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When formally proposing and considering a request to work from home, the employee and head of Institution must complete a PD/WFH form and forward a copy to Human Resources as notification of the outcome.
See also general guidance, practical considerations and financial arrangements.
Set out below is a checklist of actions for managers/employees to help them consider the suitability of working from home, and manage an ongoing arrangement to work from home.
Work duties
These are expectations and obligations that apply equally to both managers and employees:
- Set clear objectives for the work to be undertaken from home and have procedures in place to monitor work output clearly and objectively
- Avoid creating inefficient working practices (e.g. by duplicating work already carried out elsewhere)
- Ensure that you can continue to deliver key services, including those which are time-critical and cannot easily be pre-planned
- Check that the range of duties to be carried out is consistent with those set out in the PD33
Working practices
These are expectations and obligations that apply equally to both managers and employees:
- Establish when work duties will be carried out and set times to be available for normal work contact (e.g. telephone enquiries, responding to email)
- Plan regular, structured forms of communication, in order to maintain effective working relationships (e.g. with colleagues, manager, and any staff supervised)
- Set a schedule of regular attendance at work in the Institution, to enable the employee to keep up-to-date and contribute to team meetings and networking
- Working from home requires an equivalent amount of undivided attention, effort, and commitment as working within the Institution
- Employees working from home must be able to work without direct supervision and manage their time effectively
Management practices
These are expectations and obligations that apply equally to both managers and employees:
- The usual arrangements still apply when reporting incapacity for work due to sickness and/or other unplanned disruptions to the agreed work schedule (e.g. contacting the manager, completing self-certificate CHRIS/62, or supplying medical certificate)
- When the working from home arrangement follows a period of ill health, or is during a recovery from an injury, there must be a medical certificate confirming the employee is otherwise fit to resume work duties
- Employees working from home should be invited to and participate in essential training, induction and staff briefings as part of their normal work schedule
- Schemes for appraisal, staff development and consideration for promotion apply equally to those working from home and those whose work is carried out in the Institution
- University HR policies and procedures (including grievance and disciplinary) apply equally to those working from home and those whose work is carried out in the Institution
- Access to the full range of University services and facilities (e.g. Counselling service, University card, email account, etc) apply equally to those working from home and those whose work is carried out in the institution