• Suitability for Remote or Hybrid Work
• Terms and Conditions of Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangements
• Employee Selection Criteria and Conditions
• Work Schedule and Overtime
• Compensation and Benefits
• Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement Form
• Equipment and Information Security
• Work Environment
• Remote and Hybrid Work
• Glossary of Terms
  • Examples of flex time arrangements include the following:
  • The Compressed Work Week
  • Examples of compressed workweek arrangements include the following:
• Reduced appointments less than 100%
• See Also

Suitability for Remote or Hybrid Work

Either an employee or a managing supervisor can suggest remote or hybrid work as a possible arrangement. Before entering any remote or hybrid work arrangement, the employee and supervisor will evaluate the suitability of such an arrangement paying particular attention to the following areas:

• Job Responsibilities - the employee and supervisor will discuss job responsibilities and determine if the job is appropriate for a remote or hybrid work arrangement.
• Employee Suitability - the employee and supervisor will assess the needs and work habits of the employee, compared to traits customarily recognized as appropriate for successful remote workers. Successful traits include the ability to work independently, organization and time management skills, self motivation, and results orientation.

If the employee and supervisor agree to a remote or hybrid work arrangement, the employee will enter into a Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement with appropriate university approvals before the arrangement begins.

Terms and Conditions of Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangements

1. All remote or hybrid work arrangements will generally be set on an annual basis, subject to renewal at the end of the time period or early termination at any time.
2. A hybrid work schedule for Urbana civil service and academic professional staff will be generally defined as three or four days on-site and other days working remotely.
3. The employee and supervisor will agree on the number of days of remote work each week, the work schedule the employee will customarily maintain, and the manner and frequency of communication. The employee agrees to be accessible by phone, e-mail or other electronic medium during the agreed upon work schedule.
4. Communication between the employee and supervisor will generally be at a level consistent with employees working at the office or in a manner and frequency that is appropriate for the job and the individuals involved.
5. Employees entering remote, or hybrid work arrangements must be available for and participate in meetings in accordance with the normal demands of the job. An employee’s work modality (in-person, remote or hybrid) should not be a factor in determining who needs to be included in a meeting. The modality of all invited to the meeting may drive whether the meeting is held in person, via video call or potentially a hybrid of in-person and video call. If necessitated for business purposes, remote or hybrid work employees may be asked to report onsite for in person meetings.
6. Remote or hybrid work employees remain obligated to comply with all university rules, policies, practices, and procedures. Violation of such rules, practices and procedures may result in immediate termination of the arrangement and possible disciplinary action in accordance with university policies.
7. Employees working remote or hybrid schedules must follow their unit’s normal process for requesting time off, such as floating holiday, vacation or sick leave. Nothing about the remote work arrangement changes the university’s policies on use of sick leave or vacation leave.
8. The availability of remote or hybrid work arrangements for employees of the University of Illinois can be discontinued at any time at the discretion of the university. Every effort will be made to provide 10 calendar days’ notice of such a change to accommodate commuting and other problems that may arise from such a change. However, the university may terminate the arrangement without notice. An employee can also be temporarily assigned full -time to their onsite office location, at the university’s discretion as it is deemed necessary for business purposes.
9. Employees entering a remote or hybrid work arrangement greater than 2 days/week may be required to use shared workstations and/or hoteling space when working on-site.
10. Prior to renewal of any remote or hybrid work arrangement, the employee and supervisor will each evaluate the arrangement and make recommendations for continuance. Renewal or modifications of the arrangement are subject to the judgment and discretion of the supervisor.

Employee Selection Criteria and Conditions

The supervisor will review remote or hybrid work requests considering the factors listed below:

1. Needs of the unit.
2. Employee's work responsibilities and the ability to monitor and measure work performed.
3. Availability and costs of required equipment.
4. Employee's current and past job performance, as documented in performance evaluations, including time management, organizational skills, self-motivation, and the ability to work independently.
5. Assessment of other employees in the immediate work unit performing similar responsibilities to determine interest.
6. Impact on customer service quality.
7. Measurable objectives and results agreed to by the employee and the supervisor.
8. Other items deemed necessary and appropriate.

Remote and hybrid work arrangements are not a substitute for dependent or day care.

Work Schedule and Overtime

The work schedule of the employee will be determined by the supervisor (or by designer defined by unit procedures) and will be documented in the Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement.

Overtime eligible employees working remote, or hybrid schedules are required to record all hours worked in a manner designated by the unit. Hours worked in excess of those specified per day and per workweek will require the advance approval of the supervisor, just as when working onsite.

Compensation and Benefits

Remote and hybrid work arrangements are management tools allowing for flexibility in work options. They do not change the basic terms and conditions of employment. Salary, job responsibilities, and university benefits do not change because of a remote

or hybrid work arrangement.

Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement Form

A completed Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement is required and after the employee routes to the supervisor, the form must be routed through the approvals required by the electronic form. The agreement should be reviewed annually prior to the start of the academic year and updated as needed.

Equipment and Information Security

The supervisor will determine, with information supplied by the employee and others involved, the appropriate equipment and communication services needs for each arrangement on a case-by-case basis.

Equipment supplied by the university is to be used for business purposes only. The employee and employing unit will document in the Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement the university equipment to be used by the employee in the remote location. The employee must protect the university equipment from damage or theft. Upon termination of employment or termination of the remote and hybrid arrangement, the employee will be required to promptly return all university property to the unit.

The university will supply the employee with appropriate office supplies (pens, paper, etc.) for successful completion of job responsibilities.

1. Depending on the job, equipment needs will vary and are determined by the supervisor when working a remote or hybrid schedule.
2. Employees working a remote or hybrid schedule must abide by the university's policies covering information security, software licensing and data privacy.
3. Employees working a remote or hybrid schedule must abide by university purchasing and accounting policies and practices for all purchases and expenditures incurred for remote or hybrid work equipment and services.
4. Maintenance on university-owned equipment will be performed only by a university authorized technician. The employee will be responsible for bringing the equipment to the designated repair location. Necessary maintenance and repairs on university-owned equipment will be performed at the university's
5. expense.
6. Maintenance and repair of employee-owned equipment is the responsibility of the employee. The university is not liable for such equipment even if the employee is engaged in university work at the time of malfunction.

Work Environment

1. Employees must have privacy and minimize distractions while working remotely.
2. Employees entering hybrid and remote work arrangements must be available for, and participate in phone calls, video meetings, and other necessary forms of communication in accordance with the normal demands of the job. Managers shall set expectations for video camera usage when working remotely.
3. If the remote or hybrid work arrangement involves use of the employee’s home, the employee will establish an appropriate work environment for work purposes. The university will not be responsible for costs associated with initial setup of the employee's home office such as remodeling or lighting, or the cost of utilities. Upon reasonable advance notice to the employee, the university may inspect the employee’s home worksite for conformance with minimal workplace requirements, including possible work hazards and to suggest modifications.
4. Injuries sustained by the employee while at their home-based work location and in conjunction with their regular work duties are normally covered by the university’s workers' compensation policy. Employees working a remote or hybrid arrangement are responsible for notifying the university of such injuries in accordance with worker's compensation procedures. The employee, and not the university, is responsible for any injuries sustained by visitors to their work site. (See APPENDIX A.)
5. Consistent with the university’s expectations of information asset security for onsite work, employees working remotely will be expected to ensure the protection of university information accessible from their home office. Steps include, but are not limited to, use of locked file cabinets and desks, regular password maintenance, use of the campus Virtual Private Network (VPN; see Technology Services VPN details), and any other steps appropriate for the job and the environment.
6. Individual tax implications related to the home-based workspace shall be the responsibility of the employee working remotely.

Remote and Hybrid Work

Glossary of Terms

Remote or Hybrid Work are arrangements where an employee regularly performs some or all assigned job duties at an off-site work location. Remote or hybrid work may be used for a short-term project or a longer-term arrangement.

Hybrid is a work schedule at UIUC that will generally be defined as three days or more on-site and other days working remotely.

Fully Remote is a work schedule in which the employee is 100% off-site, although may occasionally be required to attend on-campus meetings or events.

FlexPlace, or remote, refers to arrangements that allow an employee to work at home or another off-site location, often sporadically and/or for a pre-determined duration.

Occasional Hybrid: Situational, where an employee usually works onsite except during emergencies or other specific employer-approved situations; may be from an approved location. A Remote and Hybrid Work agreement is not required for occasional situations in which the employee works at home.

Flex Time allows for flexible scheduling arrangements that permit variations in starting and departure times, but does not alter the total number of hours worked in a workweek.

Examples of flex time arrangements include the following:

• Fixed starting and departure times that are different from normal business hours of the department. Agreed-upon starting and departure times continue for a specified period with the same number of hours worked each day.
• Pre-approved starting and departure times that may vary daily. With such a personalized work schedule, an employee may arrive at work and leave at a different time each day, provided the number of hours worked each day remains the same.

The Compressed Work Week

The Compressed Work Week allows a staff member to work a traditional 37.5 or 40-hour workweek in less than the traditional number of workdays.

Examples of compressed workweek arrangements include the following:

• A full-time employee scheduled for 40 hours per week could work four 10-hour days instead of five 8hour days. Or four 9-hour days and one 4-hour day.
• Please note units must consult with IHR prior to agreeing to these alternate schedules for civil service employees.
• The length of the workday could vary, but the majority of the work hours must remain within the core hours of the operation.
• At no time should the workweek result in a schedule that is in excess of the applicable normal 37.5 or 40hour workweek or require the use of overtime.
• Reporting of vacation and sick leave usage must be reported in the compressed full-day increment.

Reduced appointments less than 100%

Where mutually beneficial, a unit may restructure a position to be less than full-time. It is important to note that such arrangements will have implications for the employee in areas such as benefits and employment rights. The employee should carefully consider the personal impacts before reducing their appointment percentage.

Fully On-Site: Employee works fully at location that is owned, leased or maintained by the University.

Hoteling Space: Reservation-based style of office space management where employees schedule their use of workspaces (including desks, cubicles, equipment, and conference rooms).

Shared Office Space: Office or working space shared by employees who work hybrid schedules that do not overlap, allowing the space to be fully utilized. Each employee must have locking cabinet or drawer space to secure personal materials and/or files.

Dedicated Office Space: Office or working space for employees who work fully on-site, may include those who occasionally work remote.

Collaboration Space: Space reserved for teams of employees, including remote or hybrid employees who come on-site for team meetings or collaborative work with others.

Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement is a university form document that describes the terms of a specific remote and hybrid work arrangement between the university and an individual employee.

Last Modified: July 2, 2024