As determined and approved by the employee’s manager, AWAs may allow staff to work the following types of alternative work assignments:

1. On-site
2. Hybrid (consistent, flexible, periodic)
3. Remote

The employe's manager and/or senior officer retains the discretion to decide which of these AWA type(s) are made available to their staff based upon the Position Work Location (PWL), position responsibilities and unit operational needs.

• Consistent: Employee maintains a consistent schedule of on-campus and remote work throughout each week and month.
• Flexible: The manager and employee determine which days the employee works on-site (on average one on-site work day per week or four on-site work days per month) throughout the course of the year.
• Periodic: The employee works fully on-site throughout the course of the year, but is permitted to work a hybrid schedule, as determined by their manager, during certain periodic intervals of the year such as spring break and/or summer semester.

If your PWL is on-site, hybrid, or remote, the following options are also available to you:

• Flexible Work Schedule — The employee works an alternative schedule outside the University’s standard business hours based on staff needs, within set parameters approved by a manager. Under a flex schedule, employees might be required to work a standard number of core hours within a specified period, allowing employees greater flexibility in starting and ending times.
• Compressed Workweek — The employee works a compressed workweek in which the traditional 37.5-hour, five-day workweek is lessened to fewer than five business days of work.

On-site employees do not need to complete an AWA in Workday unless they are requesting to work a flexible schedule or compressed workweek. All AWA Agreements are subject to manager approval. 

Exempt and non-exempt employees in graded and ungraded staff positions may be eligible for an Alternative Work Assignment (AWA). Bargaining unit staff should consult their collective bargaining agreement to review any applicable flexibility provisions.  

The employee’s manager and/or senior officer retains the discretion to decide the AWA type(s) available to staff based upon the manager-assigned position work location (PWL) designated in Workday and unit operational needs. PWLs should not be assigned based on an employee’s workload.

Appeals

While a PWL cannot be appealed, an AWA decision can be appealed by emailing the employee’s next level supervisor.

AWAs must be documented in an AWA agreement. Current AWA agreements will remain in place until the new agreement is approved. Any changes to an AWA should be made in Workday.

AWAs do not need to be renewed on an annual basis, unless the employee has a hybrid periodic AWA agreement.

Each AWA agreement must be in the University’s best interests and must contain the position work location (PWL), agreed-upon work arrangements (i.e., flexible schedules, compressed workweeks), and a mandatory attestation acknowledging adherence with all University policies, security and worksite requirements, standard operating procedures and general employment conditions that support AWAs.

When To Complete a New AWA Agreement

Employees are required to complete a new AWA agreement in Workday in the following cases:

• The employee changes their PWL.
• The employee requests a significant change in work schedule that will last beyond a duration of 60 days.
• The employee is promoted to a new position or transfers to another unit.
• The employee requests a different hybrid AWA type.
• The employee changes or requests a flexible work schedule or compressed workweek.
• The employee is approved to work remotely, and/or work at an alternative work location outside the state of Rhode Island, and/or is relocating from a remote state back to Rhode Island.

Step 1: The employee confirms their manager-assigned PWL.

In some cases, a manager may assign more than one PWL to a position (i.e., hybrid and remote) based upon the position responsibilities and operational needs of the unit. In such cases, the employee will be required to confirm their PWL preference but they cannot select more than one AWA option.

Step 1a: The employee selects their AWA type (hybrid employees only).

The employee’s manager and/or senior officer retains the discretion to decide which AWA type(s) — consistent, flexible, periodic — are made available to their staff based upon the employee’s PWL, position responsibilities and unit operational needs. The employee may select if they would like to request a flex schedule or compressed workweek.

Step 2: The employee reviews and acknowledges the University’s AWA attestation.

These attestation statements outline the University’s requirements and employment conditions to work at an alternative work location.

Step 3: The employee submits their AWA agreement.

The AWA agreement is routed to the employee’s manager and/or senior officer and Human Resources business partner for approval.

Additional guidance and details on how to complete an AWA agreement are in the AWA Job Aid in Workday.

Begin Your AWA in Workday

When operational needs require modification or cancellation of an AWA agreement, written notice of at least 10 business days will be provided to the employee with an on-site or hybrid PWL, and written notice of at least 90 business days will be provided to an employee with a remote PWL.

You will maintain regularly scheduled and approved work hours and will be fully accessible during those hours. Any changes to an approved schedule or alternate work location must be reviewed and approved by the manager in advance.

Yes, partial or split days are permitted for exempt and non-exempt employees, with prior manager approval. Managers are responsible for ensuring their staff adhere to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including for non-exempt employees permitted to work a partial or split remote day. Non-exempt employees should review the Non-Exempt Staff Pay Policy if they have additional pay questions.

No, employees are not permitted to have an alternative worksite location outside the United States due to the significant variation in employment laws, benefits availability, tax consequences, and other considerations.

Yes, an employee should consult with their HR Business Partner and UHR when considering relocating to another area that is outside the State of Rhode Island. Depending upon the state that the new alternative worksite location will be located and the employee’s assigned PWL, prior approval may be required by the employee’s manager and UHR.

Yes, employees with a hybrid PWL must work at an alternative worksite location that is in commutable driving distance from Brown University’s campus.

Yes, in accordance with the FLSA, non-exempt employees will continue to receive overtime pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a standard workweek. Non-exempt employees are required to obtain advance approval to work overtime. All hours worked, including unapproved overtime, must be reported and paid in accordance with the university’s Non-Exempt Staff Pay Policy.

Employees may experience personal tax consequences and are responsible for all tax obligations that may result from alternative worksite locations outside of the State of Rhode Island. Please refer to the summary table below for state taxation guidelines based on the employee’s Position Work Location.

Employees are advised to consult with a professional tax advisor of their own choosing to assist with determining any additional personal tax obligations that may arise from their Position Work Location and AWA. For more information about state taxation compliance, refer to the Position Work Locations page.

Salary and benefits remain unchanged while working on an AWA. Additional information can be found in the Non-Exempt Staff Pay Policy, Exempt Staff Pay Policy, and the Paid Time Off Policy.

To ensure the workplace safety of all staff, applicable workers’ compensation benefits are available for injuries or illness arising out of and in the course of employment with an AWA. Please review the University's Workers Compensation procedures for more information.

Generally, travel time from a remote location to campus is not compensable for non-exempt staff with an Alternative Work Assignment. If a non-exempt employee is traveling to Brown for a regular scheduled shift (whether that is to work for a full day or for a half day on-site), the employee would not receive pay for travel time to and from work.

However, if at their manager’s request, a non-exempt employee is asked to work on-site for a full or partial day when they were previously scheduled to work remotely, then the non-exempt employee’s travel time must be compensated.

For additional questions relating to split days and travel time pay for non-exempt employees please contact the University Human Resources compensation team for assistance.

Reimbursable expenses are subject to the University’s Alternative Work Assignment Expense Reimbursement Policy and depend upon the employee’s designated position work location.

Other Types of Reimbursable Expenses

^*The following states have additional requirements related to reimbursing remote employees for certain remote work expenses: California, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. Employees working in these jurisdictions should obtain prior approval from their department head or manager before incurring any additional expenses. The applicable state requirements / laws can be found in the following links: California Labor Code Section 2802 Washington D.C. Register Title 7 Section 910 Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XXI, Chapter 149, Section 148

Workplace Accommodations are requested through a separate process. Please review the Employment Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities Policy and reach out to the UHR leave team for assistance.

Brown University provides employees with the appropriate tools to perform their jobs. The following items, if needed to support effective Remote Work, are generally approved:

• Basic office supplies (e.g., pens, pencils, or notebooks)
• Small computer accessories (e.g., monitors, keyboards, or mice).

Additional information can be found under the "Generally Allowable Purchases" and "Expenses Not Permitted" sections of the Alternative Work Assignment Expense Reimbursement Policy.

Ergonomic and accessibility needs/requests will be assessed separately in accordance with existing University ergonomics telecommuting guidance and assessment process provided by Environmental Health and Safety.

Yes, a manager could permit an employee with a hybrid PWL to work 5 split days on-site a week i.e., an employee could work on-site each morning at Brown and then during the afternoon the employee could be permitted, subject to advance manager approval, to work remotely for the remaining part of the workday. In this example, a non-exempt employee would not be eligible for travel time pay to and from work as this schedule would be considered to be part of the employee's regular scheduled shift.

When operational needs require modification or cancellation of an AWA Agreement, written notice of at least 10 business days will be provided to the employee with an onsite or hybrid PWL, and written notice of at least 90 business days will be provided to an employee with a remote PWL.

Yes. The manager should first consult with their HR Business Partner and UHR employee relations representative when they are dealing with an employee with a hybrid PWL who is having performance issues. In accordance, with the University’s performance management protocols, the manager, in consultation with UHR, should develop a performance improvement plan (PIP) for the employee which could include a requirement by the manager that the employee works more frequently onsite for the duration period of the PIP, or until such time when the employee’s performance has improved to a satisfactory level. It is important to note that requiring an employee to work more frequently onsite as part of the employee’s PIP may also require more frequent managerial onsite supervision. Please consult with your UHR employee relations representative for additional guidance.