To: RPI Staff and Faculty
From: Louis Padula, Acting Vice President of Human Resources
Re: Flexible Work Program
I am pleased to announce a flexible work program for Rensselaer staff. The program reflects the input and feedback provided by many of you through the Climate Survey last year, as well as through a series of workshops we ran with many of your areas. Our goal in those workshops was to understand the needs and constraints faced by various portfolios when drafting a policy. The RPI Flexible Work Program endeavors to lay out a framework for flexible work arrangements while giving the supervisor sufficient authority to adjust and adapt according to the requirements of the specific position and the needs of the department.
Our Flexible Work Program has been developed with a focus on the following guiding principles:
- Promote employee engagement and job satisfaction
- Support employee work-life balance
- Maintain quality of service
- Assist in attracting and retaining world-class team members
What is Flexible Work?
Flexible work arrangements provide an alternative to the traditional workday, the standard workweek, or the traditional workplace. Our policy gives staff who have the approval of their supervisors and division leaders the ability to incorporate flexible work arrangements into their normal work schedule. This flexibility can help staff balance work and personal responsibilities, while meeting performance objectives and Institute needs. RPI’s flexible work options are listed below. Definitions for each option can be found in HR Policy 700.6 Flexible Work Arrangements.
- Flexible Workday
- Compressed Schedule
- Hybrid
- Fully Remote
- Occasional Use Flexibility
Each division has developed flexible work guidelines to best support their portfolio needs. For example, a department that provides in-person services to students might provide guidelines to ensure proper coverage during the course of the week.
Requests for fully remote work arrangements will be reviewed and approved by the Divisions of Finance and Human Resources on a case-by-case basis.
For the purposes of operational excellence and business continuity, all flexible work arrangements require approval by supervisors and division leaders.
Want to know more?
- Explore the Flexible Work web page to familiarize yourself with the policy.
- Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for guidance and best practices.
How can I request a Flexible Work Arrangement?
- If you would like to request a flexible work arrangement, you should first discuss your request with your immediate supervisor.
- Once you have had a discussion with your supervisor to review the desired arrangement, then submit the Flexible Work Agreement for approval.
- Your supervisor and division leader will review your Flexible Work request and approve if appropriate for the position and if quality of service can be maintained for students, faculty, staff, and members of the community.
We expect to learn from each other over time, so your feedback as you become acquainted with the program is important to us. To submit feedback or for questions, please contact flexiblework@rpi.edu.
We care about you and your well-being and appreciate the opportunity to partner with you to bring this Flexible Work Program to fruition. I’m very proud of how our university came together to develop this plan for your benefit. Thank you.
