To support supervisors, we have created this guide to use when considering flexible work arrangements. This guide helps ensure that you and your employee have a clear understanding of each other’s expectations and that you have made decisions fairly and in the best interests of your division, its stakeholders, and Berkeley Lab.
Supervisors should initiate conversations with each direct report employee to determine what work mode appropriately fits the requirements of each position to meet the mission needs of their position, program, team, objectives, project, and/or division.
The responsibility for this conversation falls primarily to supervisors to ensure that work arrangements meet objectives, and it is the supervisor’s role to determine how much physical presence is required on a Lab site to effectively meet business needs. Some employees may not feel comfortable initiating the conversation, and it is important to ensure that every eligible employee has the opportunity to discuss flexible work arrangements if they are interested in one. Please remind employees that requesting a flexible work arrangement (or using one) will not be a determining factor with respect to their performance evaluations or the opportunities for career development and advancement. These are not static arrangements and an employee or supervisor can revisit the agreement if either finds that the arrangement needs to be modified. Supervisors should also apply objective decision-making criteria for assessing and granting requests for flexible work arrangements. Any decisions or changes to flexible work agreements must be done with thought, reason, and appropriate advance notice. The amount of notice will be dependent on the situation and based on business or mission needs.
Supervisors are responsible for establishing standard practices for their group or unit, which are consistent with Lab guidelines. Work arrangement proposals are to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by evaluating the needs of the business unit and its internal and external clients, and the individual’s ability to demonstrate effective execution of the position, responsibilities, and work style.
Each work arrangement must fit the person, position, and division/area objectives. Supervisors should look at the duties/responsibilities outlined in the employee’s position description and identify the work that can be conducted off-site and the work that cannot.
All flexible work arrangements must have the appropriate level of management approvals outlined as follows: Hybrid Work (supervisor), Telework (supervisor with concurrence of the division director), Remote Work (formal Remote Work Agreement signed by the supervisor, division director, and ALD). Once the supervisor has communicated with the employee and determined the employee’s work mode, the supervisor will use the Work Mode Assignment Tool (found in Flexible Work Resources) to assign the appropriate work mode. Please follow the directions for using the tool, which can also be found in Flexible Work Resources.