1. Effective planning and coordination are required when implementing Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs), carefully balancing both a culture of service and a culture of care and well- being in the workplace and considering, among others,

• the Unit’s strategic priorities;
• operational needs and requirements;
• position suitability;
• Employee performance, well-being, and satisfaction;
• logistical factors such as Workstation and parking availability and technological requirements;
• health and safety issues;
• privacy considerations;
• accessibility needs and commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

2. Units are responsible for assessing and determining which types of FWAs will be available to Employees within the Unit.

3. Unit Heads and Supervisors are accountable for approving, managing, and overseeing FWAs in alignment with this policy, procedures, and relevant University policies.

4. Each FWA will begin with a six-month trial period for viability assessment. Supervisors must assess the suitability of FWAs for each Employee and consult with the applicable Unit Head to determine if the arrangement is feasible and ensure ongoing monitoring, evaluation on an annual basis, and adjustments as necessary.

5. Clear communication between Unit Heads, Supervisors, and Employees is critical when initiating, modifying, or terminating FWAs. Either party may modify or terminate an FWA with at least one month's written notice, though shorter notice or immediate termination may be warranted in exceptional cases, such as health or safety concerns, significant operational impacts, or performance issues.

6. Employees must complete the required documentation, engage in discussion with their Supervisors about the success of the arrangement, and participate in regular reviews of their FWAs.

7. All FWAs must be formalized in writing and approved by the Employee’s direct Supervisor, who is required to receive final approval from their Unit Head for all FWAs. For academic Units, the Unit Head level approval must be at the Dean level or higher. The final signing authority for an application form is the Unit Head

8. Employees are expected to declare their interest in an FWA as soon as applicable, respecting that Units must balance a number of requests and ensure informed operational decision-making.

9. Prior to participating in or approving an FWA, Supervisors, Unit Heads, and Employees must review the Flexible Work Arrangements Policy, associated procedures, and relevant supporting documents and the resources available at my.mun.ca. Consultation with the Department of Human Resources is available if necessary.

10. The following standard provisions apply to all FWAs:

• FWAs are not guaranteed, and not all jobs may be suitable for each flexible option outlined in the policy;
• The skills and abilities of Employees may impact the decision to approve;
• Operational requirements will be critical considerations;
• Requests will not be approved if they will result in additional costs, i.e., Overtime;
• In no circumstances may an Employee's daily hours of work be modified to start earlier or end later by more than one hour;
• Unit goals and objectives must not be compromised due to FWAs;
• Any approved FWA may be suspended during peak service times, during summer hours, or may be canceled for any other reason with prior consultation between the Unit and/or the Employee;
• Unit Heads are not obliged to replace reduced hours with other Employees on a part-time basis or otherwise and will ensure that no additional salary costs are incurred.
• Rationale for denying or terminating FWAs must be provided to the Employee and the Department of Human Resources via the appropriate form.

11. Requests for Flexible Work Arrangements are to be submitted using the Flexible Work Arrangement Application Form as applicable.

12. For remote work applications, Employees must complete the following required forms and share them with the Supervisor (and signing authority where applicable):

• Flexible Work Arrangement Application Form;
• Occupational Health and Safety Checklist;
• Ergonomics Self-Assessment;
• Confidentiality Form.

13. Terminated or modified FWAs must be documented and submitted to the Department of Human Resources using the Flexible Work Arrangement Modification or Termination Form.

14. Ad Hoc Remote Work is an informal arrangement that Employees may avail of with no application form required.

Ad Hoc Remote Work is when an Employee works remotely on a rare and occasional basis for a specific incidental reason. The request and approval are documented by writing in an email between the Supervisor and Employee for each occasion. Where possible, a minimum of 24 hours' notice should be provided to one's Supervisor to allow for consideration of ad hoc remote work.

This is not intended to replace a formal remote work arrangement. If the arrangement is recurring or frequent (e.g. occurring 1-3 times monthly) would indicate a formal remote work arrangement should be considered.

For further information on flexible work at Memorial, including guidance on monitoring, modifying, and concluding these arrangements, please consult the Flexible Work Arrangements Resource Guide.