Background

The purpose of this tool is to provide information regarding criteria that is used to make remote work arrangements across the UMS. The goal is to benefit employees and the institution by supporting productivity, job satisfaction, and recruitment, while safeguarding our mission, operational and compliance needs, and responsibilities as a public entity.

Definitions

• Remote Work – When employees carry out their work duties away from the office. Also referred to as Telecommuting and Telework. Remote work does not need to be all or nothing, and certain jobs are more conducive to a work from home option than others.
• Ongoing Remote: Performing all duties from an off-site location
• Hybrid Remote: A regular schedule that combines on-campus and remote work
• Crisis Remote: A temporary arrangement in response to a significant disruption in the ability to work on-site
• Present On-Site: Performing assigned duties at a UMS-owned or leased facility

Relevant Factors to Consider for Remote Work

The following questions are designed to guide employees and managers in evaluating whether a role is well-suited for remote, hybrid, or on-site work. Each factor should be considered thoughtfully and in the context of your specific role and department.

Student Interaction

What percentage of your role directly serves students, and does your campus believe remote or on-site work provides a better experience for that service?
Research consistently shows that in-person interactions build familiarity, comfort, trust, and connection more quickly and effectively than virtual ones. Within higher education, those connections are central to student engagement and to the kind of challenge-and-support dynamic that drives learning and development. Unlike product-based work, service roles depend heavily on relationship — and virtual interaction cannot fully substitute for in-person engagement.

Space Planning

Does your role contribute to campus spaces that support students?
Physical spaces are an intentional and meaningful part of the student experience. On many of our campuses, space is also limited. If a role transitions fully to remote, it can affect how space is allocated, maintained, and accessed. Consider whether your presence on campus is tied to managing or enabling use of those spaces.

Job Productivity

Where are you most productive and effective?
The University is committed to the Experience, Performance, and Development of all students and employees — and work environment matters. Employees in distributed or remote settings generally need to be more self-directed, motivated, and disciplined. In a resource-limited institution, it’s important that we support conditions where every employee can do their best work.

Work Hours

Are there meaningful work benefits to your role being remote or working outside traditional hours?
Remote work can enable more flexible engagement beyond standard shifts, which may actually improve service in some roles where traditional hours are a barrier. If greater flexibility is being considered for your role, this is an important factor to weigh.

Performance and Supervision

Can your performance be effectively supported, assessed, and coached in your preferred work setting?
Regardless of location, all employees need access to consistent support, quality feedback, and coaching. It’s also worth acknowledging that when teams work in different settings, questions about accountability can arise — making a focus on measurable results especially important. In-person supervision may be more appropriate at certain points in a person’s career, such as when they are new to a role or working to improve performance.

Team Experience Level

What is your experience level — in this role, at the University, and in your field overall?
The experience and skill level of a team as a whole should factor into decisions about remote work. A less experienced team may benefit more from in-person collaboration and mentorship. It may be appropriate to revisit a remote work arrangement over time as an employee gains experience and skill.

Team and Function Effectiveness

Is your physical location important to the effectiveness of your team or department?
Effective university operations depend on productive collaboration across roles, departments, and functions. Some roles require frequent cross-functional coordination; others are more independent. Consider whether being on-site — or at a particular location — is important to how your team functions. Note that some roles, such as those in Shared Services that support multiple campuses, may actually be less effective when tied to a single campus location.

Equitable Workload

Does your work location create an unequal distribution of work among your colleagues?
In some departments, a remote arrangement can inadvertently shift more campus-based tasks to on-site colleagues — particularly when a role involves managing equipment, resources, or in-person student access. This kind of imbalance can cause frustration and reduce overall productivity. It’s important to distinguish between personal habits (like skipping breaks) that an individual can self-manage, and structural workload inequities that affect the team.

Job Satisfaction

What work environment supports your greatest job satisfaction?
Job satisfaction has a direct and meaningful impact on engagement, performance, and contribution. Remote work can offer real benefits — better management of home responsibilities, no commute, fewer distractions, and greater flexibility. At the same time, these personal benefits must be weighed against the University’s service obligations and operational needs. Remote work can allow employees to integrate work into their lives more naturally, and that matters.

Talent and Recruitment

Does a remote option for this role expand the University’s ability to attract or retain top talent?
Maine’s talent market is limited in many fields. A role that can be performed remotely — permanently or in part — may allow the University to recruit candidates from a broader geography and compete more effectively for top talent.

Space note: Transitioning a role to permanent remote status may result in permanent space reallocation. However, alternatives such as co-working suites and shared hybrid spaces are worth exploring before that determination is made.

Post-Pandemic Reflection

In March 2020, the University appropriately shifted all non-essential on-site roles to remote work as a crisis response. The extended period of remote operation provided valuable insight into what works, what doesn’t, and what’s feasible long-term. Those lessons should inform — but not solely determine — decisions going forward.

Sustainability

Is it the role itself, or the current employee’s preferences, that is driving this conversation?
Both are legitimate and relevant factors — but they call for different considerations. A role-based decision may affect space, technical infrastructure, and future hiring. A preference-based decision should also account for what happens if the employee eventually moves on. Ideally, any remote arrangement is sustainable and adaptable over time.

Health, Wellness, and ADA Accommodations

Do you have a medical accommodation that is relevant to your work location?
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodation needs may factor into work location decisions. Managers may be aware of an employee’s accommodation and what it requires, but it is not permissible to inquire into the specific nature of a disability. The UMS Office of Equal Opportunity and its ADA Coordinator are available to support both employees and managers in navigating these situations.

Ergonomics and Remote Workspace

Do you have access to a sustainable, ergonomically appropriate remote workspace?
The rapid shift to remote work in 2020 led many employees to work from improvised spaces — kitchen tables, bedrooms, basements. The University requires that remote employees maintain an ergonomically healthy, sustainable workspace. Please refer to the Safety and Risk Management guidelines for specific requirements.

Technology Investment

Are there costs associated with maintaining your remote workspace, and can your department cover them?
The transition to remote work in 2020 provided UMS IT with a clearer understanding of what technology is needed to support remote roles — both upfront and on an ongoing basis. The Telecommuting Guidelines outline what costs are covered and what are not. If additional technology support is needed, confirm whether your department can accommodate that expense.

Internet Reliability

Do you have reliable home internet access, and are you willing to come on-site if connectivity becomes an issue?
Reliable internet is a baseline requirement for remote work. While the University recognizes that internet access can be a real challenge in some parts of Maine, University-supported remote work cannot function without consistent connectivity.

Network and Security Requirements

Does your role require on-site network access or security protocols, and if so, how often?
The pandemic period led to expanded remote access tools and processes. Even so, some roles require on-site access to certain systems — either occasionally or consistently. Consider how frequently this applies to your role, and whether scheduling flexibility could accommodate those requirements.

Remote Location and Geographic Considerations

Would you be working remotely from a single, consistent location — or across different states or time zones?
Employees working across time zones may face challenges in fulfilling job responsibilities and serving constituents effectively. Working from another state can also affect benefits, labor law compliance, and tax obligations for both the employee and the University. Any out-of-state remote arrangement beyond two weeks requires advance approval.

Facilities and Space Management

Would shifting your role to remote work benefit the University’s facilities or space management goals?
UMS manages a wide range of facilities that vary in age, accessibility, condition, and cost. As the University works to use its infrastructure wisely, consider whether your work location decision has meaningful implications for facilities planning.

Dependencies

Are there role dependencies that affect your ability to work remotely?
Dependencies take many forms. For example, operational continuity may require that at least one of two key roles be on-site at any given time. In some cases, the opposite may apply — having roles physically separated can reduce risk in certain emergency scenarios. Whatever the dynamic, it’s important to understand and document any dependencies clearly before making a location decision.

The Right Mix

How does your situation fit into the University’s broader approach to balancing remote, hybrid, and on-site work?
Your individual work location decision exists within a larger institutional context. The University is working to determine the right overall mix of remote, hybrid, and in-person work — and individual decisions should be made with that broader picture in mind.