» Resources for Supervisors

Chapman is supportive of flexible work arrangements when they can be implemented while still maintaining excellent service to our community. Thus:

Ensure that every request is considered – not all will be granted, but a consistent review process which is centered on the position, and secondarily on the employee’s eligibility and suitability, communicates fairness.
Be flexible –consider implementing requests on a pilot basis, build in a timeline for revisiting.
Communicate consistently about expectations for accountability, quality, and timeliness.
Maintain team meetings and one-to-one check-ins, altering the schedule if needed, to accommodate any alternative schedules that have been approved.
In evaluating a new schedule, focus on results, productivity and engagement.

Below are additional topics to support you, your employee, and the operation throughout the various stages of a Voluntary Flexible Work Arrangement (VFWA).

Step-by-Step Guidance

As a decision-maker in this process, it is very important that you review the employee's request details and clarify any questions prior to submitting your decision in the system.

Please approve or deny every workflow requests that you receive within five (5) business days using the Formstack system.

Not all levels of reporting are represented in this online workflow for all departments. For example, the employee's supervisor may not directly report to the (non-academic) Department Head, or the Department Head may not report directly to the corresponding Senior Staff. When this is the case, it is important that the employees’ supervisors and/or non-academic department heads consult with their supervisor prior to indicating their decision in the Formstack system.

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Communicate early and often. If there are certain arrangements that will not be considered at this time, inform your team as soon as possible and share the reasoning with them. Explaining the reason(s) behind decisions to those affected in a respectful, relatable way goes a long way in helping to create a more understanding and cooperative environment. Similarly, if there is information that you would like employees to include in their requests, let them know ahead of time.

It is important that you and your employee meet and discuss their intended VFWA request prior to them submitting the online request form. Having mutual understanding of each other's expectations and needs, and talking through the details of the request ahead of time will help streamline everyone's experience and expedite the overall process.

You will receive an email from Formstack (e.g. formstack@noreply.com or formstack-notifications@chapman.edu) letting you know that an action or step needs to be completed by you in regards to a submitted VFWA. You will click the link within the email, which will take you to the appropriate step in the workflow. You will be able to see the employee's request and review all of their responses; any comments that you leave in the comments section will be visible to those who will be receiving the form next. You do not need any prior training in using Formstack.

When reviewing VFWA requests, decisions should be primarily based on operational considerations, and secondarily on the employee's eligibility and suitability. As such, it is important that you review the employee's job to see if it can be reasonably performed under the proposed arrangements. Examine the employee’s role in meeting the needs of the department, including frequency of meetings, department goals and projects, other departments’ schedules, space constraints. And consider the impact on productivity, cost effectiveness, service to internal and external clients.

Importantly, consider the overall effect of various requests on the unit's operation and plan accordingly. For example, will there be continuous in-person coverage of the operation during normal business hours in a way that meets in-person “customer” needs? This is particularly important for supervisors who receive VFWA requests from multiple employees within the same unit.

If you need clarification about a part of the submitted request, do not hesitate to reach out to the employee, or the previous person in the workflow!

Deans/Department Heads and Senior Staff members also have the ability to "send back" a request to the previous step in the workflow. This option is usually used with accompanying notes seeking clarification about a specific part in the request.

Once you have reviewed the request and clarified any necessary sections with the employee, you will need to indicate your decision within the Formstack form and submit it.

It is good practice to include notes in the "Supervisor Notes" section to support your decision. You may also need to use this section to provide additional information after clarification(s) with the requesting employee.

If you are supportive of the request, you will then need to select your Dean/Department Head who should review the request from the provided menu.

If you are not supportive of the request, it is good practice to articulate your reasoning in a kind and respectful manner in the "Supervisor Notes" section, as this section will be emailed to the employee. It is best to root the reason(s) for denial in the policy, i.e., articulate an operational or an employee-related (eligibility or suitability) reason.

If you are supportive of the request, do not communicate your decision to the employee until the Senior Staff member has approved the request.

If the employee made a mistake in their request submission, deny the request and ask them to resubmit again with the correct information.

Once you have reviewed the request and clarified any necessary sections with the supervisor, you will need to indicate your decision within the Formstack form and submit it.

It is good practice to include notes in the "Dean/Department Head Notes" section to support your decision. You may also need to use this section to provide additional information after obtaining any clarifications.

If you are supportive of the request, you will then need to select the corresponding Senior Staff member from the provided menu.

If you are not supportive of the request, it is good practice to articulate your reasoning in the "Dean/Department Head Notes" section and to root the reason(s) for denial in the policy, i.e., articulate an operational or an employee-related (eligibility or suitability) reason. This will help the supervisor with communicating

If you are supportive of the request, do not communicate your decision to the employee until the Senior Staff member has approved the request.

If the employee made a mistake in their request submission, deny the request and ask them to resubmit again with the correct information. If you have questions for the supervisor, or if you were chosen erroneously as the Dean/Department Head, you may "send back" the request to the supervisor.

When a VFWA has been approved by the appropriate Senior Staff member and the agreement has been signed, meet with the employee to go over the agreement and discuss how each element will be implemented:

It is important to set expectations regarding (at least):
- Work schedule;
- Type and frequency of communication;
- Attendance at scheduled meetings or events;
- How quickly the employee's response time should be and how they should contact you while working from an alternate location.
Set and communicate cadence for review of the VFWA to ensure continued alignment with the department's needs.
Develop a plan for clear, regular, and frequent two-way communication.
Identify the following with the employee:
Any routine responsibilities and tasks that will be impacted by this arrangement, and what the impact may be.
Any routine responsibilities and tasks that require regular communication and collaboration with others, and how this will be handled.
Any special projects that will be impacted.
The frequency with which the employee should provide updates on work progress and what the updates should include.
How the employee will provide a safe work environment at their alternate work location, if applicable.
How the employee will safeguard University information at their alternate work location, if applicable.
What steps the employee will take to maintain a productive work environment free from distractions, if applicable.

» Resources for Supervisors

Step-by-Step Guidance

Prior to Employee Submitting VFWA Request

Reviewing VFWA Requests and Other Related Notifications

Completing the Supervisor Section of the VFWA Form

Completing the Dean/Department Head Section of the VFWA Form

Supporting Employees with VFWA Agreements

HR Forum for Supervisors