Remote Work update

Last year UBC announced the introduction of a Remote Work pilot program to formalize alternate work arrangements, where operationally feasible. While the program successfully launched last November, there were circumstances that impacted our ability to fully understand hybrid work, such as floods and subsequent gas rationing, and the evolution of COVID-19 with the Omicron variant. 

With our return to campus in early February, we are now gaining more insights into the Remote Work program and its effects on faculty, staff, heads, directors, and operational leaders — as well as on the campuses and culture of the university more broadly. To understand these further, a Remote Work survey will be distributed in the first week of May. We will follow the survey with focus groups for additional qualitative data on the experience to date. 

The results of the survey, as well as focus group feedback, will inform any required changes to the Remote Work program moving forward. Unit/Faculty results of the survey will also be provided to leaders to share within their Faculties and Administrative Units. As a reminder, all Remote Work agreements must be logged and approved by managers in Workday.

Your comments are critical to understand the impacts and opportunities of hybrid working and we encourage you to please take time to provide your feedback. Thank you in advance for sharing your experience of the Remote Work pilot program.

Marcia Buchholz
Vice-President, Human Resources