Remote Work Assessment
Assessing remote work
Click on each box below to walk through important assessment considerations or download and print a PDF version of this guidance.
Important to first consider
- In what way(s) does this remote work arrangement serve the interests of the University? What is the impact to students, customers, patients, other departments, peers?
Job responsibilities and performance
- What job functions in your departments are needed to meet the business needs now? Have any roles changed permanently?
- What essential job functions/responsibilities of any roles have changed due the new virtual and/or remote work environment?
- Is position restructuring or new training required?
- Are new job descriptions required?
- Do you need more or less FTEs in each function?
- Can the essential functions and duties be performed off-site by remote employees? Can this be done in full or in part?
- If remote work will be a hybrid arrangement of part remote and part on-site how will office space be provided?
- For job duties that cannot be completed remotely, what changes to job roles or processes will be required to continue to meet key stakeholder needs?
- What performance metrics will you use to measure and monitor productivity and effective completion of duties for remote workers? How will you communicate these expectations?
- Have you established expectations if performance metrics are not being met? (e.g. Will employee be expected to return on-site? Are there space implications of having to bring workers back on-site either full-time or part-time?
- What work hours will be required?
- What options are available for flexible scheduling? How will you track and communicate on/off hours?
- How will you ensure meal breaks are provided in a remote arrangement?
- Have you revised the job description to reflect remote work capabilities?
- How will new hires be trained in a remote setting?
Physical space
- Do any roles/responsibilities require an employee to be physically located on-site for portions of their work week?
- What if an individual (incumbent or applicant) does not have the physical space or other requirements to work remotely
- How will you accommodate this in the department space? (The University will not “require” remote work for employees who do not have adequate remote space. It is expected that the department will accommodate with on-site space.)
- If considering hybrid model work schedules (part remote/part onsite), is there enough work space and equipment available for employees when onsite? Are lockers, file cabinets, etc. needed for securing belongings when not onsite?
- How much office space could be released if remote work is approved? Is there an opportunity to re-purpose unused space or to save on leased space?
Equipment needs
- Do employees have appropriate University-issued computers (laptop or desktop) to complete the work?
- What additional equipment will be required? (webcams, monitors, scanners, fax, shredders, etc.)
- How will equipment be serviced? (The University will not provide service in remote locations.)
- Does this position work with any data that would need to follow HIPAA, FERPA or other data security/privacy policies? If yes, how will this information be secured?
- Does this position require the use of a printer? If so, how will the employee establish workflows to eliminate the need for printing, or to print onsite at a University facility?
- Will the employee need office supplies? How will those be supplied and tracked?
- How will onsite mail (incoming and outgoing) be processed? Can it be reduced or eliminated?
- What process has been established for electronic storage of documents?
Technology needs
- Do employees have DUO installed on their mobile phones, or have DUO setup with a landline phone?
- Does your remote work plan address internet outage or broken equipment (do they have to return on-site, take personal time for unplanned downtime, make up hours, etc)? Does their role have responsibilities that can be done without internet or computer?
- Do your employees have Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another collaboration software installed? Are all employees trained on how to use them?
- Do all employees have access to a phone line? Are they able to use that line without incurring additional costs?
- Do employees need to make/receive phone calls as part of their work? Will employees need to make and receive calls identified as a UR Phone Line? How will phone lines be handled? Contact University IT to discuss options for softphone capability.
- Do all employees have access to high speed internet externally? Are they able to use it without incurring additional costs?
- Has your department been set up to use webclock or time entry for punching in and out in HRMS?
Reference additional IT resources on our Remote Work Technology Support page.
Communications
- Will onsite reporting be required for meetings or other events? How often?
- When and how you will you conduct virtual staff meetings?
- When and how you will conduct individual 1:1 meetings?
- How will you share documents within your team? With other departments?
- How will you establish/foster team building and work relationships with and among staff (including new hires)?
- How will you conduct meetings with both remote and on-site workers?
Miscellaneous
- In addition to any physical space, what costs will be saved with a remote work arrangement?
- What other additional costs will be incurred with a remote work arrangement?
- How will you assess that this move to remote has been, and continues to be, successful?
- Have your employees requested or do they need a reasonable accommodation?
forms and resources
Additional details for managers
Visit our Resources for Managers page for more context and helpful information related to transitioning to remote work.