Key questions
How do I assess the appropriate level of Dynamic Working for each role whilst taking into the needs of the role, the team and the individual?
Ultimately this will rest on you making a reasonable judgement as a manager. This process can be broken down into three parts. The first is to determine the proportion of the role that needs to be delivered from Campus to maintain operational effectiveness of the role. The second part is to determine what further presence on campus may be required to maintain team ethos/spirit and support effective working relationships between colleagues and students. The final part is to try to integrate the wishes of your staff in relation to their preferred pattern of Dynamic Working. If managers have any questions about how to approach this process, they should consult their HR partner.
How much account should be taken of what the person thinks about their ability to do their job remotely versus my assessment?
Ideally managers should continue discussions with the employee and attempt to reach agreement where possible. Ultimately, managers need to ensure that the Dynamic Working arrangements maintain service delivery in a broad sense, and so it will be necessary on some occasions to negotiate/decline a person’s request for a particular Dynamic Working arrangement.
When does Dynamic Working officially start?
It is intended that all parts of the University will have implemented Dynamic Working arrangements by the 1st of November 2021. Arrangements therefore need to be agreed by 31st October, and from the 1st of October at the earliest.
How do we avoid resentment between those can access Dynamic working and those who can’t?
Be careful in your choice of language, it may not be helpful to talk about “benefits” of Dynamic Working. Dynamic Working is designed to enable people to work more flexibly but the requirement to maintain standards and outputs are unchanged. There may be some staff who are unable to work dynamically due to the nature of their role and may feel disappointed by this. Where possible you should keep this under review so that if circumstances change you can extend the ability to work dynamically to them.
How do we differentiate between Dynamic Working and flexible working?
When discussing Dynamic Working arrangements with team members it will be important to make it clear that these arrangements are not in response to a formal flexible working request or to a request for reasonable adjustments arising from a disability. If an employee indicates a wish to discuss flexible working or reasonable adjustments a separate discussion should take place and HR should be consulted. Dynamic Working arrangements do not affect employment terms and conditions and are an informal arrangement.
How do I manage reasonable adjustment requests within a Dynamic Working setting?
Reasonable adjustment requests are part of the everyday relationship between an individual and their manager and can be made at any time. With the introduction of Dynamic Working it is possible that Managers may be approached by individuals with reasonable adjustment requests linked specifically to Dynamic Working. These should be taken seriously by the manager and discussed with the employee to understand their needs and how the adjustments will support the employee. If the request is straightforward, clearly beneficial and desired by the colleague, and easily implemented by the manager (without a wider impact on others) then it should be implemented without the need for further discussion.
For other more complex requests, or where a manager needs to ensure that they are meeting the legal requirements of the Equality Act, and the University’s commitments to schemes such as the Disability Confident Scheme, managers can seek guidance on formal reasonable adjustment requests from their HR Partner.