The University of Iowa’s Future of Work@Iowa committee has shared preliminary guidelines with deans, vice presidents, and senior human resources leaders to help begin making decisions about future work arrangements in their colleges and units—whether that means continuing remote work, returning to work on campus, or a hybrid format.

“Establishing work arrangements—including work locations and schedules—is an important step forward for our employees,” says Cheryl Reardon, UI associate vice president and chief human resources officer. “The experience of the pandemic, along with technology and market trends, allows us to think more broadly about effective work arrangements and assess more flexible options.”

The guidelines for evaluating the future of work, which apply to all campus units not engaged in health care delivery and to all colleges except the Carver College of Medicine, include:

• Engaging in a pre-planning process. Recommendations include establishing an org-level implementation committee; developing org-level principles and criteria; developing a business rationale to support remote work, hybrid options, or flexible schedules; and identifying job functions that may be eligible for remote work or flexible work schedules, among others.
• Management considerations. Each remote work, hybrid work, or flexible work schedule will require written documentation and must be approved by the employee, the supervisor, and the college or org leadership. Agreements must be reviewed periodically.
• Technology considerations. Remote or hybrid work arrangements must account for technology requirements on the part of both the employee and the university, including internet connectivity, standard IT services, adequate equipment, and data security.
• Environmental considerations. Remote or hybrid work arrangements should account for remote work spaces that are healthy, safe, ergonomic, and promote employee well-being. They should also allow for effective remote meetings, including secure video/audio connections that are free from potential distractions so all participants can focus their attention.

The committee recommends that colleges and units complete these steps by May. The implementation phase will take place in June and July.

In addition, faculty and staff from across campus can share their ideas or recommendations via this form on the UI Human Resources website.

“These preliminary guidelines are designed to support leaders in initial planning decisions for work arrangements,” says Reardon. “They align with forthcoming campuswide recommendations and offer a framework for developing and evaluating work arrangements for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.”

In addition, faculty will return to in-person classroom teaching in fall 2021 under the following scenarios:

• The university will hold classes in buildings that meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 ventilation recommendations. This means lectures with more than 150 students will be moved online to provide greater classroom flexibility.
• Faculty are expected to be on campus during the semester. Faculty members requesting to temporarily teach from out of state should consult with their DEO to submit a request.
• Faculty are encouraged to continue with virtual options for office hours, conferences, dissertation defenses, and faculty meetings, among others.

More information for faculty can be found on the Office of the Provost website.

In November 2020, the university established the Employee Experience Committee—renamed the Future of Work@Iowa committee—led by University Human Resources and the Office of the Provost. The committee is tasked with reimagining how UI employees work and where they work, and its members continue to engage, innovate, and serve. The committee plans to present its final recommendations to university administration in May.

More information can be found on the Future of Work@Iowa web page.