Human Resources
Campus: Hill Hall 3rd Floor
Mail: Dept. 3422
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071-2000
Phone: 307.766.2377
Fax: 307.766.5607
Email: hr@uwyo.edu
The University of Wyoming recognizes that the implementation of a work arrangement can offer an important approach to meeting the operational needs of the University, attracting and maintaining talented staff, and supporting employees’ needs. This website describes the types of Work Arrangements that may be available to certain University employees, the process for evaluating a request for a Work Arrangement and the approval process for such a request.
There are two types of work arrangements, Flexible Work Arrangements and Remote Work Arrangements. Each arrangement is distinct and utilizes a separate form. Forms are available below under Work Arrangement Process.
Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA)
A Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) is an arrangement between the employee and supervisor that contains no element of remote work. FWA forms are maintained by the immediate supervisor and the employee. Human Resources does not require a copy unless arrangement is part of reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The FWA form is used for the following:
Remote Work Arrangements (RWA)
A Remote Work Arrangement (RWA) is an arrangement between employee and supervisor that contains elements of remote or distance work. Remote work may have varying percentages based upon the amount of off-site work. RWA's can be hybrid including elements of compressed or flexible work.
The RWA form is used for the following:
Work Arrangement Duration and Approval
A Flexible Work Arrangement or Remote Work Arrangement may be temporary, short-term or long-term in duration. The approval depends upon the duration of the arrangement.
Temporary Work Arrangements (45 days or less) - Requests by employees for episodic or non-recurring work arrangements of less than 45 days may be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor. These temporary arrangements do not require a form or completion of online training. Consecutive Temporary Work Arrangements are not permitted. It is recommended the supervisor document start and end date of agreement.
Short-Term Work Arrangements (45 days up to 6 months) - Requests by employees for work arrangements ranging from 45 days up to 6 months due to personal or work circumstances may be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor if the supervisor determines that the work arrangement will not negatively affect University operations. These temporary arrangements require a signed formed by the employee and the immediate supervisor and completion of online training by both the employee and the supervisor.
Long-Term Flexible Work Arrangements (over 6 months) - Requests by employees for work arrangements greater than 6 months require a form signed by the employee, immediate supervisor and their respective Appointing Authority or Alternate Primary Appointing Authority. Remote Work Arrangements over 6 months require completion of online training by both the employee and the supervisor.
It is highly recommended that immediate supervisors review work arrangements regularly but at a minimum annually. Work Arrangements without adjustments do not require new form or renewal. Work Arrangements that are adjusted require submission of new document through the Work Arrangement Process.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Read University of Wyoming Flexible Work Arrangement Policy.
Have a conversation with your supervisor.
Review the Work Arrangement Quick Reference Table.
Work Arrangements that are less than 45 days do not require a form or training. Consecutive Temporary Work Arrangements are not permitted.
Work Arrangements longer then 45 days but less than 6 months and over 6 months require the appropriate form.
Acquire the appropriate signatures per duration of work agreement.
45 days up to 6 months require signatures from employee and immediate supervisor.
Over 6 months require signatures from employee, immediate supervisor and Appointing Authority or Alternate Primary Appointing Authority.
Employee and Supervisor maintain Flexible Work Arrangement.
Adjustments to Flexible Work Arrangement will require submission of a new form.
It is highly recommended that immediate supervisors review Work Arrangements regularly but at a minimum annually. Work Arrangements without adjustments do not require new form or renewal. Work Arrangements that are adjusted require submission of new documents through the Flexible Work Arrangement Process.
Remote Work Arrangement Process
Read University of Wyoming Flexible Work Arrangement Policy.
Have a conversation with your supervisor.
Review the Work Arrangement Quick Reference Table.
Remote Work Arrangements that are less than 45 days do not require a form or training.
Remote Work Arrangements 45 days to up to 6 months and over 6 Months require the appropriate form.
Remote Work Arrangements 45 days to up to 6 months and over 6 Months require one time training on the following:
Employee Completes - Remote Work for Employees
Supervisor Completes - Leading and Managing Remote Teams
Update Personal Contact and Emergency Contact Information in HCM.
Acquire the appropriate signatures per duration of work agreement.
45 days up to 6 months require signatures from the employee and immediate supervisor.
Over 6 months require signatures from employee, immediate supervisor and Appointing Authority or Alternate Primary Appointing Authority.
Submit completed form to Human Resources.
Adjustments to Remote Work Arrangement will require submission of a new form.
It is highly recommended that immediate supervisors review Remote Work Arrangements regularly but at a minimum annually. Work Arrangements without adjustments do not require new form or renewal. Work Arrangements that are adjusted require submission of new documents through the Remote Work Arrangement Process.
Resolving Disputes
Disputes are inevitable; they are a fact of life. Situations may arise where the supervisor and employee either (a) cannot agree on whether remote work/flexible schedule is applicable, or (b) cannot finalize the terms of the arrangement.
In either case, the first step is to involve the supervisor’s manager. The manager is responsible for hearing both sides of the argument and rendering a decision. If this step does not satisfy both parties, the final decision-making authority will be the applicable Dean/Director (for Academic Affairs) or Vice President (for other Units) and HR will work with the final decision-maker, as necessary, to render a final, binding decision.
The Administration feels this process will ensure that every effort is taken to apply
the spirit of this policy to the situation at hand.
If you're new to working remotely 100% of the time or even just part-time, this could be a significant adjustment. Below are some tips and best practices to help you adjust successfully to a flexible work arrangement.
What if you could be there more for your family, exercise outside in the daylight, prioritize important things that are not doable after hours, and choose how often you come into your office? Having work flexibility means that you have a say in how—and where—you get your work done. As part of a strategic business plan, work flexibility can actually help save a company money. So, how do you negotiate this win-win scenario at your current job? In the course, Negotiating Work Flexibility, (31 min) learn how to create and prepare to pitch a work-flexibility proposal to your boss or HR department. Find out how to build a compelling argument by identifying common work flex options, selecting the right type for your role, and conveying business benefits. Discover how to compare your needs with company policy and earn yourself a trial period.
Moving your workday from an office building to the quietest corner of your own home was likely jarring at first—but now, you've found your groove. Maybe you've even grown to like remote work. But with many organizations prepping for a hybrid work environment in which employees split their time between remote and in-person working, you'll likely need to adjust your mindset yet again. In the course, Enhance Productivity in a Hybrid Work Environment (17 min) productivity author and Emmy-winning producer Paula Rizzo shows you how. Learn how to revamp your productivity style to help you stay on task when switching between locations. Discover how to rethink your physical spaces so that they are mirrored at home and at work, as well as how to prepare both your regular and home office for productivity whenever you're working there. Plus, learn how to stay one step ahead of productivity challenges, including how to deal with new disruptions at home and in the office.
You’ve settled into the rhythm of remote work. Having a full schedule of virtual team meetings, presentations, and even social events no longer seems quite so peculiar. But even at this stage, there’s so much more you can do to create a more engaged, positive, and inclusive environment for your remote team. In the course, Level Up Your Remote Team Experience, (37 Min) remote work consultant and educator Mike Gutman shows you how. Mike covers a variety of advanced strategies for working remotely, including how to transform a culture of micromanagement into a culture of trust; make your tasks, projects, and timelines transparent to other members of your team; and keep your team bonds strong by sharing your communication style and preferences. Plus, get tips for building empathy, embracing diverse working conditions within your remote teams, and creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel encouraged to bring their voice and ideas to the table.
Working from home removes distractions, but also eliminates important face-to-face interactions. Home-based workers often report feeling disconnected, isolated, and alone. The course, Building Relationships While Working from Home (22 Min) teaches us how to create professional yet personal connections with remote team members and how to satisfy that missing element of closeness that people get when they are together at work. Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw explains how to reach out to others, be authentic online, build a great reputation, and make meaningful connections with your peers. These tips are invaluable for anyone working from home—and particularly relevant for those working under the challenging conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Take the time to watch this course and invest the time and skills it takes to rekindle your most valuable relationships at work.
Managers:
Managing flex or remote workers is an opportunity to grow and expand your skill set as a manager. It is estimated that 30% of the workforce will be working from home by 2022. Managers that show competence in leading hybrid teams will be more in demand as the number of organizations grow that hire remote workers to staff their organizations. Managers that do not exhibit the ability to lead and manage remote workers could find themselves falling behind their peers and other line managers.
This does not mean however that remote work is best for every worker or environment. You must balance your employees needs against those of the mission and respond accordingly. Managing remote employees can be difficult. Managers will have to adjust to decreased employee visibility and embrace software they may be uncomfortable with to manage your team. The video, Challenges to achieving high performance virtually (4m 22s) will provide quick tips on how to overcome these challenges.
Employees:
Flexible work arrangements can cut down on commuting costs, provide autonomy, work life balance and increase productivity. However, it is important to remain reachable, well organized and at times you may feel isolated from your team. The course Tips for working Remotely (28m) can help you to overcome these challenges.
Managers:
Communicate often with your remote staff employees. Consider which communication tool best fits your teams' culture—e-mail, texts, phone calls, video chats, and find that delicate balance between constantly pinging employees with texts and e-mail and radio silence.
There will be questions; be accessible and provide clarity on priorities, milestones, performance goals and more. The video, Private chat in Teams (3m) will show you a great way to stay connected with your remote workers.
Employees:
It is essential for a successful remote working relationship that your supervisor and leadership can reach you easily in a consistent manner. Your boss needs to be confident that he/she can reach you on a moment’s notice should the need arise. For these reasons we suggest a conversation with your supervisor on how best to reach you throughout the day.
Using the Private Chat feature (3m) in Microsoft Teams is one way you can maintain communication. If you step away from the computer, tell your supervisor an alternate means to reach you. This could include text message or accessing email through your phone.
A quick 15-minute meeting at the start of each morning can help determine task priorities for the day and allow you and your manager to track progress on projects. Set dates that task will be accomplished by review dates and progress at your start of day meeting. The video, Frequency and style of meetings (2m 48s) will help you and your team check in with each other, report progress and collaborate.
If your standard work location is not the Laramie campus AND you are not requesting a flexible work arrangement from that location, no form or update of HCM is needed.
Examples:
Ron works at a research facility in Powell, WY. He has not requested to complete a
percentage or all his work away from that facility. Thus, no flexible work agreement
is needed. His assignment in HCM should remain at the default “On Campus” designation.
Sally works for the Casper Clinic. She works full time at the clinic with no remote
hours. She does not need a flexible work agreement. Her assignment in HCM should remain
at the default “On Campus” designation.
Note: Departments which are fully away from the Laramie campus continue to be removed from
the possibility of being included in 3% sample COVID-19 Testing, no matter their designation
in HCM.
Tiffany works for a department that is mostly based on the Laramie campus. However,
she was hired to do 100% field-based research in another state. Since Tiffany’s work
agreement is fully in the field and she is not requesting a percentage of this work
to be done away from the research location, no flexible work agreement or update of
HCM is needed.
Flexible and Remote Work Arrangements are available to both benefited and non-benefited employees.
Human Resources
Campus: Hill Hall 3rd Floor
Mail: Dept. 3422
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071-2000
Phone: 307.766.2377
Fax: 307.766.5607
Email: hr@uwyo.edu