Staff Work Designations Policy
Policy Summary
The establishment of a positive and flexible work environment is crucial to attracting and retaining a diverse and talented staff to support the university’s academic and research mission.
As an institution of higher education, the university relies on a robust on-campus staff presence to fulfill its mission. Many staff members engage directly with students, faculty, and other stakeholders in person, and on-site. Others, due to the nature of their roles, can effectively provide support in a remote or hybrid environment. Providing flexibility in work location for select positions demonstrates GW's commitment to supporting its staff, as long as campus operations and the support of our mission and community remain unaffected.
This policy defines the various staff work designations and associated work environments. This policy also provides resources for supervisors making staff work designations and expectations for managing each staff work designation.
Who is Governed by this Policy
- Staff
Policy
Staff members are provided a designation based on their specific modes of work. These work designations have been developed by the university to support workforce planning, balance operational needs, and provide flexibility in units where support for the university’s mission can be performed remotely.
Supervisors collaborate with HR Business Partners to ensure that staff are assigned one of four work designations. Work designations should support the business needs of the school or unit, roles’ interaction with students or constituents, roles’ job duties, and should closely align with the definitions below. Work designations should be made in a consistent manner within and across units.
In the event of a disruption to normal campus operations (e.g., due to a public health emergency or weather-related event), in-person, hybrid, and full-time remote employees may be asked to work remotely for a period until normal campus operations can resume. Staff designated on-site will typically be expected to report to work in person in order to support operations in the event of a disruption. Staff designated to work as hybrid may be required to report to work in person when business needs dictate.
Staff roles should receive a work designation at posting and work designations should be reaffirmed annually by school or unit leadership in coordination with Human Resource Management and Development. The four work designations are defined below. Please note that employees who are members of a union should follow the terms of their collective bargaining agreements.
Definitions
Essential On-Site Staff | Full-time: scheduled 5 days/week on-campus Job functions that are essential to safety and operations that must be performed at an on-campus location even when access to campus is restricted. | Examples include select positions in:
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| In-Person Staff | Full-time: scheduled 5 days/week on-campus Job functions that must be performed or are most effectively performed at an on-campus location. These roles provide student services & support, teaching & research support, welcome visitors, provide administrative support, and serve in client-facing roles, among others. Staff have an assigned workspace at an on-campus site. | Examples include select positions in:
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| Hybrid Staff | Full-time: scheduled 3 days/week on-campus Job functions that can be performed effectively in a combination of on and off-campus locations. Staff may have dedicated space, or shared space may be assigned if necessary or available to them, at an on-campus site. Staff in this category may have roles, duties, and/or responsibilities that require on-campus presence but have some flexibility to perform their work where needed. A Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement must be implemented. Hybrid Staff may be required to report to work in person outside the days outlined in their agreement when business needs dictate. Unit leaders have the discretion to set the number of days on campus to 4 days/week in order to meet business needs. Other exceptions to the 3-day on-campus standard must be approved of and documented in the agreement. | Examples include select positions in:
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| Full-Time Remote Staff | Full-time: scheduled 0 days/week on-campus Job functions that can be performed effectively entirely off-campus with the exception of campus-based meetings/events or business needs. Staff typically will not have a personal workspace assigned at an on-campus site. Staff in this category may be required to be on campus for special events or meetings. A Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement must be implemented. | Examples include select positions in:
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Work designations will be reviewed each academic year and a Remote and Hybrid Work Agreement is required for staff designated as Hybrid or Full-Time Remote. Remote and Hybrid Work Agreements only apply for the academic year for which they are submitted (August 1 – July 31) and must be re-submitted each academic year.
Forms
Related Information
- Remote and Hybrid Work
- Guidance for Role Designation
- Designation-based Expectations for Staff and Managers
- Guidance regarding workplace safety
- Guidance regarding employee obligations
Contacts
| Title | Phone Number | Email Address |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Management and Development | 202-994-8500 | [email protected] |
Responsible University Official: Vice President and Chief People Officer
Responsible Office: Human Resource Management and Development
Origination Date: Octobr 17, 2022
Last Material Change: N/A
More information describing university policies is outlined in the University Policy Principles.
Noncompliance with this policy can be reported through this website.