Taking individual circumstances into account

The University of Exeter recognises the benefits of being flexible and that this schedule could be difficult for some employees to follow. For example, employees could:

have challenges with their working environment at home that mean that hybrid/remote working is difficult for them and they would like to attend the workplace more often than their role requires. This may be due to personal circumstances such as lack of space to work in or lack of quiet space.
live a significant distance from the workplace and it would be more efficient for them to spend more time working remotely.

The ability to hybrid work allows staff to manage their personal commitments, such as, but not limited to: caring responsibilities, school runs, delivery of household goods etc. This is providing that attending to personal commitments does not have a detrimental impact on the individual’s ability to carry out their work, or on service delivery, and they are working the full contracted hours for which they are paid.

The ability to work remotely is not a substitute for having appropriate childcare or similar carer provisions in place during working hours. It is each staff member’s responsibility to ensure adequate provision is in place when working remotely.

Hybrid working may also be supported where staff wish to work from home as a means to accommodate a disability, assist with mental health or for other personal reasons.

Employees should discuss hybrid/remote working with their line manager Depending on the nature of the additional flexibility that employees are seeking, a formal flexible working request may be more suitable. See flexible working.