FOR SUPERVISORS Lead your team

University leaders conducted a review of all campus staff positions to determine which positions are eligible for remote or hybrid work. These questions guided decisions on position eligibility: 

1. Does the position have daily face-to-face interaction with students, patients, co-workers, direct reports or other members of our community that require an on-site presence?   
2. Does this position require on-site responsibilities such as classroom support, mail, receiving materials, filing, event preparation, etc.? 
3. Would this position working remotely require others to assume some of their responsibilities? 
4. Does the position require close supervision or monitoring daily? 
5. Does the position require special equipment that is not available in a remote environment?  
6. Does the position require access to systems, networks, or security features that cannot be reliably and securely accessed in a remote environment?   
7. Would remote work for this position result in a measurable decrease in the level of service provided to customers, such as less student access to the employee? 

If you need to update the eligibility status, or set an eligibility status for a position created or filled after May 1, 2023, you can work with your business officer to note the eligibility in the position description. These updates can be made similar to any other position description update by working with HR Compensation and Employment. 

Eligibility decisions were based on the position and its responsibilities, and not based on any individual employee currently in the position. 

Now, campus staff in eligible positions can formally request a remote or hybrid work arrangement. Leaders in each area determined who will have authority to make decisions on requests.  

View instructions how on how to review and enter a decision on remote or hybrid work requests.

For requests to work out of state, or requests involving certain visa holders, HR will coordinate a broader review among other areas of the university and provide leaders with information to consider before making a final decision on a request. 

These questions can guide decisions to approve or deny remote or hybrid work requests. If the response to any of the following question is "no," the employee is not suitable for remote work: 

1. Has the employee shown the ability to work successfully with minimal supervision? 
2. Does the employee have sufficient planning and organizational skills, along with the self-direction to be successful in a remote position?   
3. Does the employee demonstrate sufficient skills and abilities using remote technologies such as Zoom, VPN, Outlook, Teams, etc.?   
4. Does the employee have the communication skills to work effectively by phone, email, instant message and/or via other methods with supervisors, co-workers, students, and other stakeholders? 
5. Does the employee have a dedicated, secure space in which they can conduct daily work? 
6. Does the employee have reliable internet connectivity in their proposed remote location? 
7. Is the employee aware and agreeable to all conditions outlined in the remote work attestation, including agreement to maintain an up-to-date remote work address and not to work outside the United States? 
8. If the employee is sponsored on an H-1B visa, does the employee understand they may be unable to work remotely in locations outside of the Lexington Metropolitan Statistical Area? 
9. Is the employee clear of any current corrective action or Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)? 

Remote work is most effective when employees and supervisors communicate clearly about expectations. This checklist will help you establish a foundation for effective operations, continued productivity and service to the UK community.   

Learn more

In addition to you, as a leader, publicly praising and acknowledging your employees for their great work, encourage your team to also recognize their colleagues. Consider a Teams channel for recognition.

Yes, hold employees accountable. However, the more we “keep tabs” on our employees, the less likely they are to feel like we trust them to do the work they were hired to do.

Ongoing, open and authentic communication is key to building trust. This includes being honest about a situation, even when it’s difficult news to share.

Acknowledge the things you do not know and ask for help from colleagues instead of just telling them what they need to do.

Studies show those who connect with others and help them with their projects not only earned the respect and trust of their peers, but were also more productive themselves.