OU Human Resources announced in an email Tuesday that all faculty and staff will be expected to return to work on campus by Aug. 2.
According to the email, as OU students return to in-person courses for the fall semester, faculty and staff will be needed to work their full, pre-pandemic schedules on campus.
The university will implement the Remote Work Plan, which acts as an updated version of the previous telecommuting plan, according to the email. The plan can be filled out by supervisors of employees to continue working remotely but permission will be restricted based on supervisors’ decisions and the required approval of deans and vice presidents.
Faculty and staff with the pre-pandemic Telecommuting Agreement on file will need to complete a new Remote Work Plan and receive approvals upon the expiration date of the past agreement.
The Remote Work arrangement must meet the interests of the employee and gain the approval of the department, college or university, according to the plan's policy. Eligibility will be based on employee and position factors, including an employee’s ability to work alone productively and their level of necessity for in-person interactions.
Managers are expected to return to campus “to establish a return-to-campus plan that ensures all other employees will be working their full schedule in-person by August 2, 2021,” according to the email.
The university will monitor the state of public health and will be adapting appropriately to any changes, according to the email. Employees with health concerns or who qualify for accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act can contact Norman HR leave administrator Vanessa Llach at vanessallach@ou.edu.
Additional questions can be sent to HR at ohr@ou.edu.
