Miscellaneous

How do I build/rebuild team spirit in a team that is working Dynamically?

When agreeing working arrangements, it will be important for managers to factor in how team rapport and relationships can be maintained or developed. Managers will want to consider having regular days when whole teams are in on campus so they’re able to meet in person or there may be other ways in which teams can meet collectively online through team meetings and events

One of my team has very little space at home but wants to work remotely from a local coffee house, is that allowed?

This would not be seen as a suitable workspace for other than occasional use.  From an IT perspective it is possible to use the public wireless provided in venues such as coffee shops, but there is increased security risk with public wireless networks. Most wireless networks, including those in coffee shops and hotels, are shared and therefore malicious people can view some of the activity happening on your device. It is therefore essential to connect to the University Off Campus VPN (Cisco AnyConnect) when undertaking University work/business.

What are the insurance implications for the University where staff are working from home?

There are no fundamental insurance implications for the University. IT equipment that is documented and registered to an individual will be insured when off campus. Individuals should however check any implications on their own house insurance.

How can we measure the importance of the intangible culture elements of our teams and the wider University? How can we quantify and measure what is a very qualitative experience?

This is challenging but important. One way to understand the impact of Dynamic Working on team culture is through open and honest dialogue within each team. Managers should aim to speak regularly with their  team about what has become better/worse about the team culture which will allow managers to  identify what needs to change and what needs to be retained. At the University level we will be monitoring the effects of Dynamic Working through future staff surveys which may allow us to pick up on and wider cultural changes that have happened.

How can we prevent one person’s Dynamic Working affecting another person’s ability to do their job?

This will be the responsibility of managers to ensure that Dynamic Working arrangements are effective for individuals as well as teams. If issues arise, managers will be expected to address these and make any necessary adjustments with team members.

How do I deal with lack of consistency between colleagues working within the same department that could cause tension? How do I address the tensions between different staff groups within one department?

Managers should act reasonably and deploy the same considerations to everyone, but because individual roles and circumstances are different, the outcome of that process will not be identical. Indeed, similar roles between areas may have different outcomes because of the broader context of the role (e.g. a role in a school may require a greater presence on campus because of the collective need to support students, even if student support is not the primary purpose of that role.) If discrepancies arise or emerge, managers will be expected to proactively intervene to address them.

What should the focus of being on campus be? Is it team building, service delivery, environment/culture?

This will be different for each school and service. In the main, it is expected that staff will spend time on campus for a variety of reasons including contact with team members and manager, team rapport, learning and development opportunities, observing the broader effectiveness of cross-cutting processes they have a role in, informal networking, provision of in-person service for example.

Where do I go for further information about Dynamic Working?

This website is the main source of information for Dynamic Working but specific queries can be directed to your manager or HR Partner as appropriate.