Carnegie Mellon University

Workplace Flexibility for Staff

As of January 1, 2023, the guidelines for staff work arrangements state that staff should be either fully in-person or hybrid with staff in person at least three days per week. Some staff may work in person more than three days a week due to the nature of their jobs. These guidelines continue to be in effect through the end of 2024.

It is anticipated that there may be some positions or groups of positions that are appropriate to be done 1) in less than three in-person days per week or 2) completely remote. Those requests will need to be approved in advance by the supervisor, the VP or Dean, and the Flexible Work Arrangements Committee.

These guidelines and the guiding principles below take into account the feedback received from our campus community through town halls, HR data collection, and the targeted survey related to this topic distributed this fall. Our community recognizes the value of hybrid and in-person work arrangements. This includes students who have shared that they value in-person interactions with faculty and staff while appreciating the flexibility of virtual interactions at times.

The guiding principles and guidelines embrace this collective feedback and other lessons learned throughout the pandemic about intention, flexibility and in-person connection in the workplace while keeping the mission of the university front and center.

Leveraging these guiding principles and guidelines, decisions regarding flexible work arrangements are based on operational and business needs and ultimately will be determined by the supervisor.

Guiding Principles

While the guidelines provided are intended for staff, it is our hope that the following guiding principles will be embraced by both faculty and staff as we shape our workplace culture together.

How we work will:

  • Advance the mission of the university. Every faculty and staff member contributes to the university’s mission to deliver excellent education and research; we are predominantly a residential university and any flexibility will be considered in the context of the mission and not based solely on specific group or individual preferences.
  • Support the effectiveness of teams and individuals. Flexibility in the workplace will be balanced with organizational objectives and job function. Decisions on flexibility will consider both team contribution/collaboration requirements and an individual’s effectiveness. It is critical that services, resources, technology and physical space align with flexible work models.
  • Recognize and appreciate the benefits of being physically together. It will take all of us — working together — to sustain the positive CMU culture and community, including by engaging through in-person experiences that promote collaboration and opportunities for building relationships, including informal and unscheduled conversations and interactions.
  • Value the opportunity for flexibility. Supervisors and employees will work together to decide appropriate work models to grant flexibility in a way that supports the well-being of staff and continues to support the overall mission of the university.