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Flexible Work Arrangements & Policies

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Our Flexible Work policies are designed to support both employee and organizational needs.

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Guide to Arrangements: Understanding Hybrid & Remote Work Arrangements

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Decisions on which arrangement type is the best fit and the related cadences for being on or off-site should be made based on guidance from your school/unit leadership and HR team.  Within those guidelines, managers and employees can then discuss the arrangement, schedule and other specific expectations. 

The chart below highlights the key differentiators between hybrid and remote work arrangements.  For more information visit the AGM policies linked below or the Flexible Work FAQ

Please consult with your school/unit HR on how to submit or approve the Hybrid or Remote Work Agreements that are the record of the agreed-upon arrangements.

DifferentiatorHybrid Work Arrangement Remote Work Arrangement
Policy DetailsAGM 2.1.20AGM 2.1.21
Primary WorkspaceAt a Stanford location and the on-site workspace is fully equipped. That workspace may be dedicated or shared with others.At employee’s home or another non-Stanford location; Stanford provides basic home office equipment. See Flexible Work Expense Guidelines for details.
On-Site Presence

Employee is required by the manager to be on-site on a regular cadence.  While a standard schedule may be defined, the employee may also be required to come on-site on a different schedule with minimal notice.

  • Weekly: Two days or more on-site per week
  • Monthly: Eight days or more on-site per month
  • Non-Standard: Another regular cadence (requires approval by Dean/VP)

Employee is not required to have a regular on-site presence; advance notice is typically provided when on-site work is required.

Remote arrangements require Dean or VP level approval.

Interaction MethodsEmployees interact with colleagues and the Stanford community both virtually and in person.Employees almost exclusively interact with colleagues and others in the Stanford community virtually or via phone.
Salary StructureStanford has five Regional Pay structures; pay ranges for Hybrid employees are determined based on the Stanford 10-county region.Stanford has five Regional Pay structures; pay ranges for Remote employees are determined based on the region where they reside (Stanford 10-county, West, Central, East or South.)
Travel Reimbursement

Travel to/from a Stanford work location is part of an employee’s normal commute and is not reimbursed.

See Expense Guidelines for details.

If required to come on-site by a manager, travel to/from a Stanford work location is reimbursed if the remote employee lives outside of the 10 counties* defined in AGM 2.1.21.
* The 10-county area includes all of the following counties: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Solano County, or Santa Cruz County

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Hybrid Work Arrangement

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“Hybrid” means a role that the university determines is suitable to be performed to some varying extent off-site and for which a Stanford employee requests and is approved by Stanford to work in different locations - for example, Stanford’s main campus some days and the employee’s home other days.

Each employee in a hybrid arrangement has a Primary Stanford Work Location designated by the university, which may be the Stanford Campus or a satellite/hub location such as Stanford Redwood City, SLAC, Stanford Research Park, Hopkins Marine Station, the Newark satellite HUB, etc.

Hybrid roles require a regular presence at the employee’s Primary Stanford Work Location.  Expectations for that regular presence are determined by the employee’s department or school/unit and are typically set as two, three, or four days per week (or an equivalent amount of time each month). These are referred to as Weekly or Monthly Hybrid Work Arrangements. Managers are generally expected to arrange their in-person work so there is adequate staffing on-site.

When operations warrant a regular cadence for hybrid that is less than an average of two days per week or less than a similar amount of time monthly, managers should seek approval from their Dean, Vice Provost, or Vice President (or their delegate) as well as the local senior HR Manager. These are referred to as Non-Standard Hybrid Work Arrangements.

  • For eligibility, requirements and procedures, review Administrative Guide Memo 2.1.20: Hybrid (Telecommuting) Work Arrangements.
  • Travel between an employee’s telecommuting worksite (e.g. home) and their Primary Stanford Work location is considered part of an employee’s normal commute and associated expenses are not reimbursable.  For more information, see Expense Guidelines.
  • For guidance on submitting the corresponding work agreement that records an employee’s Hybrid Work Arrangement, please consult with school/unit HR.   

Supporting policies:

Other resources:

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Remote Work Arrangement

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“Remote” means a role in which a Stanford employee is approved or designated by Stanford to work from home or at a site other than a Stanford Work Location.
Employees in remote arrangements are not required to have a regular presence on-site to perform their duties (as opposed to the expectations set for on-site employees or for those in Hybrid arrangements).

Although Remote employees may be required to come to a Stanford Work Location infrequently or on limited occasions (e.g., generally no more than a few days total each quarter), this would not change their Remote status.

Remote also includes arrangements in which an employee is approved or designated by Stanford to telecommute on a full-time but temporary basis, for more than four consecutive weeks, from a location other than a Stanford Work Location.

  • For eligibility, requirements and procedures, review Administrative Guide Memo 2.1.21: Remote Work Arrangements.
  • Travel to a Stanford Work Location is not reimbursed for those Remote employees whose residence is within a 10-county area (see list in AGM 2.1.21).  For Remote employees outside of that area, Stanford will reimburse expenses for occasional, required travel to a Stanford Work Location as long as the travel is necessarily incurred and approved by the employee’s department/manager.  For more information, see Expense Guidelines.
  • Stanford has five Regional Pay structures.  Pay ranges for Remote employees are determined based on the region where they reside (Stanford 10-county, West, Central, East, or South.)
  • For guidance on submitting the corresponding work agreement that records an employee’s Remote Work Arrangement, please consult with school/unit HR.
       

Supporting policies:

Other resources:

Questions and Support

For questions about your school or unit’s remote expense processes, please contact your manager or local HR. If you have questions about reimbursement requests that have already been submitted related to travel to a Stanford work location or remote workspace equipment, you can reach the Financial Support Center using this ServiceNow form.

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Expense Guidelines

Workspace TypeOn-Site ArrangementHybrid ArrangementRemote Arrangement
Primary WorkspacePrimary Stanford Work LocationPrimary Stanford Work LocationNon-Stanford Work Location
Equipment for Off-Site WorkspaceN/A

Department may provide or reimburse employee for up to $250 for home office equipment.

Ergonomic training and computer self assessment are both required prior to reimbursement or purchase.

This equipment is Stanford property and is to be tracked by the department and returned by the employee if the arrangement or employment ends. See Administrative Guide 5.2.4 Surplus Property Sales

Employee provided a taxable, one-time payment of $750 to purchase basic home office equipment beyond that which is typically provisioned by the school/unit.   (Earnings Code RWA.)

Equipment directly provisioned by the school/unit is Stanford property and to be returned.

Equipment purchased with the $750 payment is the employee’s personal property.  

Equipment for On-Site WorkspaceFully provided, with assigned workspaces where appropriate for position.Fully provided, with designated workspaces (individual or shared).Generally no equipment provided on-site; employees may bring laptops and use hoteling spaces when on-site.

Travel Expenses from Home to a Stanford Work Location


 

Standard commuting expense, no reimbursement.Standard commuting expense, no reimbursement.

Reimbursed if the remote employee lives outside of the 10-county area1 defined in AGM 2.1.21 and travel on-site is necessarily incurred and employee receives prior approval from their department/manager.

If an employee self-elects to come to a Stanford Work Location, no reimbursement is required.

See  AGM 5.4.2 Business and Travel Expenses for details.

Travel from Home to Non-Stanford Location for Stanford Business

Follows standard Stanford Travel Guidelines 

Business Expense Desk Guide 

Cell Phone or Home Internet Connectivity

Determined by business necessity. 

See AGM 8.1.3, Provision of Mobile Equipment and Related Services

1 The 10-county area includes all of the following counties: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Solano County, or Santa Cruz County

Hybrid Work Arrangements: Home Office Equipment Guidelines

Employees working in an approved hybrid work arrangement are eligible to purchase or be reimbursed up to $250 for basic necessary office equipment to augment their telecommuting/home worksite. Ergonomics training and an ergonomic self-assessment through the University EH&S Ergonomics Program must be completed prior to purchasing or being reimbursed for home office equipment. The assessment will identify items that need correction to achieve a proper workstation setup and may benefit from ergonomic equipment.  

If ergonomic self-assessment results in recommendations, the employee should consult with their supervisor who will follow departmental purchasing procedures and either purchase or provide reimbursement for basic ergonomic equipment from the EH&S Pre-Approved Computer Ergonomics Product List, up to a maximum of $250 per employee.

Eligibility:

All employees, including contingent (casuals and temporary) who are in an approved hybrid work arrangement, are eligible. 

SLAC employees: Policies may differ from those stated here due to our regulatory environment; please view the policies posted in the SLAC Intranet.

Other details:

  • In hybrid work arrangements, the individual’s Primary Stanford Work Location (see Glossary).
  • The employee may be able to purchase the excess equipment at the current fair market value of the item in this situation.

Office Equipment Taken Home During COVID-19 Pandemic

Individuals who were approved to work from home or an alternate location under a Temporary Hybrid/Remote Work Agreement during the COVID-19 pandemic and received approval from their school/unit to take basic office equipment home (such as external keyboard, mouse, free-standing monitors, monitor risers, docking stations, headsets, web cameras, footrests and chairs), may be eligible to continue to use the equipment for their home workspace if certain conditions outlined below are met and upon approval from the school/unit Dean, Vice Provost, Vice President or assigned designee:    

  • For employees whose Temporary Hybrid/Remote Work agreements are approved for continuation as hybrid work arrangements, office equipment taken home may continue to be used provided your school/unit has the ability to provide a fully equipped workspace at the Primary Stanford Work Location.  
  • All equipment taken home from work is Stanford-owned and must be returned following the end of the Temporary Hybrid/Remote Work arrangement. When the Temporary Hybrid/Remote Work arrangement ends, employees must make arrangements with their school/unit to return all Stanford-owned equipment.    

Remote Work Arrangements: Home Office Equipment Guidelines

Employees on approved remote work arrangements are to provided with a one-time taxable payment of $750, included as a part of the employee’s paycheck, to purchase basic home office equipment to ensure a productive and safe home working environment.  Employees approved or designated by their department to work under a remote work arrangement are responsible to ensure that their remote workspace is ergonomically appropriate by completing the steps outlined by the University EH&S Ergonomics Program.

If additional equipment or replacement items are needed beyond what can be purchased with the $750 payment, the employee should consult with their supervisor and/or local HR Manager who will follow departmental expense procedures to determine whether it's appropriate to either purchase or provide reimbursement for any additional equipment. 

Eligibility:

All employees, including contingent (casuals and temporary) who are in an approved remote work arrangement, are eligible. 

SLAC employees: Policies may differ from those stated here due to our regulatory environment; please view the policies posted on the SLAC Intranet.

Other details:

  • Basic home office equipment includes an external keyboard, mouse, free-standing monitors, monitor risers, docking stations, headsets, web cameras, footrests and chairs. 
  • All home office equipment purchased by the remote employee using the $750 payment is considered their personal property and would not need to be returned to Stanford at the end of their remote work assignment. 
  • Equipment that exceeds the $750 stipend requires review by the supervisor or local HRM, and may require approval from the Dean/Vice Provost/Vice President or their designee.
       
    • Any home office equipment needed in excess of the $750 stipend will be purchased or reimbursed by Stanford. Stanford purchased/reimbursed equipment is Stanford-owned property and must be tracked by the department and returned by the employee when the approved Remote work arrangement ends, or as soon as possible following the date employment ends, whichever is sooner.
             
    • When home office equipment is returned, if the department does not have use for the equipment, the Department Property Administrator (DPA) should initiate an excess property request for potential sale by Surplus Property (Administrative Guide 5.2.4 Surplus Property Sales). The employee may be able to purchase the excess equipment at the current fair market value of the item in this situation. 

Home Equipment Purchase Process Overview

Below is a high-level summary of the process for requesting home office equipment support. Consult with your local HR manager for the process specific to your school/unit.

  1. Complete EH&S training 3400 in STARS (upon hire or when an individual changes physical work location and every two years thereafter).
  2. Complete computer workstation self-assessment; if you would like additional assistance, please submit an Ergonomics Services Request form              

Travel Reimbursement Guidelines

Guidelines specifically related to Remote and Hybrid Work Arrangements and travel to a Stanford Work location are described below.  In addition, standard expense guidelines apply pertaining to business travel and the related definitions of reimbursable expenses - see AGM 5.4.2 Business and Travel Expenses for details. 

Hybrid Roles & Travel to Stanford Work Location

For approved Hybrid work arrangements, travel between an employee’s telecommuting worksite and their Primary Stanford Work Location1 is considered part of an employee’s normal commute and associated expenses are not reimbursable.

Remote Roles & Travel to Stanford Work Location

For Remote employees whose residence is within a defined 10-county2 area, travel to a Stanford Work Location1 will not be reimbursed because the remote arrangement is at the employee’s request and there is space available for the employee to work on campus. 

For Remote employees outside of the designated 10-county area, Stanford will reimburse expenses for occasional, required travel to a Stanford Work Location as long as the travel is necessarily incurred and the employee receives prior approval from the employee’s department/manager.

1 Stanford Work Location includes any Stanford Campus, Stanford Satellite Office or Hub, or Stanford Alternative Worksite

2 The 10-county area includes all of the following counties: Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Solano County, or Santa Cruz County

 

Questions and Support

For questions about your school or unit’s remote expense processes, please contact your manager or local HR. If you have questions about reimbursement requests that have already been submitted related to travel to a Stanford work location or remote workspace equipment, you can reach the Financial Support Center using this ServiceNow form.

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