This message was sent via email to University faculty and staff on June 17, 2021.
To Our University Staff and Faculty,
For over a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many of the ways we work across the University. Each of us has been challenged to continually adapt to meet new and ever-changing needs. However, with a consistent decrease in infection rates and an increase in COVID-19 vaccinations, we can optimistically look to the future.
While we will continue to closely follow and respond to expert guidance at both a federal and state level, including this week’s guidance from New York State, it is important that we carefully and strategically make the right decisions for our organization. As we plan for the full re-opening of our campuses, University leadership is taking a thoughtful approach to workforce planning that carefully balances safety and flexibility for our employees with our education, research, and patient care missions.
Being a multi-faceted institution, we recognize that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to how our teams work, collaborate, and innovate, and as a result, it’s likely we’ll see a variety of work approaches. For example, those who have been working on-site will continue to do so, some teams who were working remotely will return to on-site work, some will continue to work remotely, and others will take a hybrid approach, combining both remote and on-site work.
Watch this video for a special message from President Mangelsdorf about the approach we are taking and the future of work at the University of Rochester.
Over the coming days, we will prepare leaders and managers with resources so they can plan for the approach that works best for their teams/areas. And, within the next few weeks, leaders will be discussing options with staff and completing assessments to determine the future work state for positions in their areas.
We are also preparing resources for employees, including answers to common questions, support for family care, mental health resources, and education related to remote work, which will be available soon on our HR website.
We thank you in advance for your patience as we work through this process.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Gallucci
Interim Chief Human Resources Officer