Working Flexibly

Understanding Your Division’s Policy on Flexible Work

It is important to understand where your division stands with regards to working flexibly. Due to the diversity of jobs at Emory, divisional leaders are able to establish flexible work policies for their own division based on what they deem to be appropriate. 

How to Request a Flexible Work Arrangement

If you are interested in working flexibly, you should start by reviewing your division’s policy on flexible work arrangements and following this up with a conversation with your manager. While not all jobs are suitable for all types of flexible work arrangements, many jobs at Emory can accommodate some kind of flexibility.

Job performance will also impact the approval of flexible work arrangements. Generally, the more flexibility one has, the stronger their work performance should be. This includes:

• solid communication and transparency
• strong and reliable accountability and work ethic
• demonstrated ability to work independently with little supervision

You should also review our Steps for Setting Up and Ongoing Review of Flexible Work Arrangements. These steps outline the process for requesting/reviewing a flexible work arrangement for both employees and managers.

Prepare a Written Proposal

Divisions require that the details of flexible work arrangements be documented in writing and signed by the employee and supervisor. This may take a couple of drafts to work out all of the details. The Emory Work-Life Resource Center has a sample of a written proposal that may be helpful in preparing to speak with your supervisor.

Your proposal should:

• Explain how, where and when you will accomplish your work without having a negative impact on the work of your department.
• Address how your proposed arrangement can enhance your job and/or Emory.
• Include how your work will be measured and performance will be evaluated.

You may also want to discuss your plan with others in your department to be sure that it will work before sharing it with your manager. Keep in mind that compromise and revision may be needed.

Work Life staff is available to help you develop a proposal or how to approach your manager. Contact us at 404-727-7613.

The decision of whether or not to approve a flexible work arrangement depends upon the policy set forth by your division and a combination of factors related to job suitability and work performance. Work Life staff does not make these decisions.

Note: If you are seeking a flexible work arrangement to care for your own health or the health of a family member, you should consult with your HR representative. In these cases, use of Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be more appropriate.

Working Out of State & International Remote Work

Requests to telecommute or work remotely are managed by individual departments and require supervisor or higher approval. Emory Policy 2.91 Employment in States Other than Georgia provides guidance governing all requests to work remotely within the United States but outside the State of Georgia. For information related to remote work inside the U.S., please refer to the Out of State Employment page.

Requests to work remotely from outside the U.S, require an additional level of review given the multiple compliance considerations involved, including, but not limited to, tax liability, research security, immigration and work authorization, research security, export controls, insurance, and sponsored funding requirements. These issues may require review by outside legal counsel. As such, international remote work requests must be considered on a case-by-case basis and may not be allowable. Legal and other fees may apply, and those fees are borne by the department requesting the arrangement. 

Visit the Global Services website to review International Remote Work Guidelines and to view instructions for requesting international remote work review.

If you have any questions about international remote work, please contact Global Services (404-727-9127 or sarah.harlan@emory.edu).

Managing a Flexible Work Team

If you are a manager and want to embrace a more flexible work culture in your department, it is important that you understand where your leadership stands on flexibility and should review your divisional policy on flexible work arrangements.

Consultation

Consultation, training and tips are available to help you learn more about how to support and manage a flexible work team. As a manager, you are encouraged to take advantage of these resources so that you hold the skills necessary to be successful at managing in a flexible work environment.