Remote Work Arrangements FAQs

UVic seeks to provide a vibrant on-campus experience and responsive suite of services for our students, faculty, staff and community. Connections to campus, students, clients and colleagues are necessary to some degree in all roles. Each department will determine how much on-campus presence is necessary. In order to be able to come to campus as needed, long-distance RWAs (out of commuting range) will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Out of Province RWAs require special consideration and consultation with HR. Out of Country RWAs will not be considered at this time.

Yes.  An occasional, ad hoc remote work day may be approved by the supervisor to address situations such as needing to be home for a service person, working at home when experiencing mild symptoms that prevent attendance on campus but don’t interfere with work, or to focus on a specific task without interruptions.  Any regularly occurring remote work is subject to a Remote Work Arrangement.

All Remote Work Arrangements are deemed to be temporary and will have an end date that may be renewed upon review. Initial RWAs may be 3-8 months to try different practices and include open, honest discussions about them, keeping the ones that work and adapting the ones that don’t. Once established RWAs should be reviewed at least annually. They may be cancelled with reasonable notice by either party, they may be adjusted based on feedback or they may be renewed for another period of time.

The employee is normally responsible for establishing an appropriate, professional and ergonomically optimized workspace with proper furnishings and adequate space that supports working efficiently and safely. If the employee does not retain a dedicated workspace on campus and the remote work location is considered the employee’s primary work location, the employer may provide office furnishings. Any furniture purchased fully or partially with UVic funds remains the property of UVic per the appropriate policy. It must be commercial grade and adhere to UVic’s furniture quality standards.    https://www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/assets/docs/policies/BP3130_6415_.pdf

All final purchases must be approved by Facilities Management.

To purchase furniture using UVic funds for home use, please submit a FMIS request to Facilities Management (FMGT). An Interior Modifications Planner (Planner) will be assigned to your request and will assist you with selection.

Your FMIS request needs to state that the request is for RWA and that you will be using UVic funds to complete the transaction. The planner will take your information and confirm funds with Accounting, then work with you to select, procure and have your products delivered to your home. Your AO can help with submitting a FMIS request on your behalf.

Your Planner will provide you with information on what’s available in our Surplus stock. If your funds are limited this is a great option for gently used UVic Standard Furniture.

https://www.uvic.ca/facilities/service/planning/furniture/index.php

Note: Delivery and installation costs are included with the Greater Victoria area. Extra delivery charges may apply for areas outside Greater Victoria.

Note: Furniture purchased with UVic funds for home use while on RWA must be purchased through FMGT. These assets remain the property of UVic.

Canada Revenue Agency updates the requirements and eligibility information on the declaration of employment guidelines each year. Please check the CRA website.  Employees are encouraged to keep track of home costs such as heating, hydro and water as well as noting the square footage of their office area used and total square footage of their residence. Employees should also retain receipts of any purchases not reimbursed or eligible for reimbursement from the university.

In our principle-based approach, RWAs must maintain some connection to campus and employees may be asked to come onto campus at any time for a team meeting, event, operational needs and/or urgent issue. Each department will determine how much on-campus presence is necessary. Long-distance RWAs (out of commuting range) will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Out of Province RWAs require special consideration and consultation with Human Resources. Out of Country RWAs will not be considered at this time.

Each unit or department manager will determine how non-standard work schedules can be considered. Operational effectiveness, client support and team communication are some considerations that may limit non-standard scheduling of hours of work. Refer to the appropriate collective agreement as some include provisions for flexible schedules.

One of the benefits of RWAs is the ability to reallocate space, reduce occupancy in lower-quality workspaces and free up additional space for growing teams. Employees participating in RWAs may be assigned to on-campus space that has been configured for part-time use. Employees working primarily remotely will not normally be allocated a dedicated office and may be provided shared or communal work spaces. This will be determined at the unit/department/division level.

UVic’s remote work principles require employees to reside within commuting distance to campus so they can attend campus as required. A limited number of employment related considerations may permit employees residing outside of commuting distance to work remotely on a temporary basis. Some examples of employment related exceptional circumstances might include research requirements, employment documentation delays, difficulty obtaining housing or difficulty in filling a specialized role.

The range of reasonable commuting distance may vary with the nature of work performed and reasons for attending campus. For example, some roles may be required to attend campus for pre-planned meetings or events a few times per year, and some roles may be required to attend campus more frequently for regular meetings, events or peak work periods. Some roles require attendance on short notice for emergencies or staff coverage. What determines a reasonable commuting distance will be decided on a case-by-case basis at the departmental level, based on the nature of the work and the time required to travel to campus. Employees are responsible for ensuring they can get to campus within the necessary timelines for these planned or emergent workplace requirements and are responsible for associated travel and parking costs.

The implications for out of province work are still being investigated and not all information is available at this time. Out of province remote work should be considered with an abundance of caution and as a rare and temporary occurrence. Department leaders should contact their Human Resources Consultant if out of province remote work is under active consideration. Remote work outside of Canada is not being considered at this time.