.  All UF-owned computing equipment must be tracked in myAssets as Attractive Property and have an active off-site certification.  All University policies regarding personal use of equipment must be followed.

PHHP Information Technology (IT) will provide support for the equipment provided by the unit, department and/or college.  PHHP IT will not support employee-owned equipment or employee-provided services such as internet and cellular services.  PHHP IT also will not enter a non-PHHP facility to service equipment.  When PHHP provided equipment is not functioning properly and requires being returned for repair or replacement, PHHP IT, the supervisor, and the employee must work together to find a temporary solution to keep the employee productive. Options may include:

  • Expedited pickup or shipping of temporary equipment to the employee.
  • A PHHP hoteling office may be available until the necessary equipment is repaired (if the employee lives within reasonable distance to PHHP facility).
  • Temporary use of an employee-owned device to access UF’s VPN and/or web-based applications
  • Required use of annual leave until the equipment is repaired and returned.

PHHP will provide general office supplies necessary to perform work duties when supply requests are approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor in a fashion similar to when working at PHHP facilities.  Except for extenuating circumstances with prior approval, the college or department will not provide or reimburse for printing or copying supplies and equipment to an employee at an alternative work location.

Any component of the University of Florida (the college, department, or unit included) is not responsible for costs associated with the setup of the employee’s home office, such as remodeling, furniture, or lighting, nor for repairs or modifications to the home office space.

Per UF Regulation 3.0421, failure to return University-owned equipment will result in financial liability.  Upon termination of employment, unreturned items may delay compensation payouts and will result in appropriate withholdings equivalent to the value of the equipment.

Statutory Requirements

The flexible work arrangement will need to meet the requirements of the appropriate workplace laws and regulations.  An example of such a situation would be that all individuals working a shift longer than six hours are required to take a half hour break.  Thus, any condensed or expanded work schedules would need to include appropriate break periods.

Tax and Other Legal Implications

The employee must determine any tax or legal implications under IRS, state, and local government laws, and/or restrictions of working out of a home-based office. Responsibility for fulfilling all obligations in this area rests solely with the employee.  Potential telecommuting arrangements outside the State of Florida must be further reviewed and approved by UFHR.

Formal Approval Process

If the evaluation, as previously described, supports a flexible work arrangement, the employee and their supervisory unit will follow/adhere to the requirements below:

  • TEAMS and OPS staff who engage in a telecommuting agreement, must complete the university’s Remote Work Location Agreement in its entirety, including all required approvals, prior to an employee beginning a telecommuting arran As per university policy, once approved, the Remote Work Location Agreement must be renewed annually.
  • Faculty are not required to complete a Remote Location Agreement unless one or more of the following conditions apply:
    • The individual will work more than 16 hours per week in an alternate work location with a duration lasting more than two continuous calendar weeks.
    • The individual will be away from a UF-owned facility and/or outside the State of Florida for more than two continuous calendar weeks, this includes professional travel.
    • The individual is working fully remote (e.g., providing online only education).
    • Should any of the above apply to a faculty position, the university’s Remote Work Location Agreement must be completed in its entirety, including all required approvals, prior to the faculty beginning a telecommuting arrangement.  As per university policy, once approved, the Remote Work Location Agreement must be renewed annually.
  • For employees engaging in a condensed work schedule that is exclusively performed at a PHHP facility, the condensed work schedule arrangement should be properly documented (in writing) and approved by department and college leadership

The college retains the right to refuse flexible work arrangements to any employee and/or to terminate the arrangement at any time—regardless of whether the request meets the established criteria.

Evaluating Performance of the Flexible Work Arrangement

Flexible work arrangement evaluation will require the measuring of the performance of the individual in the position as well as how the flexible work arrangement is meeting the needs of the individual’s work unit.  There are times where, due to the needs of the unit or due to unsatisfactory performance of the employee, a more traditional work schedule with increased face-to-face interaction is required.  The flexible work arrangement for each position must be evaluated on an annual basis, at minimum, to ensure:

  • The duties of the position can still be met under the flexible work arrangement.
  • The space considerations are meeting the needs of the unit.
  • The position has the appropriate equipment, technology and alternate work location to meet their job demands.
  • The unit can meet the coverage requirements with this flexible work arrangement.

Evaluating Performance of the Individual

Measuring the performance of an individual in this position must include a focus on results and behavior (accomplishments and compliance with institutional policies).  As telecommuting can increase a potential sense of disengagement for employees, regular, ongoing feedback between the supervisor and employee is imperative.

  • Supervisors and employees should have regular communication by video conference, email, or instant messaging through UF maintained applications or by phone.
    • It is expected that employees, when working at an alternate work location, will forward their university provided office phone (if applicable) directly or via Cisco jabber to their personal cellular phone or university-owned computer to aide in traditional accessibility and connectivity.
    • Communication between supervisors and employees should not be conducted via text messaging.
  • Standards for communication within a flexible work arrangement should be consistent with in-person, on campus expectations.
  • All telecommuting arrangements, including hybrid, should complete at least biannual check-ins to discuss work performance and goals.
  • Supervisors should monitor key performance indicators or measurable deliverables by the telecommuting employee.
  • University policies and standard workplace practices apply to telecommuting arrangements, including IT policies, dress code, professional work environment such as appropriate virtual backgrounds (college and/or university provided preferred), etc.

Reductions in the above categories can trigger the need to review the appropriateness of the flexible work arrangement.  It also can trigger, when appropriate, more traditional disciplinary actions against an employee.  An employee on a flexible work arrangement is not entitled to return to a traditional work arrangement before disciplinary actions are taken.

Scheduling and Time Worked

Unless an alternate or condensed work schedule is approved and specified in the telecommuting documentation, employees are expected to work during normal UF business hours, 8 am to 5pm (Eastern Time: eastern standard/daylight time, as applicable during the calendar year).

Telecommuting is not designed to be a replacement for appropriate family (e.g., child or dependent adult) care during scheduled work hours.  Although an individual employee’s schedule may be modified, with advance supervisory approval, to accommodate such needs, the focus of the arrangement must remain on position performance and meeting work demands.  Prospective telecommuters are encouraged to discuss expectations of telecommuting with family members prior to entering a telecommuting arrangement.

Full-time telecommuting employees (consistent with in-person, on campus employees) are required to work a minimum of 40 hours per week or use the appropriate personal leave. Telecommuting employees follow the same attendance policies and guidelines as set forth in the UF Employee Handbook.

Telecommuting employees who are not exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act will be required to accurately record all hours worked using UF’s time-management system.  Hours worked more than their approved work schedule require advance approval, consistent with the PHHP Policy Requesting and Approving Overtime.  Supervisors must ensure accurate recording of hours worked.