Supervisors have guidance from their division and area leadership about which work modes are possible or necessary to meet mission needs, and are responsible for talking with their employees and assigning each of them a work mode in the Work Mode Assignment Tool. Once supervisors agree to a flexible work arrangement, they are responsible for actively participating toward making it work with their employees.
Supervisors should also work with each employee to communicate the flexible work arrangement to clients, coworkers, and stakeholders who may be affected by the arrangement using the following guide.
01
Set Clear Expectations
Supervisors should follow the same approach they would in managing full-time on-site employees. Supervisors should define clear expectations and communicate expected results, quality of work, deadlines, and any other criteria that might affect the successful completion of duties, and link outcomes and deliverables to organizational goals.
02
Promote Collaboration
Supervisors should actively foster a sense of cohesiveness among their team, including those with flexible work arrangements. Supervisors should cultivate a sense of teamwork by setting goals for everyone to strive for and meet together (on-site, virtually, or a hybrid), and recognize everyone together when those benchmarks are reached. Supervisors should work to make sure their employees with flexible arrangements and who are participating virtually feel they are a vital part of the team.
03
Check in Regularly
When possible, supervisors should schedule regular in-person individual and/or team meetings to stay connected and foster collaboration. If they cannot meet regularly in person, they should set up a phone or virtual meeting. During these meetings, supervisors should discuss work items to assess progress. By meeting on a regular basis, workers can plan tasks accordingly and supervisors will stay informed. Productivity increases because regular check-ins come with built-in consequences for failure to execute on expectations.
04
Monitor Effectiveness
Establish regular intervals (~every 90 days–6 months, but no less than annually) to evaluate the effectiveness of the flexible work arrangement. Assess the needs of the business and the well-being of the employee, and discuss potential concerns. If something is not working, discuss and implement appropriate changes to the details of the flexible work agreement. In a flexible work arrangement, as in any work situation, measuring employee results rather than their activities is more efficient and effective.
05
Provide Feedback
Regular feedback is vital to the success of a flexible work arrangement. Supervisors should give feedback just as they would with any employee. It should be direct and offer examples of where the employee is meeting, or failing to meet, expectations. Good communication between supervisors and employees is essential for successfully completing work and is especially necessary in a flexible work environment.
06
Ensure Accountability
Supervisors must be comfortable with and prepared to manage the flexible arrangement or it will not work. It is incumbent on all of us to hold staff accountable if performance suffers and to be engaged in managing and documenting expectations; this includes being prepared to revise or revoke a flexible work agreement.
Supervisors can improve chances of successful flexible work arrangements by:
- Focusing on the organizational benefits derived by supporting flexible work arrangements, including reduced turnover and increased productivity, improved employee experience, and commitment.
- Thinking of jobs in terms of roles and performance, and measuring performance by results rather than through direct in-person observation and time on-site in Lab work spaces.
- Supporting the concept verbally and through personal modeling of balanced work practices.
- Making an effort to work through problems and/or obstacles that may arise.
- Assuring that documentation of the arrangement is in place with acknowledgement of all involved parties, including business unit/division leadership.
- Revising or even reversing a plan if it is not serving the individual’s or organization’s needs.
- Consulting with their own leadership and Human Resources as needed.
07
Share Career and Development Opportunities
Supervisors will need to make sure that they are sharing career and development opportunities fairly and consistently with their employees regardless of their mode of work. Several resources for supervisors are available to consult for how to effectively manage people in a telework and hybrid environment.
08
Track Lab-Owned Equipment
Divisions are responsible for ensuring that all Lab-owned equipment is tracked and returned. If an employee cannot safely return equipment to the Lab, the division will bear the cost. The established processes to return equipment to the Lab are detailed on the Property Management website.