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Office of Human Resources

Remote Work Resources for Managers

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The University recognizes that remote and hybrid working arrangements are an essential part of our community’s future work environment. In addition to the full details in the Remote Work Policy #175, this site offers the information, tools, resources and FAQs that will help managers successfully set up ongoing remote work arrangements and effectively manage a combination of remote, hybrid and on-site employees.

 

Forms and processes

The following documents will assist managers in evaluating and executing remote work arrangements with staff:

1: Managers should review the Process for Requesting Remote Work and complete the Remote Work Assessment to determine eligibility of jobs for long-term remote work.

2: Upon completion of the assessment, the Remote Work Proposal should then be submitted to divisional leadership for approval. Consult your Division Leadership for direction on approval process for your department. Department plans for remote work should be submitted to the assigned HR Business Partner.

3: Once approved, the Remote Work Agreement should be reviewed and accepted in HRMS by each employee in a full-time or hybrid remote work arrangement using directions found here.

Engaging Employees Working Remotely Manager Checklist

Meeting Expectations:
  • Set up a regular cadence of meetings to foster ongoing connection.
  • Use different types of meeting formats (i.e. group daily huddles, weekly or monthly team meetings, 1:1, or a combination).
  • Send an agenda ahead of time to keep participants aligned.
  • Consider quarterly or semi-annual in-person meetings.
  • Set guidelines for appropriate dress code for both in-person and virtual meetings.
  • Ask for feedback to continue to improve meeting styles and expectations.
  • During meetings:
    • Set etiquette that meeting participants should be focused on the meeting, not answering emails or doing other work in the background.
    • Use screen sharing to encourage focus and participation.
    • Use webcams to foster personal connections.
    • Use ZOOM breakout rooms to encourage small group conversation and brainstorming.
    • If it is a hybrid meeting, prompt remote team members to participate.
Building Rapport:
  • Build in social time to encourage casual conversation.
  • Share best practices of remote work among team to see what is working well and where there are opportunities for improvement.
  • Recognize and share successes and team wins to foster a supportive culture.
Performance Management:
  • Discuss how productivity will be measured and evaluated.
  • Decide how feedback will be communicated.
  • Address concerns and evaluate why they are occurring in real-time.
  • Show empathy. When giving feedback, focus on the underperformance vs. the underperformer and recognize and celebrate achievements.
Wellness Recommendations:
  • Watch and listen for cues that employee is feeling stressed, lonely, overwhelmed, and offer resources such as an open dialogue for their recommendations for resolution or the Employee Assistance Program .
  • Encourage work/life balance.
  • Ask about workload and if any work has had to be completed outside of regular hours.
  • Identify with employee their priorities and adjust if needed.
  • Ask the employee if they feel connected and if there are any barriers outside of physical distance that can be addressed.
Development Planning:
  • Make time to have career development and planning discussions with employees.
  • Encourage interested employees to explore MyPath for a wide range of remote learning opportunities.

Education and support

There are several new and existing educational opportunities we recommend within MyPath to help you effectively manage remote employees.

You can find additional educational opportunities outlined on our Learning & Developing page. In addition, our Manager’s Toolkit provides holistic management resources to help you successfully lead your team.

If you are looking to promote wellness support for your department we also offer many workshops such as Mindfulness for Stress Management, 5-minute Mindfulness, and Stress Reactivity Reset. These can all be found in the Well-U Department Request Form page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I assess the remote work needs of my staff?

Leaders and managers should follow the Remote Work Process and complete the Remote Work Assessment to determine opportunities for remote work in their area.

I’d like to give my staff the flexibility to work a hybrid schedule. At what point do I have to document that using the formal evaluation and request? (a day a week, as schedule and obligations allow, days before holidays, poor weather conditions). Does the answer change if I am managing Professional, Administrative & Supervisory (PAS) staff?

For episodic requests to work remotely (i.e. for one day or once in a while), there is no need to complete the assessment/agreement documents. If the request will result in a regular occurrence , the process should be followed.

If I plan to bring staff back to the office, is there someone I need to contact first?

This decision should be approved by Unit Leadership and proper health and safety protocols must be followed. Additionally, we recommend giving staff 4 weeks or as much notice as possible before asking them to return to on-site work. The Returning to On-Site Planning Guide (Net-ID required) can assist with this process.

The Proposal Request asks me about the cost savings associated with having staff work remotely. How do I measure or evaluate not using some office space? Not providing furniture? Not using other University services? Reduced infrastructure/capital costs? Will my Utilities budget be reduced?

While the performance metrics should not be different (unless job duties have changed), there may be aspects to how the work is done that differ from when it is done on-site, that should be factored into the assessment planning.

Work with your departmental/divisional finance person who can assist you with determining the value of potential cost savings.

How much notice do I need to give staff to return to work on site? How about just coming on-site for a meeting?

A manager should provide as much notice as possible to return to work on-site. That may vary depending on the urgency of the business need. It is important to discuss expectations related to regular work meetings and events throughout the year as part of the Remote Work Agreement (Net-ID required).

If I am a manager and I have office space that will be empty due to remote work, is there someone that should be notified?

Contact your departmental leadership to advise them of the availability of office space for potential other uses.

When I have an opening, do I advertise as fully/partially remote or do I wait until the person is hired and then go through the process of proposing remote work. What am I allowed to say about flexible or remote work schedule? Can I hire people who aren’t “local?”?

You should first determine if the position will be remote or hybrid by going through the remote work assessment review process. Once the type of work approach is approved, the position may be posted as eligible for remote, hybrid, or on-site work status. Candidates should not be disqualified if they are unable to work remotely. Working out of state subjects the University to numerous other laws and imposes additional insurance and payroll requirements, and costs. Accordingly, you must consult and receive approval pursuant to University Policy 132, Employment of Out-of-State Residents and Establishment of Out-of-State Work Locations prior to posting any positions or engaging any candidates for remote work.

How do I keep staff engaged and connected when managing staff that is both in-person and remote?

Managing hybrid work teams can be challenging. Resources to support leaders in managing hybrid work groups are available through the Office of Learning and Development, who can be contacted at UR_OLOD@rochester.edu. We will continue to add to these resources as more become available.

Some of my space needs to be modified to accommodate ‘hoteling’ of staff who occasionally report to the office, how do I proceed with that?

Work through your departmental leadership to engage with the applicable space planning resources.

How do I validate an employee’s remote work status in HRMS?

Staff with access to Personal Action Forms (PAFers) can view a report in HRMS by following this path: Main Menu > UR Reports & Interfaces > HR > HR Queries > Remote Worker Status.

More frequently asked questions

Answers to employee frequently asked questions are available on the Remote Work Employee Resources page.

Resources are also available for managers related to safely returning staff to onsite work.

Contact us

Still have questions?

Your HR Business Partner (HRBP) can provide guidance and additional assistance. Find your department’s HRBP on our Contact page.

See HR Business Partners