We know that flexible work arrangements—which allow for variations in when, how long, or where you work—can make it easier to do your best work while still meeting JHU’s business needs.
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- Workplace Flexibility
Workplace Flexibility
JHU’s Flexible Work Model
JHU fully supports workplace flexibility for the long term, while also fueling and sustaining meaningful in-person interactions that form the core of our education, discovery, and service mission.
Not all positions or work situations are conducive to flexible work arrangements, and the decision to implement a flexible work arrangement must meet the operational needs of the university. However, when planned and implemented properly, flexible work arrangements can yield a host of benefits, including increased productivity, improved morale, decreased absenteeism and turnover, and improved quality of work.
JHU’s long-term flexible workplace consists of four work modalities:
- In-person: On-site five days a week
- Hybrid: On-site three to four days a week
- Modified hybrid*: On-site one or two days a week
- Remote*: Not (or rarely/not regularly) on-site
Given the size and complexity of our institution, the precise mix of in-person, hybrid, modified hybrid and remote work will vary by role and division.
*In-Person and Hybrid are JHU’s preferred modalities. Work arrangements involving Remote and Modified Hybrid modalities will be available on a more limited basis for a specified business purpose, need, or circumstance. These modalities will take into account equity considerations and they will require review and approval by the leadership of your division or administrative department.
The following is information to help employees and managers navigate the process of assessing and planning for flexible work arrangements. You can also consult your local HR business partner (HR Directory) or Central Employee and Labor Relations (EmployeeRelations@jhu.edu) if you can have questions or need advice about flexibility guidelines.
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Flexible Work Guidelines
Please refer to the policy documents at the links below:
A summary of the guidance is shown below:
- Flexible Work Arrangements are primarily initiated by JHU management. It is of utmost importance that there is seamless continuity of business operations while at the same time offering some flexibility in terms of work location and/or schedule for employees.
- Unit managers are encouraged to create staff engagement plans to ensure that teams have meaningful opportunities to gather, collaborate, and socialize in person. For units operating in remote or modified hybrid modalities, such plans will be required at the time of approval for work arrangements.
- Divisions and administrative departments also will develop intentional plans for building workplace connections across all modalities, and ensure that flexible work arrangements support professional growth and opportunities for advancement. Staff will hear more specifics soon from divisions or administrative departments about what the new flexible work guidelines mean for you. Faculty will hear separately from academic leadership in the divisions about how best to support our staff and to offer further input to improving in-person engagement for everyone.
- Flexible work arrangements must comply with all applicable university policies and practices regarding overtime, tax withholding, holidays, vacation leave, and sick time.
- All arrangements should be documented, including the employee’s work location(s) and the number of days each week that the employee will work on site. Eventually these statuses and locations will need to be documented in SAP, in order to ensure proper state tax withholding. Instructions on procedures for this will be forthcoming.
- Prior to approving an employee to work outside of the United States, the department must contact the Director of Global Human Resources to ensure that JHU employment from the proposed location is permitted.
- If there are schedule or hours changes that impact timekeeping or pay, the appropriate adjustments must be made in E210 (timekeeping) and/or HRIS (payroll) systems.
- Employees who split their work time between multiple states (e.g., teleworking with monthly travel to a university work location) likely will have their wages allocated to and taxes withheld from multiple states, which can result in W-2s issued for multiple states. If this happens to you, you will be required to file tax returns in each of those states. Employees should use their own personal tax advisor to determine their state tax filing requirements.
- All flexible work arrangements will be subject to periodic review by management. Changes or termination of flexible work arrangements will be given with a minimum of 30 days’ notice unless there are extenuating circumstances where managers must make a change more rapidly.
Resources for Managers and Staff
JHU Future of Work Learning Resources: Support for managers and staff with hybrid work arrangements.
Managing Hybrid Teams E-Course: This self-paced course provides managers with protocols and best practices for effectively managing a hybrid team.
Managing Hybrid Teams Resource Toolkit: This toolkit includes links to Podcasts, LinkedIn Learning courses, myLearning Instructor-led Courses, Articles, Worksheets, Templates, Checklists, Best Practices on Evaluating Individuals and Teams and more. This toolkit also has fillable forms that managers and teams can populate together to document best practices for things like communication and staying connected.
Future of Work E-Course: This self-paced e-course provides a framework to support employees and managers using a hybrid work model and includes topics such as:
- Defining Onsite, Hybrid, and Remote Work Models: Various Ways of Working, Focus of Work, Understanding Hybrid Team Dynamics, and Desk Sharing
- Staying Connected: Virtual Tools, Hybrid Meetings, and One-on-One Meetings
- Being Healthy and Safer at Work: Important Reminders and Register Your Vaccination
- Managing Wellbeing: Working Together, Keeping Your Work/Life Balance, and Continue Moving Forward
- Resources: Commuting and Parking and References
Managers and staff can also consult their local HR business partner (HR Directory) or Central Employee and Labor Relations (EmployeeRelations@jhu.edu).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I request a change to my work arrangement (e.g., change my modality—in-person, hybrid, modified hybrid, or remote—or change my work schedule)?
A: At JHU, the vast majority of flexible work arrangements (i.e., work modality and work schedule) are initiated/decided by management at the divisional level. On rare occasions, staff who would like an exception to their approved work modality can discuss this with their manager; however, in all such instances, the staff member’s manager must request the exception to divisional management and Human Resources. Those exceptions are reviewed and approved at the discretion of divisional management and Divisional/Central Human Resources.
Q: What if I don’t agree with my assigned work arrangement? Can I appeal my manager’s decision?
A: Staff are not eligible to file appeals under the University’s appeal policy with respect to any matters relating to a flexible work arrangements.
Q: Can managers revoke employees’ flexible work arrangements?
A: All flexible work arrangements are subject to review by management periodically as needed and usually once per year. Managers may implement changes to or terminate an FWA at any time and must provide at least 30 days’ advance notice to the staff member of intent to change or terminate the FWA, unless there are extenuating circumstances where managers must make a change more rapidly.
Q: I was hired during the COVID pandemic and approved to work fully remote. Will I have to begin working in person?
A: Now that the university’s posture toward COVID has changed and we are back to fully in person, some JHU employees may experience a change to their work arrangements depending on the business and operational needs of their unit.
Q: Can I request to work remotely if I have a vaccine exception?
A: Having a vaccine exception does not automatically grant employees permission to work remotely. Employees should work with their manager and divisional HR director to determine if they need accommodations. Employees may be required to submit an accommodation request.
Q: Who can I contact to answer my questions about JHU’s flexible work model or policy?
A: Staff can speak directly to their supervisor or contact the HR business partner for their division. A list of HR business partners for each school and division can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/about-hr/hr-leadership-team/