Task Force to Explore Flexible Work Schedule
June 22, 2011
After extensive research by the UNH Women’s Commission’s work/life balance committee,
UNH is establishing a task force to develop polices and guidelines to support flexible work arrangements.
The research shows mutual gains for many employers and employees who work abbreviated schedules, telecommute or have some form of flexible workweek.
At UNH, nontraditional work schedules fit with many of the university’s interests, including:
- a strategic plan that envisions new approaches to the allocation of time in pursuing our mission of teaching, discovery and service;
- a need to recognize and adjust to the reality that employees increasingly face the challenge of balancing personal and professional demands, and that those demands may change during a UNH career;
- the need to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining talented employees by paying attention to contemporary practices of employers of choice;
- supporting a university interest in utilizing its physical assets more fully to achieve economies and increase revenue producing activity year round;
- mitigating the tendency of traditional calendars and schedules to lead to the need to maintain peak transportation, parking and energy capacity;
- taking advantage of new information technologies to make possible opportunities for many employees to effectively perform some work at home or in remote sites ;
- supporting a strong performance-based culture focused on results whereby flexible work arrangements and a results orientation need not be at odds, but can be a win /win for the university and its staff.
The flexible work options the task force will review include flex time, part time, job sharing, compressed work week, telework and remote work.
The task force will convene this summer. During the fall semester they will conduct a needs assessment/survey, examine current policies and practices, and identify needs for policy development and guidelines.
Plans are to have a full set of recommendations and an implementation plan this winter.
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