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UA COVID 19 Phase C - Operational Transition Guidelines

As the universities prepare to transition to Phase C of the COVID 19 On-site Operations Plan, UA Human Resources is providing guidelines and action items for supervisors to consider. Phase C states “Resumption of on-site functions. Remote work available as determined by the chancellor of each university and the UA president for the system office (or their delegated representatives).” If you are considering remote work for you or your direct reports, please work with your supervisor. Approval for Telework agreements is delegated to your cognizant Dean or Director (information below). 

The transition guidelines related to the COVID-19 On-site Operations Plan are different from the ongoing holistic project to identify the administrative guidelines, policies, and procedures for long-term remote work (including telework) that are scheduled to be shared in the Fall of 2021. 

To determine if a position is suitable for continuing remote work under the transition guidelines, consider what the business needs are and whether or not staff members can work remotely or if they are needed on-site during Phase C. If it is determined that remote work is an option for employees, engage employees to discuss the remote telework arrangement. Discuss the alternate work location, work schedule, required times to be in the office (if needed), etc. The UA Virtual Campus is a resource for supervisors and employees. 

Once the remote telework arrangement has been determined, the employee can submit the Telework Agreement form via NextGen (SSO login credentials required). The “Authorized Approver” has been determined by your university leadership as the cognizant Dean or Director. Please note, you will need to complete a new Telework Agreement in the Fall once the long-term remote work project is completed. If an employee returns to work fully on-site and they have a telework agreement, they will need to complete the telework agreement cancellation form. The cancellation form will notify the employee’s immediate supervisor once complete. 

If an employee is approved to work outside the state of Alaska, the department will incur additional fees related to university-related tax return preparation, required government

administrative fees and/or consulting fees. Additionally, supervisors can set up a flexible work schedule to help support employees (August 11, 2020, Communication from UA Chief Human Resources Officer Steve Patin). 

Phase C Transition Guidelines for COVID-19 On-site Operations Plan: 

• General Guidelines 

○ Are business needs being met (e.g. employee is available during business hours)? 

○ Are employees able to maintain the security of university owned equipment and data (i.e. confidential forms, access to Banner, etc.)? 

○ Are supervisors able to ensure that all employees have an equitable workload (e.g. how will ad-hoc requests that can only be accommodated by someone available in-person be handled)? 

○ Would working on-site be a more welcoming in-person experience for students, faculty, staff and visitors? 

○ Does the academic experience and support interactions need to be face-to-face in order to maintain a high level of service for students? 

○ What are the physical space needs and considerations if the employee is working on-site (i.e. social distancing needs, employees rotating schedules, etc)? ○ Does providing remote or hybrid remote work as an option enhance employee retention or recruitment? 

○ Does the employee have the support they need to work remotely (i.e. internet connectivity, office supplies, etc.)? 

• Position-specific Guidelines

○ Is the position most effective in-person or requires in-person interactions with colleagues, customers, the public, or students? 

○ Is the position responsible for managing a facility or area that requires in-person or on-site management and/or maintenance (i.e. lab manager, residence life, facilities services, data center etc.)? 

○ Does the position need to be on-site to support student life activities (i.e. athletic coaches and trainers, student recreation centers, residence life, etc.)? 

○ Does access to job-specific equipment or tools require that the employee be on campus or on-site? 

○ Does training need to occur in-person? 

• Performance Guidelines

○ Is the employee productive and/or efficient working in person, remotely or in a hybrid arrangement? 

○ Is the response time sufficient/timely and are the responses professional? ○ Are agreed upon work schedules maintained? 

○ Does the employee meet deadlines and performance expectations? 

○ Does working remotely provide high quality support to co-workers and students? ○ Are the supervisor and employee able to effectively communicate the needs of the department or unit and work together to meet those expectations? 

Please contact UA Human Resources by email at ua-hr@alaska.edu or by phone at (907) 450-8200 if you have any questions.