Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Flexible Work
Campus Flex FAQs
What is Campus Flex?
Campus Flex is about providing flexibility around hours of work and scheduling for those who must work on campus.
What flexibility options exist for on-campus roles?
Depending on whether you belong to a bargaining unit (and which one) and your department’s operational requirements, flexible options for those who work full-time on campus can vary. Options that exist in some (but not all) Collective Agreements include:
- Flexible hours – the ability to start/end the workday at non-standard times. This allows staff to avoid peak travel periods, take advantage of transit or carpooling options, and manage family responsibilities.
- Flexible work breaks – the ability to extend the scheduled workday to work the same hours with additional or longer break periods to meet personal goals, which might include exercise, appointments, or personal time during the day.
- Modified Work Weeks – some collective agreements include this option where a small amount of additional time worked each day accumulates for a scheduled paid day off.
- Workload averaging – The averaging of weekly hours over a set period of time, so that some weeks will be more hours and some fewer hours without the accrual of overtime. This option may be limited by collective agreements.
- Compensatory Time Off (CTO) – the accrual of additional hours worked to be taken off at a later, agreed to date at regular rates of pay (not overtime). This option is currently only available to PEA employees.
- Voluntary reduction in workload – A temporary or ongoing reduction in workload to a part time schedule could allow employees to continue working while managing personal or family obligations.
- Leave without pay –To supplement other leave entitlements such as taking an extended vacation employees can take a personal leave without pay.
- Job Share – when two part-time staff members share a full-time job. This is different than a single employee reducing to part time because the role remains a full-time role.
How do I access these options?
Review your Collective Agreement or Terms and Conditions of employment to see what options might be limited by collective agreement language and complete a Flexibility Framework request form. Discuss your request with your supervisor, who can seek assistance from Human Resources.
What Collective Agreement Provisions are relevant?
Professional Employee’s Association (PEA)
Article 10 – Work scheduling
Article 14 – Personal leave
CUPE 917
Article 18 - Hours of work and shifts
Article 24 – Leave of absence
CUPE 951
Article 18 – Hours of work and shift differentials
Article 24 – Leave of absence
CUPE 4163 Comp 1 and 2
Article 17 Leave
TA Appendix section 14
Non-Student Appendix section 14
ELC and FLP Appendix section 14
Cultural Assistants Appendix section 27.01
Resident Life Appendix section 14 and 17
CUPE 4163 Comp 3 – N/A
Hybrid Flex FAQs
What is Hybrid Flex?
Hybrid Flex is when an individual works a combination of time on campus and remotely in a home office. The schedule of remote work may be fixed or flexible, and the amount of time spent on campus is determined at the departmental level based on operational requirements.
Who Can Apply for a Hybrid Flex?
Anyone may request Hybrid Flex. Hybrid Flex is not intended to apply to Faculty roles.
Who approves requests?
The approval is at the discretion of the departmental supervisor or manager.
What if we don鈥檛 agree?
Disagreements related to Hybrid Flex requests may be reviewed by the Senior Management Excluded leader in the faculty, program, or division (Dean, Director or higher).
How much can I work at home?
UVic seeks to provide a vibrant on-campus experience and responsive suite of services for our students, faculty, employees and community. Connection to campus, students, clients and colleagues is necessary to some degree in all roles and is a condition of employment at UVic. Each department will determine how much on-campus presence is necessary.
What does commuting distance mean?
Commuting distance may vary with the nature of work performed and reasons for attending campus. For example, some roles may be required to attend campus for pre-planned meetings or events a few times a month, and some roles may be required to attend campus more frequently for regular meetings, events, client service or peak work periods. Some roles require attendance on short notice for emergencies or staff coverage. What determines a reasonable commuting distance will be decided on a case-by-case basis at the departmental level, based on the nature of the work and the time required to travel to campus. Employees are responsible for ensuring they can get to campus within the necessary timelines for these planned or emergent workplace requirements and are responsible for associated travel and parking costs.
What kind of criteria for Hybrid Flex can a department establish?
Departments may establish criteria for Hybrid Flex that is consistent with UVic’s flexibility principles. This includes, but is not limited to, the types of roles appropriate for hybrid work, number of requests approved at any one time, duration and review periods, hybrid work schedules, work assignments when working remotely, and team communications norms or standards to ensure effective communication and collaboration. Supervisors may find this guide for developing departmental criteria helpful.
Can employees work remotely once in a while without a formal Hybrid Flex Agreement?
Yes. An occasional, ad hoc remote work day may be approved by the supervisor to address situations such as needing to be home for a service person, working at home when experiencing mild symptoms that prevent attendance on campus but don’t interfere with work, or to focus on a specific task without interruptions. Any regularly occurring remote work is subject to a Hybrid Flex agreement.
What is the expected duration of a Hybrid Flex agreement?
All Hybrid Flex agreements are deemed to be temporary and will have an end date that may be renewed upon review. Departments may want to experiment with shorter durations (3-8 months) to try different practices and engage in open, honest discussions to ensure the arrangement meets everyone’s needs. Once established Hybrid Flex agreements should be reviewed at least annually. They may be cancelled with reasonable notice by either party (normally 30 days) they may be adjusted based on feedback or they may be renewed for another period of time.
Hours of work and scheduling
Can I work remotely full time?
In our principle-based approach, employees must maintain some connection to campus and may be asked to come onto campus at any time for a team meeting, event, operational needs and/or urgent issue. Each department will determine how much on-campus presence is necessary. Working out of commuting range including out of province, will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and requires special consideration and consultation with Human Resources. A Working out of Province Agreement will be required (see Remote Flex). Out of Country remote work will not be considered at this time.
Can Hybrid Flex include a non-standard work schedule?
Each unit or department manager will determine how non-standard work schedules will be considered.. Operational effectiveness, client support and team communication are some considerations that may limit non-standard scheduling of hours of work. Refer to the appropriate collective agreement for provisions relating to scheduling and hours of work. For those whose work must be done on campus, see the Campus Flex options.
Can I have both a Hybrid Flex agreement and a modified work week?
Where collective agreements permit modified work weeks, Hybrid Flex schedules may incorporate a modified work week as long as UVic’s flexibility principles and departmental criteria can be met.
Do the remote days need to be scheduled and consistent?
Each unit or department manager will determine the type of requests that will be considered. Some departments may implement set schedules in order to meet operational requirements and to share workload among employees. Some departments may be able to approve a more flexible approach to scheduling remote workdays than others.
Can an employee be asked to come into the office on a normal remote work day?
Yes. In order to maintain services or respond to an urgent situation, supervisors may ask employees to come to campus and employees may need to adjust their hybrid schedule to do so. Supervisors will provide as much notice as possible.
Office Arrangements
Will office space be reassigned for those working a Hybrid Flex schedule?
One of the benefits of hybrid work is the ability to reallocate space, reduce occupancy in lower-quality workspaces and free up additional space for growing teams. Employees participating in Hybrid Flex can expect to be reassigned to on-campus space that has been configured for part-time use. Those working the majority of their time remotely may not be allocated a dedicated office and may be provided shared or communal workspace. This will be determined at the unit/department/division level.
How will teams communicate effectively with some team members working a Hybrid Flex schedule?
Each team will need to establish team norms and methods of communication for a hybrid office environment. See the establishing team norms resource.
FAQs for both Hybrid and Remote Flex
Equipment, office furniture and expenses
Can employees use their personal computers for remote work?
No. Employees must utilize UVic standard computers provided through the Technology Solutions Centre that are managed by appropriate UVic personnel (e.g. University Systems Desktop Support Services).
Who pays for computer equipment for a remote workspace?
Purchasing the appropriate computer equipment for Remote Flex or Hybrid Flex is normally a departmental responsibility. Some unions may allow the use of professional development funds to purchase computers. Please check your union’s ProD policies and procedures. UVic owns and manages all computers purchased, including those purchased fully or partially with Professional Development funds. Budget constraints may limit the amount of computer equipment available to support flexibility requests.
Who pays for office furniture?
The employee is normally responsible for establishing an appropriate, professional and ergonomically optimized workspace with proper furnishings and adequate space that supports working efficiently and safely. If the employee does not retain a dedicated workspace on campus and the remote work location is considered the employee’s primary work location, the employer may provide office furnishings. Any furniture purchased fully or partially with UVic funds remains the property of UVic per the appropriate policy. It must be commercial grade and adhere to UVic’s furniture quality standards. /universitysecretary/assets/docs/policies/BP3130_6415_.pdf
All furniture purchases must be approved by Facilities Management.
How do I purchase furniture for home use?
An Interior Modifications Planner (Planner) will be assigned to your request and will assist you with selection.
Your FMIS request needs to state that the request is for remote work and that you will be using UVic funds to complete the transaction. The planner will work with you to select, procure and have the furniture delivered to your home. Your Planner will provide you with information on what’s available in Surplus stock. If your funds are limited this is a great option for gently used UVic Standard Furniture.
/facilities/service/planning/furniture/index.php
Note: Furniture purchased with UVic funds for home use must be purchased through FMGT. These assets remain the property of UVic.
What is an ergonomically optimized workstation?
The expectation for safe and healthy workspaces is home offices are intentionally set up to reduce the risk of injury. There are excellent resources videos and checklists in the Office Ergonomics Guide for Employees.
Who pays for internet fees?
Employees are responsible for providing internet connectivity that functions consistently with sufficient bandwidth to work effectively and meet the expectations of the role. Internet is not eligible for reimbursement. Professional Development funds may not be used for internet fees for remote workspaces.
How will employees make long distance calls from home?
Microsoft Teams accounts can now be enabled to provide regular telephone service. This service replaces your Cisco handset in your office and the previous Cisco Jabber Softphone. Telephone calls to your Teams Phone are much like regular calls in Teams – except there's no video and they're not limited to people within your organization.
Can parking and mileage be expensed for days in the office?
Parking and mileage for coming onto campus are not eligible for reimbursement. UVic offers the Flex 25 parking option for those employees who drive to work. The Flex 25 parking option is well suited for employees working on campus 1 or 2 days a week.
What home office expenses can I claim on my tax return?
Canada Revenue Agency updates the requirements and eligibility information on the declaration of employment guidelines each year. Please check the CRA website. Employees are encouraged to keep track of home costs such as heating, hydro and water as well as noting the square footage of their office area used and total square footage of their residence. Employees should also retain receipts of any purchases not reimbursed or eligible for reimbursement from the university.
Health, safety and security
Why do employees need to complete a Home Office Safety Self Inspection?
Employees with Remote Flex or Hybrid Flex agreements are covered for injuries that arise out of and in the course of employment, and compensation will be limited to the designated remote workspace within their home or other agreed-upon work location. The Home Office Safety Self Inspection will help ensure a safe work environment that minimizes the risk of injury.
How can we ensure the safety of employees who are working alone?
Not all employees working remotely will be working alone. Employees and supervisors should discuss the situation as part of the request process and make arrangements for check-ins by a supervisor or a colleague if appropriate.
What if an employee gets injured while working remotely?
If an employee suffers an injury while in their designated remote workspace, they should immediately seek assistance, report the incident to their supervisor as soon as possible, and document the incident on the UVic report form available from OHSE, including any WorkSafeBC claim forms, if applicable.
What if an employee is sick on a remote workday?
When employees are unable to work remotely due to illness, they will continue to have access to any applicable sick leave provisions. When experiencing a mild illness that would otherwise prevent them from attending campus but does not interfere with their ability to do their work, employees may continue to work remotely if able to do so.
Remote Flex FAQs
What is Remote Flex?
Remote Flex is a rare and exceptional circumstance where the staff member lives outside of commuting distance from campus and works remotely on a full-time basis, with no intention to relocate or return to work on campus. Remote Flex must be agreed to in advance and has special employment considerations that must be addressed in a separate Working Out of Province Agreement. Short term, temporary remote work (up to six months) where the employee intends to return or relocate to within commuting distance of campus can be considered Hybrid Flex.
Can I move farther away from campus?
Unless a Remote Flex agreement has been signed, an employee who moves out of commuting distance is still expected to attend campus as a condition of their employment. This travel will be at their own expense.
Can I work outside of BC?
Remote Flex should be considered with an abundance of caution and as a rare occurrence. Department leaders should contact their Human Resources Consultant if out of province remote work is under active consideration. Remote work outside of Canada will not be approved by UVic.
Who should I contact about Remote Flex t?
Discuss your request with your manager who will consult with Human Resources. Working out of Province has a number of employment implications to be considered by both the individual and the employer and will only be approved in rare and exceptional circumstances.