UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Following a successful transition to full on-campus activities and increased presence of faculty and staff on-site during the fall 2021 semester, University leaders have announced a continuation of all current guidance on work arrangements for Penn State employees during the spring 2022 semester. All guidelines and resources implemented by the Return to Work Task Group in April 2021 will continue to be used, and exemptions to on-site work will be approved at the unit level based on business needs.
Faculty guidance
During the upcoming spring semester, faculty will continue to provide in-person instruction. The “work adjustments” process for faculty to request remote instruction for health-related reasons concluded Oct. 29. If a faculty member has not submitted an application and experiences a significant change in their medical condition or the condition of an immediate family member, they should contact their Human Resources strategic partner to discuss next steps.
“Our faculty have done a tremendous job throughout the University’s return to on-campus teaching,” said Nick Jones, executive vice president and provost. “Faculty members’ dedication has been critical to our students’ successful return, and we are grateful for all the creativity and adaptability they have shown these past few semesters.”
Note that approval for a work adjustment through this process is limited to approval for remote work from within the United States. Faculty members with documented disabilities still may request reasonable accommodations under the American Disabilities Act (ADA) by contacting the Affirmative Action Office.
Staff guidance
Staff members who are working remotely or following a hybrid work schedule may continue with their current work arrangements through the spring semester with supervisor approval.
“Many staff members have continued to work remotely or taken on hybrid schedules with great success this fall semester,” said Lorraine Goffe, vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer. “We are grateful for their commitment and confident that the continuation of our flexible work processes will benefit our employees and the organization overall.”
Leaders and supervisors who are considering remote or hybrid work arrangements can continue using the “Supervisors Guide to Assessing Suitability for Remote Work” to help determine whether their employees’ work can effectively be performed remotely. Supervisors should evaluate whether all of the following criteria are met:
- The employee is in good standing and has met or exceeded expectations in the last two performance review cycles. New hires may be approved for remote work, but any such arrangements should be evaluated by the supervisor midsemester.
- The employee’s work can effectively be performed remotely.
- The remote work arrangement being proposed enables the employee to continue responsibilities relating to any in-person interactions with students, visitors, customers and fellow employees.
- The continued remote work request does not require unit resources beyond those that have already been devoted to remote work during the pandemic.
When evaluating requests for remote or hybrid work arrangements, supervisors must also take into consideration their unit’s expectations regarding on-site work. All changes to work arrangements should be discussed with Human Resources strategic partners and approved or denied by unit executives. On-demand training related to remote/hybrid work is available on the HR website.
Staff with documented disabilities also may request reasonable accommodations under the ADA by contacting the Affirmative Action Office. Additional resources on remote work are available on HR’s Remote Work website. Staff can also speak to their HR strategic partner or consultant if they have individual questions.
University implementation of flexible work arrangements
Formal policies and guidelines on flexible work, including but not limited to remote and hybrid work arrangements, will be developed and implemented based on the accepted recommendations from the Remote Work task force. The Flexible Work Arrangements – University Implementation project team is a cross-functional team of representatives from across the University. The team, led by Robert Hartman, senior director of labor and employee relations and interim assistant vice president for Human Resources, will begin by developing a baseline policy on flexible work arrangements in early 2022.
More extensive guidance, including training resources and updates to existing policies, will be developed and shared with the Penn State community throughout 2022. These frameworks will continue to allow units, colleges and campuses to have autonomy to implement flexible work arrangements among staff members according to their business needs, as long as campus vibrancy and commitment to in-person service is maintained.