[Eve Esch]

Happy New Year, Folks. Here are responses for the University of Houston. 47K students, 25 FT staff members in Student Center/Student Union

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?? The university allows up to 2 days/week for hybrid/remote work for most positions. There are a few (e.g. IT) that are fully remote and some jobs (like our Set up Crew, Games Room staff, etc) that do not have the ability for remote work. For Student Life, if folks are able to do their work from home, they have 1 day/week, and there are certain “Blackout” periods like Weeks of Welcome when everyone has to be on campus. There have been a few exceptions of staff who do 2 days/week due to special circumstances.

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members? it has been challenging having a combo of folks who can & can’t remote work. There has been discussions of it going away, and even though it’s a “Privilege,” folks using it consider it to be a requirement so there would be a lot of negativity that would come from removing a remote option. Also, a new requirement that cameras have to be on will be interesting. The policy also states that the remote work must be done at their home and not from another state/location (which has been frustrating for some).

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite? I guess since it’s a 2 day max then 24 hours is min.

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost? ?Is free coffee/tea etc available at work? 16 oz coffee from Starbucks in building is $2.95. Most offices have Keurigs and provide staff with Kcups

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work? 6 inch turkey, chips & soda is $11.33

6. ?What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite? Annual garage pass is $850. day rate is $20 for? more than 4 hours

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies? no

Hope this helps,

Eve

——————————
Eve Esch
Executive Director of Student Centers
University of Houston
Houston TX
(713) 743-3040
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 14:47
From: Corbin Smyth
Subject: Remote and OnSite Work Environment

Colleagues, I’m cross-posting this on ACUI and NACAS with a colleague at UCSF. We have agreed to share the information that comes back. Assuming we are able to receive several responses, I can share back all the info in a central document. Please respond if you are able:

Hello & Happy New Year!  Hoping to get some insights on how employers are managing/proceeding with where/how people work.

Queries for employers with respect to employees who can work remotely:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?  

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?  Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?

6.  What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?

When responding, please do share what organization you belong to & general size of organization. Also, feel free to include anything else related to the return to site dialog an employer may want to think about or you experienced.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————

[jpelletier]

Hi Corbin/all-
Here is the scoop at Ohio State – I’m using my own department (Ohio Union and Student Activities) within the Office of Student Life – the university and student life have provided some general overarching guidelines, but so far departments have some flexibility to do what works best for that team.

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?? We don’t have a hard and fast policy, so it’s up to supervisor/supervisee to do what works best to maintain student and operational support. For my team it’s not one-size-fits-all since some have more of an on-site responsibility (Audiovisual, Event Operations, etc.)
2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members? Early on, the previous iteration of our team, and our current version, agreed to a “common” on site day, which is when we have our staff meeting(s). That guarantees that folks can find one another for in-person discussions, small group meetings, etc. when hybrid meetings don’t quite cut it.
3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite? I’m sure there is a minimum, but since most of our staff are already here 3-4 days out of five, we haven’t run into an issue with anyone not being on-site enough.
4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost? ?Is free coffee/tea etc available at work? Coffee in our coffee shop in the union is $2.50. Student Life staff also get a 25% discount in our dining locations. There is no coffee/tea provided in the administrative office, though some staff have their own coffee or Keurig machines, so I guess that’s sort of free?
5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work? $12.50, again with a 25% discount for Student Life staff.
6. What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite? A full month parking pass at the garage next to the union is $116.40 – That level of pass gives the user access to all garage and surface lots on the main area of campus. If an individual wanted to pay only on the days they work on-site, the max daily rate is $18.50. Drivers can purchase single exit vouchers in packs of 10 at $14.75 each, to save a little on that daily rate.
7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies? We are not currently looking at transportation demand strategy, although as Columbus looks to enhance the commuter/mass transit system (currently just busses), that could be a consideration down the road.

——————————
Jeff Pelletier, MA, MBOE, LSSBB
Ohio Union Director
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
614-292-3290
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 14:47
From: Corbin Smyth
Subject: Remote and OnSite Work Environment

Colleagues, I’m cross-posting this on ACUI and NACAS with a colleague at UCSF. We have agreed to share the information that comes back. Assuming we are able to receive several responses, I can share back all the info in a central document. Please respond if you are able:

Hello & Happy New Year!  Hoping to get some insights on how employers are managing/proceeding with where/how people work.

Queries for employers with respect to employees who can work remotely:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?  

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?  Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?

6.  What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?

When responding, please do share what organization you belong to & general size of organization. Also, feel free to include anything else related to the return to site dialog an employer may want to think about or you experienced.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————

[Dave Timmann]

Good morning Corbin, my responses relate to the administrative and operational support side of the USF Marshall Student Center.

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy? ?Primarily onsite. During “down” weeks; spring break, winter break, and weeks between commencement and summer session we offer a hybrid model of some remote, some onsite, or four 10-hour work days if your department can support it.

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members? There are no issues; it’s seen as a perk and a way to reenergize everyone. The staff is on board.

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite? No

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost? ?Is free coffee/tea etc available at work? Panera Bread offers a monthly pay Sip Club, $16/month that many of us use. It’s coffee, tea, and selected drinks “free” every two hours. The student government offers free coffee for staff to?take advantage of.

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work? Panera cost, approx. $13.00

6. ?What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite? There is a large sliding scale of fees but in general, staff making over $25k pay $270 annually and staff under 25K pay $262. A daily pass is $5.

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies? No

——————————
Dave Timmann Associate Director for Operations
Marshall Student Center, University of So Florida
Tampa, FL 33620
813-974-0042
dtimmann@usf.edu
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 14:47
From: Corbin Smyth
Subject: Remote and OnSite Work Environment

Colleagues, I’m cross-posting this on ACUI and NACAS with a colleague at UCSF. We have agreed to share the information that comes back. Assuming we are able to receive several responses, I can share back all the info in a central document. Please respond if you are able:

Hello & Happy New Year!  Hoping to get some insights on how employers are managing/proceeding with where/how people work.

Queries for employers with respect to employees who can work remotely:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?  

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?  Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?

6.  What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?

When responding, please do share what organization you belong to & general size of organization. Also, feel free to include anything else related to the return to site dialog an employer may want to think about or you experienced.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————

[csmyth]

Hi all, thought I should also share my own responses in this thread. We’re getting some responses in the NACAS forum as well, I will digest all of these responses in a new post in the near future. Keep ’em coming! -Corbin

Northwestern University is home to 8,000 full-time undergrads, 14,000 graduate students, and 11,000 faculty/staff including part-time.

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?
Our division (Student Affairs) allows up to 2 scheduled remote days per week, dependent on job duties. Our work in Norris does not fill well with this remote strategy. We are open 8am-Midnight every day and have staff working in the main building and our satellite venues all day, in the evenings, and on weekends. We developed our plan and received approval from Student Affairs and have implemented the following strategy for the last two years:? Each employee is eligible for up to 10 approved remote days per quarter (Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer) and requests them in advance based on their workload and serving our students and clients. Some employees with duties more related to desk/computer work can schedule recurring days, like every Tuesday. Others’ duties require more on-site work based on when our spaces are busy and so they might schedule multiple remote days in the same week, when the building is quieter – typically around holidays and breaks. A few others in the building have work that is almost exclusively on site and therefore are not able to use very many, if any, remote days. And some of us choose to be on site, rather than work remotely, except on rare occasions. Remote days are not guaranteed and cannot be banked or rolled over to the next quarter. Wednesday is a remote black-out day and we have several recurring meetings scheduled on Wednesdays when everyone is on site.

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?
We developed the above plan as a full team (25 staff). We tested a few ideas in Fall 2022 and used that feedback to get us to our current plan. This plan is imperfect, not the ideal plan for each individual employee, but is supported by the team as the best overall plan for us collectively. We review the plan a couple times per year at staff meetings, and at our staff summer retreat, then make adjustments as the group prefers. Additionally we allow and support flexible scheduling so employees, even if they need to be on site, can adjust their work hours to better meet their own needs for transportation, child care, personal needs, etc.

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?
Our staff spends the majority of their time on site due to the nature of our work. If an employee was able to use 100% of their available remote days that would still only amount to 15% of their total work days. Almost none of our staff is able to achieve this.

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost? ?Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?
No free beverages are available. We have a Starbucks in the building, current price for a 16oz coffee is $2.95.

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?
About $13.00 in our retail food court

6. ?What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?
Annual faculty/staff permits are $648. Daily permits are $9.

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?
Some departments at Northwestern do this. But again, because of the nature of our college union work, we are not able to use this as a true strategy in our department. We do use remote work as a strategy to help employees maintain a workday at home (rather than use PTO) if public transportation is down/delayed or if weather is hazardous – this is infrequent, but does occur.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 14:47
From: Corbin Smyth
Subject: Remote and OnSite Work Environment

Colleagues, I’m cross-posting this on ACUI and NACAS with a colleague at UCSF. We have agreed to share the information that comes back. Assuming we are able to receive several responses, I can share back all the info in a central document. Please respond if you are able:

Hello & Happy New Year!  Hoping to get some insights on how employers are managing/proceeding with where/how people work.

Queries for employers with respect to employees who can work remotely:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?  

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?  Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?

6.  What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?

When responding, please do share what organization you belong to & general size of organization. Also, feel free to include anything else related to the return to site dialog an employer may want to think about or you experienced.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————

[cburpee]

Hey Corbin,
Please see answers below from University of Chicago.

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?
   • Our division (Campus and Student Life) allows individual units to create their own policies, as long as operational need its being met.? Prior to 2024 UChicago Student Centers was only allowing remote work during summer and breaks.? In order to introduce some flexibility for staff, in 2024 we added 3 remote days per quarter during the academic year and 12 remote days during summer.?
   • We also have all staff remote days that don’t count against that allotment when the building is closed.? For instance, this year our building was closed Dec 23 and 24th, but they weren’t university days off, so everyone who didn’t take off worked remotely.
   • We have a few positions for which remote work isn’t possible.? These Event Service Worker roles support event setups and basic custodial.? For these staff, we have started letting them leave 2 hours early 3 times per quarter, and 12 times per quarter in the summer.? This was the most equitable solution we could come up with, but it isn’t perfect.
2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?
   • The responsibility falls on the employee to determine if they are able to work effectively remotely, and have enough work to keep them busy.? Staff who choose to participate in remote work must be reachable by phone, teams, and email.? Staff are encouraged to use remote time
3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite??
   • Even in summer, staff are limited to using a maximum of 3 remote days per week.? This helps us ensure coverage during times when many people are choosing to take vacation time.
   • We try to ensure that there is at least one member of each team in the building during regular business hours.
   • We prioritize sick and vacation time over remote work, and thus reserve the right to cancel previously approved remote work in order to maintain minimum levels of staffing if someone calls off.
4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost? ?Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?
   • We operate 4 student run coffee shops.? Student Centers professional staff receive free drip coffee and tea, but must pay for all other food and beverages (i.e. lattes, cold brew, bottled drinks).? If they were paying, a large cup of drip coffee is $3.00 plus tax.
5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?
   • About $16.00 at Pret A Manger.?
6. What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?
   • Street parking is free around campus, though hard to find. ?Most of our team who drive choose to park on the street.? For garages and lots, the rates vary from $135/month to $235/month, depending on proximity to campus.? Staff receive no discount.
7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?
   • No.

——————————
Christopher Burpee
Director of Student Centers
University of Chicago
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 14:47
From: Corbin Smyth
Subject: Remote and OnSite Work Environment

Colleagues, I’m cross-posting this on ACUI and NACAS with a colleague at UCSF. We have agreed to share the information that comes back. Assuming we are able to receive several responses, I can share back all the info in a central document. Please respond if you are able:

Hello & Happy New Year!  Hoping to get some insights on how employers are managing/proceeding with where/how people work.

Queries for employers with respect to employees who can work remotely:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?  

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?  Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?

6.  What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?

When responding, please do share what organization you belong to & general size of organization. Also, feel free to include anything else related to the return to site dialog an employer may want to think about or you experienced.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————

[morganmeehan]

Hi Corbin,

Here is the information for UNC Charlotte. The university policy allows for ‘ongoing’ telework/remote work, approved by your supervisor, department leadership and divisional vice chancellor. The agreement must be reviewed and renewed annually. Within our division of Student Affairs, the Vice Chancellor has stated that employees should not telework more than 2 days a week due to the nature of the division’s work.

For my department specifically:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy? ?

We follow the division and university guidance, but due to the nature of our work, I do not have any staff members who have submitted a telework agreement form. That said, each staff and their supervisor have the latitude to allow for occasional telework opportunities assuming that we are able to maintain our onsite operations. The definition of ‘occasional’ can flex based on time of year and what the specific responsibilities are for each staff person.?

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

Flexibility has worked. Allowing for 4-10s or other ‘flexible work arrangements’ during breaks or summer has been welcomed by many of our facilities-focused staff. We also tend to avoid team meetings or ‘mandatory’ meetings Mondays and Fridays…that works well, too.?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

For us, N/A.

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?? Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

We have a Keurig in the office that a few of us will take turns buying out of pocket for, but the Keurig itself was purchased with funds. In one building we have Starbucks ($2.95 for a grande medium roast) and Bojangles ($1.99 for a medium hot coffee). In the other building we have a coffee vending machine ($2.00) and a little bakery area with drip coffee ($2.00)

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work??

Erbert & Gerbert combo = $12.75
Subway 12 inch sub combo = $12.95
Faculty / Staff can purchase a bundle of 5 meals for $40 for use at one of the dining halls, where they could assumedly make their own turkey sandwich/soda/chip combo?

6.? What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

$480 per year. There is an option to add $160 a year for premium parking. Premium parking would gain access to 2.5 more floors in the parking deck next to the Student Union. Staff working in Cone Center would be required to add the premium parking rate if they wanted to park next to the building. There are 3 discount lots on campus ranging from $225 – $360, which employees can then take a bus or walk to their work location. We also have a stop on the city’s light rail system on campus. A faculty/staff member can add an annual pass for the city’s transportation system which includes the light rail to their university card for $75.

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies??

N/A

——————————
Morgan Meehan
Director, Student Centers
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Charlotte NC
(615) 714-7316
——————————
——————————————-
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 14:47
From: Corbin Smyth
Subject: Remote and OnSite Work Environment

Colleagues, I’m cross-posting this on ACUI and NACAS with a colleague at UCSF. We have agreed to share the information that comes back. Assuming we are able to receive several responses, I can share back all the info in a central document. Please respond if you are able:

Hello & Happy New Year!  Hoping to get some insights on how employers are managing/proceeding with where/how people work.

Queries for employers with respect to employees who can work remotely:

1. What is your post COVID work onsite/hybrid/remote policy?  

2. If onsite/hybrid, what has and has not worked for you in getting buy-in from the team members?

3. If hybrid, is there a requirement on how much time team members must spend onsite?

4. What does a cup of coffee at work cost?  Is free coffee/tea etc available at work?

5. What does a lunch of a turkey sandwich/soda/chips cost at work?

6.  What does it cost to park at your worksite or near your worksite?

7. Does your organization consider remote work & compressed work weeks as transportation demand management strategies?

When responding, please do share what organization you belong to & general size of organization. Also, feel free to include anything else related to the return to site dialog an employer may want to think about or you experienced.

——————————
Corbin Smyth
Executive Director, Norris University Center
Northwestern University
Evanston IL
(847) 491-2323
——————————