Flexible Work Arrangement Tips
Guiding Principles: Commitment to a campus community that fosters inclusion and collaboration of students, faculty, staff, and students, where employee interactions and professional relationships enhance the learning environment.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
- Use email, Teams, phone calls, video calls, and all tools at your disposal.
- Ask your manager and teammates for their preferred method of communication and how they like to stay informed of work priorities.
- Prepare to overcommunicate—you may not run into that colleague in the hallway. How can you proactively reach out to individuals in a more formal manner in order for everyone to stay in the loop?
- Clarify expectations and have frequent, transparent conversations with your manager and colleagues if you need support.
Create a Schedule and Maintain It
- Establish office hours with your manager and communicate any changes ahead of time.
- Make sure you are available during your scheduled work hours, maintaining responsiveness with colleagues and supervisors.
- Creating a set schedule ensures that you will stick with it and makes it more likely you will not work long hours.
- Be flexible; you may have to come in on some days that you ordinarily work from home, particularly during peak times or critical on-campus events.
- Create a shared calendar so everyone on your team understands each other's work times.
Physical and Mental Wellbeing
- Share tips with colleagues about what is working and not working well.
- Make time to connect with colleagues virtually or when you are on campus to have nonwork-related discussions and build relationships.
- Take breaks throughout the day when working from home.
- Create a strong support system; talk with your manager, connect with colleagues for lunch while on campus, and create spontaneous check-ins when you can!
Dress for the Job
- As tempting as it may be to dress down, ensure you are always professionally dressed; you never know when to expect an important video call.
- Not only is professional dress required, it also helps prepare your mind to move into work mode!
Create Dedicated Office Space
- Ensure you have dedicated work space, free from distractions.
- Per the College's Alternative Work Policy, employees with approved regular hybrid and fully remote work arrangements are eligible to receive a standard IT workstation setup to use in their home office. See IT webpage.
Seek Out New Tools and Resources
- Without direct contact of your manager or peers close by, you may find yourself more easily distracted. Create task lists, block time, and seek out new tools to help you stay focused, creative, and productive.
Acknowledge the Challenges, Be Flexible
- Reach out for help and support if you are struggling in a new environment; be proactive with asking for help when you need it.
- Remember you have EAP resources as well! Employees may seek assistance or schedule an appointment for themselves or a family member twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year by contacting Cigna EAP at 1-877-622-4327 or logging in to myCigna.com (login company code: bowdoineap).
Need help or support? Reach out to Human Resources.
Cassie Christie, Associate Director for Human Resources: cjchris@bowdoin.edu ext 3468