Guiding principles for a return to campus for staff, faculty

Vice Chancellor for Administration Marc Fisher, Chief People & Culture Officer Eugene Whitlock and Vice Provost for the Faculty Ben Hermalin sent the following message to the campus community on Monday:

Throughout the pandemic, we have been asking you about your interest in remote or in-person work. The answer is clear: over 80% of you want some form of hybrid or remote work. In order to support flexible work going forward, we have developed Guiding Principles for Flexible Work Arrangements. These principles, which reflect UC Berkeley’s values, recognize the ability for many of our staff members to continue to provide excellent service while working remotely. We want to create more opportunities for you, our staff, to have more flexibility in your work, wherever possible, to provide you with a greater ability to balance your work and personal lives.

The Guiding Principles are the basis for how we make decisions about Flexible Work Arrangements, as laid out in the Flexible Work Arrangement Toolkit, Flexible Work Planning Packet, and FAQs. The Toolkit and related documents, found on the new P&C Flexible Workplace Planning and Resources page, will take you step-by-step through the process of requesting a Flexible Work Arrangement from your supervisor, and if approved, formalizing the arrangement with a Flexible Work Agreement.

As we prepare for the start of the fall semester in August, it is critical that you and your manager discuss what work will look like for you and your unit. For most of us, this means determining whether we will be returning to work in person, continuing to work remotely, or will have a hybrid schedule. Our Toolkit will guide you through this process, but you have to start now. Remember, all Flexible Work Arrangements are just that – flexible. Additionally, they are necessarily subject to change as we continue to learn and adjust to meet the needs of the University.

Finally, on behalf of campus leadership, let us express our deepest appreciation to all of our staff members who have continued to make extraordinary contributions to the campus during the past 15 months of the pandemic under extremely trying circumstances. We see you, we recognize your contributions, and we are so grateful.