Remote Work & Telecommuting Policies — Additional Information

Dear DU Community,

On July 22, 2021, Jerron Lowe, Interim Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, shared the University-wide pilot Remote Work Policy and the Telecommuting Policy for staff. Both policies are intended to provide guidelines for unit/division leaders as they create unit-specific Remote Work Plans.

As unit leaders and their teams are working to implement Remote Work Plans within their respective units, we would like to share some additional information for unit leaders, supervisors, managers and employees.

Unit Leaders (Deans, VCs, VPs, Cabinet-level)

You are tasked with creating a thoughtful remote work plan in collaboration with your leadership team. Initially, we requested that you complete your remote work plan by Aug. 13, but we encourage you to take the time necessary to develop an appropriate plan that takes into consideration the unique needs of your unit and clearly communicates your expectations around acceptable/approved remote work agreements for your staff. If you feel you need additional time, please consult with your HR partner and consider providing a timeline to your unit to assist with managing expectations of the staff.

Prior to communicating your Remote Work Plan to your division/community, as noted in the policy, you should submit your plan to your HR partner for review and consultation.

Supervisors and Managers

Please make sure you are working with your direct managers and unit leaders to convey the needs of your team. Once the remote work plans are reviewed and approved at the unit level, employees can choose to submit a request for a Remote Work Agreement that will be routed to you for approval or denial. To be approved, employee requests must align with a unit’s Remote Work Plan.

Any requests that fall outside a unit’s plan should be submitted for additional review by unit leaders through the exceptions process noted on the supervisor-level forms.

Employees

Unit leaders are working diligently to create remote work plans at the unit level. Until the plans are reviewed and communicated, you should continue to operate in a way that meets current University and department expectations.

For more information, we encourage you to look at the remote work process and telecommute process diagrams we have prepared.

Sincerely,

Jerron Lowe

Interim Vice Chancellor of Human Resources