Hybrid Working at AUT: Principles and Protocols

AUT is a teaching and learning organisation with a focus on providing exceptional student experiences
and delivering Great Graduates. In this constantly changing world, we remain a campus-based
university that embraces hybrid working arrangements with the right balance of where we work and
when we work together (place and time) to deliver our mission of Great Graduates.

Hybrid Working Guiding Principles

1. Delivering the Business Operations of the University is our priority

All roles are designed to be delivered on-campus in the first instance, and every role is expected to be
predominantly campus-based.

2. Flexibility is considered in context

Hybrid work arrangements need to serve the operational requirements of the University, and every
faculty/directorate needs to ensure that their services are accessible on-campus for the entire working
week by maintaining appropriate levels of physical presence.

Flexibility will be appropriate at an individual employee level where:
•  this is compatible with the needs of the University,
•  successful delivery of their role is supported by the individual's demonstrated performance.

Not all positions are conducive to a hybrid work arrangement - some roles are purely campus (or place)
based. Roles in areas with business operations that vary or where the needs and circumstances of the
role change regularly will not be suitable for flexible arrangements.

Hybrid work arrangements are agreed upon between the staff member and their manager, where the
work arrangement would serve the productivity and performance levels of the university/faculty/
directorate/department. AUT offers high levels of autonomy, built on track record and trust.

Hybrid arrangements do not change the terms and conditions of employment and do not attract
additional pay or other compensation.

3. Col aboration and Communication

The design and implementation of hybrid working protocols for every group and academic unit should
be a collaborative team activity (please refer to Team Protocols on the next page). Hybrid working
should support greater individual and team autonomy through work arrangements that deliver team
/individual peak productivity  and deliver effective work outcomes of the role,  team,  and
faculty/directorate. Time and place should be taken into consideration; that is how, when and where
work is delivered effectively individually and with others.

Relevant SLT members are responsible for  ensuring hybrid working arrangements are effective,
appropriate and aligned with the guiding principles of hybrid working.

To be successful, established communication protocols within teams and regular monitoring of
effectiveness/impact on productivity across faculties and directorates are required. This will also
ensure inclusion, transparency, and fairness in the arrangement.

Hybrid Working Protocols and Expectations

Team Protocols
Every team's situation is different, so it is important to discuss as a team how any potential hybrid
working will operate to ensure arrangements are mutually beneficial both for the organisation and for
the individuals involved.

Any proposal should focus on the continued delivery of effective and efficient services of the team
before considering the needs of individuals within the team. Planning should consist of when work is
best delivered collaboratively with team members, when to nurture relationships and when to connect
to work in person.

Planning must also consider health and safety matters such as emergency preparedness and risks
associated with lone working. Your office risk assessment can serve as a guide to identifying what
further controls are needed. Where it is identified that a team member wil  be working alone in the
office, it may be practical to relocate them to another floor with others as a way of controlling and
mitigating lone working risks.

The manager of the respective team should take their request, with their risk assessment, to their line
manager/SLT member to consider alongside the requirements of the operations of the University and
resources available.

Following the review, the SLT member may agree in principle or disagree, providing feedback as
appropriate. The line manager will make the final recommendation to the appropriate SLT member to
seek agreement in principle.

If implemented, the line manager and team should work together to ensure the arrangement
continues to support the objectives of the department and the University in a safe way and modify the
agreement when needed.

Hybrid work arrangements and the associated health, safety and wel being risks should be reviewed
regularly and no later than every six months.

People Leaders Guide to Dealing with Individual Requests

Everyone has the right to apply for flexible working arrangements, but not every application will be
approved.  Past performance needs to demonstrate that an employee can work effectively with
minimal supervision.

Requests may be declined for a range of reasons including, but not limited to:
  o  A risk assessment is not in place or does not effectively address or control the risks associated
with a reduced team presence on-campus, i.e., lone working and emergency preparedness (first
aiders, building/floor wardens, etc.)
o  Where the request is not compatible with the University's operational requirements and needs.
o  Where it is a pre-condition that employees have suitable facilities to enable remote working,
and the Home Workstation Assessment has been undertaken or reviewed in the last 12 months.
o  When staff are working remotely, they must be contactable by colleagues, managers,
contractors and/or students as appropriate during their working hours.
o  When working remotely, staff must participate in all agreed meetings and be respectful of

others' regular work hours.
o  When staff are required to attend in-person meetings and training.
o  Where there are performance concerns, including team engagement and participation.

Working flexibly is not to be used as a family care alternative; the arrangement must enable staff to
give priority to their work and be able to be present on campus as required.

Expectations and Responsibility

Team

o  Every Team will be accessible for the entire working week by maintaining appropriate levels of
physical presence.
o  Teams will identify which meetings need to be face-to-face or on-site and which can be a digital or
a hybrid (mix of a digital and on-site) meeting.
o  All teams will have agreed dedicated days where the whole team will be on-campus to collaborate,
to be creative and to bond with AUT col eagues
o  All team members will share their Outlook Calendars and keep their status updated in MS Teams
confirming availability.
o  Where a remote location is unsuitable or may significantly increase a staff member's health and
safety risks, the hybrid working arrangement request should be declined.

The People Leaders Toolkit for Hybrid Working provides further information on how to get the best
out of your teams.

Individual

o  You should plan that the majority of your working time will be on-campus.
o  You are required to attend all in-person on-campus meetings  and training programmes  as
requested. Al  meeting-related travel is at the employee's expense and in their own time.
o  You are responsible for completing the Home Workstation Assessment to ensure that your home
workspace is set up appropriately.
o  You must seek prior approval before any equipment is removed from the office, and it must be
returned upon request.
o  You are responsible for monitoring AUT communication channels during your regular working
hours.
o  Set your MS Teams status to reflect remote working for the duration of the time spent away from
campus.
o  Individual Outlook calendars must be up to date and shared with team members.
o  Al  expenses related to the home workplace layout, such as furniture, lighting, and other utilities
such as internet access, are your responsibility. Continue to contribute to the maintenance of a
healthy and safe work environment by continuing to report any relevant work-related incidents
and accidents.
o  You are responsible for safeguarding confidential information and for ensuring the privacy of data.
Actual or potential breaches must be reported to the line manager immediately.

Document Outline