MWI Report Summary

Our experience of working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic provided valuable insights into the possibilities and potential benefits of Flexible Work Arrangements for our employees and for our institution. 

UMass Amherst recognizes that the use of Flexible Work Arrangements can support academic and business objectives while also promoting goals related to employee engagement, retention, recruitment, and overall employee satisfaction. 

The Modern Workplace Working Group, made up of representatives from across campus, explored how a more flexible workplace could be implemented while continuing to provide an exceptional educational experience to our thousands of students. The working group examined best practices, gathered feedback from the campus community, and drafted policy recommendations.  

While there are certain positions that require an on-campus presence or standard hours, there are many others that can benefit from a more flexible framework. The Modern Workplace Initiative comprehensively examined how flexible work can impact campus and what steps the university should take to ensure flexible work options are successful, including examining technology and workspace considerations, supervising in a flexible schedule environment, and how to implement flex work while considering diversity and equity. The initiative also incorporated staff unions into its work through a dedicated flexible work labor/management committee structure. 

Modern Workplace Initiative Working Group Members

  • William Brown – Associate Dean for Financial Operations & Strategic Initiatives, Isenberg School of Management 
  • Rolanda Burney – Chief of Staff, Chancellor’s Office 
  • Thomas Burns - Technical Assistant, Facilities & Campus Services
  • Jonah Carlson - Student Services Coordinator, University Without Walls
  • Shane Conklin – Associate Vice Chancellor, Facilities &Campus Services 
  • Donna Falcetti – Assistant Dean, College of Information and Computer Sciences 
  • Deborah Gould – Associate Provost, Administration and Finance, Provost’s Office 
  • Trevor Graham – Director, Financial Planning & Data Analysis, College of Natural Science 
  • Corey Griffin – Director, Faculty Staff Assistance Program, Human Resources 
  • Heather Gross - Senior Data Analyst, School of Public Health & Health Sciences
  • Matthew Harrington – IT Head of Portfolio Management, Information Technology 
  • Norma Nunnally (co-chair) – Director of Human Resources, University Health Services 
  • Pete Smith – Director of SACL Communication & Professional Development, SACL 
  • Nefertiti Walker – Vice Chancellor, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 
  • Susan Weldon (co-chair) – Senior Director for Employee Engagement, Human Resources 
  • Liz Williams – Director of Survey Research, Academic Planning & Assessment

The work of the Modern Workplace Initiative Working Group has been completed, reviewed, and approved by UMass Amherst leadership.  The report was then shared with staff unions for discussion, and guidelines and a form related to flexible work are now available. 

Highlights of the report include:

Executive Summary

The Modern Workplace Initiative Working Group recommends that the university allow the possibility of flexible, remote, and/or hybrid operations as standard practice for university employees. Campus units should be granted the authority to make arrangements, within established guidelines, that meet their needs and ensure no undue burden is placed on colleagues in their own unit or other units on campus. Specific recommendations with regard to policy, infrastructure and space, equity, and assessment follow:

  1. POLICY
    The university should establish a clear and cohesive set of policies that govern flexible, hybrid, and remote work, establishing a minimum standard for consistent service delivery across the institution. Until policies governing these arrangements are written, the university should continue allowing flexible, hybrid, and remote work arrangements utilizing the current process.
     
  2. INFRASTRUCTURE AND SPACE
    The university should invest resources in the built environment to modernize facilities to an equitable standard across administrative units; the workforce should be developed with new skills to thrive in the modern workplace.
     
  3. EQUITY
    The university should ensure that flexible work arrangements are available to all employees whose responsibilities and job performance allow for such adjustments to work schedule and location. Flexible work arrangements should be adopted in order to recruit and retain a diverse workforce.
     
  4. ASSESSMENT
    The university should establish an ongoing review and assessment of policy, infrastructure and space, and equity to maintain relevance to the modern workplace.

 

Benefits and Challenges of Flexible Work

The pandemic clearly accelerated the adoption of flexible work across the country and the world in virtually all industries and organizations. Both employers and employees are seeing the potential benefits of remote work, which include:

  • Improved recruitment and retention: As challenging as the pandemic has been, the workforce was quick to recognize the benefits of flexible work arrangements. Most organizations are incorporating some form of flexible work on a permanent basis.
  • Improved service and availability to our students either through extended hours or increased use of technology over in-person meetings
  • A positive impact on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
  • An increase in productivity through the reduction of office distractions
  • Improved employee engagement and morale
    • Improved quality of life and work/life balance
    • Time saving due to less commuting and daily prep time
    • Flexibility to meet family needs
    • Demonstrating respect that the university trusts its employees to complete their work, no matter the location
  • Providing a cost-efficient and eco-friendly work environment
    • Employees save money on gas, food, clothing
    • The university has the potential to save on office space, utilities, supplies, etc.
    • A lower carbon footprint through fewer cars on the road as well as the above-listed savings

Although the benefits to flexible work have been widely promoted, potential pitfalls and challenges should also be identified for departments and supervisors to be prepared to address potential issues proactively:

  • Employee isolation
  • Loss of spontaneous and in-person communication and collaboration
  • Adjusting to different working and management styles
  • Managing collaboration of hybrid teams
  • Distractions from work by home and personal business
  • Loss of clear delineation between work and home life
  • Diminished feelings of connectedness with colleagues/coworkers
  • Loss of camaraderie and trust
  • Challenges with on-boarding and mentoring new employees

 

Guiding Principles and Goals

The Modern Workplace working group was guided by the following principles as they examined flexible work and its impacts on the university:

  1. MISSION – Our mission at UMass Amherst is to provide an affordable and accessible education of high quality and to conduct programs of research and public service. As these activities are primarily conducted in person for the benefit of our students, any examination of flexible work must consider the impact on our student population.  
  2. OPERATIONAL NEEDS – Decisions regarding flexible work must continue to allow the university to achieve institutional goals and meet school and business needs. 
  3. EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE – Fostering the holistic wellbeing of our employees through flexible workplace options is an essential factor in the engagement, retention, and satisfaction of our employees. 
  4. DIVERSITY – The university is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive work community. Consideration of flexible work options should contribute to our ability to attract and retain a talented and diverse workforce.  
  5. EQUITY – While outcomes for various positions will vary depending on departmental need and individual performance, a consistent and transparent process should be developed to ensure equity in decision making. 
  6. TRAINING – Ongoing training and support tied to flexible work arrangements will be essential to ensuring a successful flexible work environment. 
  7. FLEXIBILITY AND CREATIVITY – The university must be open to creative solutions for our employees that evolve over time to meet the changing needs of a flexible workplace while continuing to provide a collaborative work environment. 
  8. BUSINESS CONTINUITY – An infrastructure plan for technology, communications, and physical space will allow for efficient operations, consistency, and safety. 
     

Working Group Recommendations

  1. Ensure that we continue to fully support the university’s mission of providing a high quality and accessible education for our students while building an effective flexible work structure for our eligible staff members.
     
  2. Create a modern workplace that fully supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
     
  3. Develop flexible work guidelines that are specific and transparent
     
  4. Ensure our employees are engaged in their work at the university
     
  5. Provide extensive support and training to both supervisors and staff
     
  6. Information Technology Recommendations:
    • Recommendations For Remote Workspaces
      • The university should provide general guidance on how to securely use personally owned equipment to conduct university business.
      • The university should provide recommended or required specifications for both university owned and personally owned equipment to be used when working in a hybrid/remote/flexible model.
      • The university should take into consideration technology needs, such as reliable access to the internet, as part of flexible/remote work arrangement agreements.
    • Recommendations For On-Campus Workspaces
      • The university should invest in technologies that make hybrid videoconferencing meetings more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. For example, dedicated hardware for Zoom Rooms and/or Microsoft Teams Rooms. Further, UMass Amherst should explore technology that supports and standardizes flexible workspaces, such as reserving conference rooms, hotel spaces, and hot desks.
    • Recommendations For Information Technology Resources and Supports
      • ​The university should offer training tracks for using technology and supervising staff using technology to support remote work.
      • The university should augment access to existing Information Technology support resources to better support remote and hybrid workers, including standard configurations for hardware, single point of service for ticketing, etc.

      7. Regularly evaluate and address the impact and needs of flexible work arrangements