Documenting Agreements

Documentation Process

Once approved, the employee and supervisor will document the agreement using the appropriate format noted below:

Informal Request

• Some arrangements may be requested by simply discussing the proposed arrangement with the employee’s supervisor without a formal written request. If the employee and their supervisor agree on the request, the supervisor should confirm the details in writing (letter, memo, or email, for example) to document the arrangement and to help prevent future misunderstandings. An example of an arrangement that might be proposed and accepted in this manner is a request to change the work start and end times by one hour or less, or changes that are for less than six weeks.

Alternative Work Arrangement

• When the employment change requested is not a hybrid schedule or a fully remote work arrangement, the employee and their supervisor should complete the Alternative Work Arrangement form (pdf). These requests may include compressed work schedules, different start and end times, reduced hours, or job-sharing requisitions. The completed form should be sent to the Office of Human Resources.

Hybrid or Fully Remote work Arrangement

• Employees and supervisors who have agreed to a hybrid or fully remote work arrangement must complete an online Hybrid/Remote Work Agreement. The written agreement confirms the relevant details of the work arrangement in clear terms.
  
  • This process should be used for both new and existing employees. NetID and password are required for access.  New employees can access the process in advance of their start date - as soon as a completed PA (hiring paperwork) has been processed by the hiring department and finance center.

NOTE: A flexible work arrangement that includes Hybrid/Fully Remote and another component (e.g. compressed work schedule and hybrid work arrangement) must complete BOTH agreements.

NOTE: An employee’s work location information will not be automatically updated in the HR/Payroll system (HRMS). If an existing employee’s expected work location is changing through the submission of this agreement (for fully remote agreements only), the supervisor or department administrator should work directly with their Finance Center via email or submit an OnBase General Request eForm to update the employee’s physical work location.

Accessing Your Agreement

Employees and Managers will automatically receive an email with a link to the completed agreement after it is signed by all parties.  If you misplace the email, you can contact Human Resources to request a copy that has been saved in your personnel record.

Periodic Review of Flexible Work

Upon approval of a flexible work arrangement, the supervisor and employee should keep a copy of the agreed-upon request for reference and agree upon an initial timeline (within 90 days) for review of the arrangement, with follow-up annual review periods as a starting point. After review, the arrangement may be subject to change based on the operational needs of the department as determined by the supervisor or by divisional leadership. Be sure to document any changes in the arrangement to ensure clarity and understanding between the employee and their supervisor.

If there are changes that need to be made: The employee should complete a new Hybrid/Remote Work Agreement (requires Dartmouth single sign-on) or Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) form (pdf).

Managing Flexible Work Arrangements

A supervisor’s role is to empower their staff to excel, recognize strong performance, and coach to success. These skills are also critical in the management of successful flexible work arrangements.  It is important to:

Be knowledgeable about Dartmouth policies and guidelines. Consult your HR Business Partner when there are questions.

Focus on results. Set goals for the employee and team. Review progress and provide timely feedback and coaching if employee is not performing as expected or agreed upon.

Communicate well. Establish clear expectations for communicating individually and across the team. Schedule regular team meetings and individual check-ins. Share information and invite ideas from all team members.

Work with employees to problem-solve. There may be several possibilities for getting the job done. Collaborate with and engage your employee(s) in developing practical options to resolve challenges as they arise. Once an approach is decided, communicate clearly so that every employee understands their role and the role of others on the team.

Evaluate and adapt as needed. Even with extensive planning, unexpected events may occur, or the needs of the department/individual may change.  It is important to evaluate the FWA within the initial 90 days, and then at least annually. Make changes if necessary. 

Employees and supervisors should contact their HR Business Partner at any time with questions about a flexible work arrangement request, its evaluation, or its implementation. 

Managing an Employee Outside of New Hampshire

Dartmouth is a registered employer in multiple states.

If the request is from an employee that is new to Dartmouth:

• If one of your staff requests to work fully remote in one of the registered states, you may approve the request and work with your department administrator or Finance Center to submit a PASF to update the employee’s physical work location.
• If the request falls outside of the registered states, please contact Human Resources for further discussion before approving the request.

 
If the request is from a current employee:

• If one of your staff requests to work fully remote in one of the registered states, you may approve the request and work directly with your Finance Center via email or submit an OnBase General request eForm to update the employee’s physical work location. 
• If the request falls outside of the registered states, please contact Human Resources for further discussion before approving the request. 

Adapted from source: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/files2/workforceny/When%20Work%20Works%20Guide%20to%20Supervisors.pdf, obtained 10/24/2021

Ending a Flexible Work Arrangement

Depending on the situation that has caused an arrangement to end, the supervisor may benefit from consulting with their HR Business Partner for guidance. 

If the employee is still employed by Dartmouth: 

The Manager should: 

1. Write a memo or letter that specifies the date the agreement was terminated and send it to Human.Resources@dartmouth.edu to be saved in the employee’s personnel record. 
2. Work with the Finance Center vie email or submit an OnBase General Request eForm to update the employee’s work location in the HR/Payroll system (HRMS).

The employee should:

1. Update their addresses in Employee Self-Service if needed.

If the employee is still no longer employed by Dartmouth: 

• Equipment provided to an employee for the purposes of remote work should be returned immediately to the department.  
• Documentation of the termination of employment (employee’s resignation letter or manager’s termination letter) must be sent to their HR Business Partner or Human.Resources@dartmouth.edu to be saved in the employee’s personnel record.

Additional steps may need to be taken, dependent upon the situation and departmental requirements.