Flexible Work

The following employee categories are covered by this regulation, however, not all employee categories or positions may be eligible for flexible work arrangements:

• SAAO Tier I and Tier II employees;
• EHRA non-faculty employees;
• EHRA professional faculty in the Libraries;
• SHRA employees;
• Post-doctoral scholars and House Officers;
• Temporary employees; and
• *Graduate and undergraduate student workers

The following employees are not covered by this regulation:

• EHRA faculty;
• County-based NC Cooperative Extension employees; and
• Employees with a special temporary off-site assignment

*Supervisors of graduate student teaching assistants or research assistants are not required to utilize this request process. Other student workers employed as graduate services assistants or temporary employees will follow the request processes established in their employing college or division for student employees.

The regulation allows supervisors and managers to grant an employee flexibility related to the arrangement based on an individual or combination of the following options:

• Flexible Work hours (e.g., hours that extend outside of a unit’s core work hours)
• Flexible Work week schedules (e.g., compressed work weeks)
• Alternate Work Location (home address, other off-site/satellite location within the state of North Carolina)

It is important that an employee meets with their supervisor and has an agreed upon schedule before submitting the Flexible Work Request in the HR System.

Flexible Work Arrangement Request

Employees can submit a Flexible Work Arrangement Request in MyPack Portal by accessing Employee Self Service and clicking on the “Flexible Work Arrgmt (Emp)” tile.

Employee requests are routed directly to their supervisor for review and approval. Supervisors will have the option to deny, pushback, or approve the submitted request. The requests are stored in the HR system and managed by your supervisor based on the operational needs of your unit along with your performance evaluation.

*Supervisors of graduate student teaching assistants or research assistants are not required to utilize this request process. Other student workers employed as graduate services assistants or temporary employees will follow the request processes established in their employing college or division for student employees.

• Employee User Guide
• Flexible Work Arrangement Request Training Video (5 mins)

LinkedIn Learning Video Resources

• Leading at a Distance (36 mins)
• How to Be an Effective Remote Manger (1 hr 9 mins)
• Managing Virtual Teams (56 mins)
• Building Connection and Engagement in Virtual Teams (41 mins)

Flexible Work Arrangement Approval Process Training

• Supervisor User Guide
• Flexible Work Arrangement Approval Training Video (3 mins 27 sec)

Supervisor Tools

• Operational Guide for Managers and Supervisors (pdf)
• Hybrid Remote/Alternate Work Location Tool for Supervisors
• Flexible Work Arrangements FAQs (pdf)

This regulation covers all position types as well as employee classifications (full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary) including:

• EHRA faculty
• EHRA Non-faculty
• SHRA
• Post-doctoral Scholars and CVM House Officers
• Student Workers (undergraduate and graduate General Services Associates in temporary positions)

Graduate Teaching Assistants and Graduate Research Assistants are not covered under this regulation.

The decision to approve a Remote Work Location for a position must be based on the position’s duties and responsibilities, not by an employee’s preference or desire to work remotely.

Generally, a remote work location is an assigned primary duty station that is off-site (i.e., not located on central campus or other university owned or operated locations). This regulation applies to employees with a primary or permanently assigned duty station that is 100% remote and are not expected to work on university property. A remote work location includes the following:

• An off-site duty station that is not located on central campus or at another NC State owned or operated site and is not at an employee’s personal residence.
  • This type of Remote Work Location typically involves a position where the duties and responsibilities require an employee to work from the particular Off-Campus Location due to the nature of the position.
  • Examples might include a private office space in Charlotte or a laboratory in Wilmington.
• An off-site duty station that is at an employee’s personal residence.
  • This type of Remote Work Location typically involves a position where the duties and responsibilities may be performed off-site and where management has—based on operational needs—approved the position for a Remote Work Location that is home-based.
  • Examples might include faculty members who only teach courses through distance education or information technology employees whose job duties may be performed entirely remotely.

A position must be approved to work from a designated Remote Work Location. Unlike a request submitted by an employee for an alternate work location as part of a flexible work arrangement, the assignment of an employee to a designated Remote Work Location must originate from an employee’s supervisor.

• Operational Guide for managers and supervisors (pdf)
• Remote Work Location tool for supervisors

Things to consider regarding the employee prior to a full remote assignment:

• Does the employee have a suitable space in their home or alternate work location to complete their work tasks and communicate with you as the supervisor, their team, and other stakeholders or customers?
• Is the employee able to meet work performance whether onsite or working elsewhere?
• Does an employee’s work location impact team work processes and efficiency?
• Does the employee possess appropriate time management and organizational skills?
• Does the employee understand their role and expectations, and require little supervision to complete their tasks?
• Make sure the employee will sustain engagement while working remotely and feel as productive at home as in the office.