Flexible and Hybrid Work Arrangements

The Sam Fox School recognizes the benefit of hybrid and flexible work arrangements for some roles.  Supervisors should discuss these options with staff members who wish to implement a hybrid and/or flexible work plan. The supervisor and staff member should agree upon the schedule together and should solidify it in writing using the WashU HR form. Supervisors should review and confirm hybrid and/or flexible work agreements with direct reports once per year, preferably at the start of the new fiscal and/or academic year. Plans should be submitted by the supervisor to the Associate Dean for Finance (Sam Fox School) or the Office of the Director (Kemper Art Museum).

Hybrid Work Schedule

“A hybrid model reflects a decision by management to allow employees to work part of their work time on campus and part away from campus (remote).” According to the WashU Human Resources Hybrid Work Pages, it may be appropriate to use a hybrid work model for the following reasons:

  • Your area/department is the type of function where people often work from home. 
  • Your area is already set up well to allow a hybrid model (equipment, technology already established). There is not a significant extra business cost. 
  • Roles are not front-facing with customers onsite; they can be done with remote interaction (not in person); they can easily be supported by technology; works especially well with single contributor roles that require high concentration.
  • Hybrid schedules positively contribute toward the work-life balance and morale of staff.

The Sam Fox School allows some staff members to implement a hybrid work schedule by working remotely for up to two days per week. All staff members working under a hybrid schedule must have a conversation with and approval from their supervisor.

Hybrid and remote work should not typically be conducted outside of the staff member’s primary home in the St. Louis greater region, unless there is an exception granted by the supervisor. Staff are generally encouraged to keep a standard schedule, but supervisors can agree to a more open arrangement (e.g. employee works up to two days per week at home based on their schedule of meetings and appointments, rather than a standard set of home days/office days).

Flexible Work Guidelines

“Flexible scheduling is about changing the hours you work, start and stop times, numbers of hours per day or per week. Each work location, whether on campus or remote, may support a flexible work schedule.” The university has a Flexible Work Arrangement Policy that may act as a starting point for conversations between supervisors and their staff about potential flexible work arrangements or guidelines.

In general, the majority of Sam Fox School staff members perform their duties on-campus and in-person or from an approved remote location. A typical schedule is 7.5 work hours per day, beginning at 8:30 a.m., concluding at 5 p.m., and including one hour for lunch. However, the Sam Fox School also recognizes that staff members may have work responsibilities or personal circumstances that could warrant using a flexible work schedule. Supervisors and their staff should have a proactive conversation about the expected and anticipated work schedule for that staff member. Staff should communicate any circumstances to their supervisors that may require flexibility. Supervisors should lead with care and flexibility to allow a greater opportunity for staff members to balance their work and personal responsibilities, within reason.

If there is a regular flexible schedule arrangement that is agreed upon by the supervisor and staff member, that schedule should be memorialized in writing. Staff members working under flexible work arrangements are required to satisfactorily perform all job duties and comply with all applicable University policies.

Temporary Flexibility

There may be circumstances that warrant a supervisor proactively providing temporary flexibility to a staff member’s work schedule and/or location. Supervisors should use care and compassion to understand when their staff may need temporary flexibility due to extenuating work commitments such as late-night events, working on a weekend, or personal and family circumstances. For example, a supervisor may recognize that a staff member is working several hours at a late-night event and encourage them to come in late the next day if they are able. Cases of temporary flexibility provided by a supervisor in this manner do not need to be memorialized in writing as long as the supervisor and staff member have a shared understanding of the temporary schedule change and expectations. Temporary flexibility granted in response to extenuating work commitments should occur within a reasonable amount of time after the inciting incident. Permitting supervisors to grant temporary flexibility is not intended to allow employees to bank additional time-off outside of established leave policies.

Updated September 2024