Dear Colleagues,

We hope you are well and looking forward to the Winter Break. We are writing to provide updates regarding: (1) the results of the recently conducted Staff Pulse Survey, (2) the continuation of all currently approved alternative work assignments (AWAs) to Aug. 31, 2022, (3) the extension of the upcoming Winter Break by one additional day in January, and (4) preliminary thinking regarding FY23 faculty and staff salary pools and one-time bonus payments in recognition of the extraordinary efforts of Brown employees.

1. Staff Pulse Survey Results

In November 2021, staff were invited to complete a survey, administered by University Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Research, to allow Brown’s senior administration to learn more about employee work experiences as we continue to adjust to the evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation in the survey was excellent, with 70% of eligible staff members responding. The results are available to Brown staff and faculty online on the Office of Institutional Research Staff Pulse Survey results page and will be reviewed at the upcoming Staff Town Hall at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15. We invite all staff and faculty to carefully review the results and encourage all staff members to attend the Staff Town Hall.

The survey results cover a number of important topics, and the President’s Cabinet has discussed ways that what we learned from our community can inform efforts across the University to be responsive to staff  priorities. A substantial majority of staff conveyed that they feel Brown is a good place to work, though we also learned of strong interest in additional support with regard to work-life balance and workload, workplace flexibility, time off and compensation. Overall, the survey results reflect what we hear from Brown employees on a regular basis — that the persisting COVID-19 pandemic weighs heavily on many members of the Brown community, both personally and professionally. These insights have directly informed the initiatives described in the other sections of this communication. We are committed to working together to make Brown a continuously stronger and even more supportive place to work.

2. Continuation of Alternative Work Assignments (AWAs) to Aug. 31, 2022

An ongoing priority for many of our staff is flexibility in the ways we work. A substantial change to the workplace during the pandemic was the expansion in July 2021 of the Alternative Work Assignment (AWA) policy and process. Last summer, the University classified all graded staff positions as one of three categories: on-site, hybrid-eligible or remote-eligible. AWAs provide opportunities for enhanced work-life balance and job satisfaction for staff, and nearly 1,300 staff members are currently working in hybrid or remote positions. This represents a significant shift for the University community, and divisions, departments, offices and teams are continuing to explore different models and approaches, learn from experience, and develop best practices. We are encouraging units to be attentive to ensuring AWAs are achieving their goals on an individual employee level, for the academic or administrative unit in which they work, and for the University as a whole.

We are approaching this year as one of transition with the goal of promoting greater worker flexibility while also ensuring our core principles of equity, collaboration, collegiality and sense of community — and advancing operational excellence in all that we do. Over the course of the spring semester, incoming Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Sarah Latham and other members of the Cabinet will lead efforts to further develop how we can best achieve our goals in our new workplace environment.

Even as we continue to explore how our approach to workplace flexibility may evolve, we recognize that predictability is important for employees with AWAs. Many currently approved AWAs have expiration dates this month and next, and on other dates between now and the end of the fiscal year. We are, accordingly, extending all currently approved AWAs to Aug. 31, 2022, to enable staff in these positions to have a greater level of certainty with regard to their work assignment through the spring semester and the summer. Staff in these positions do not need to submit a request to receive this extension, nor do their supervisors need to take any action. Please note that while the scheduled expiration date of all current AWAs are being extended to the end of the summer, employees retain the ongoing ability to request changes to their existing AWA, submit a new AWA request, or end their existing AWAs. Supervisors continue to have responsibility for reviewing workplace needs and approving AWAs on a regular basis. Supervisors retain discretion to discontinue or modify, with notice, assignments that are no longer in the best interest of the department and/or University. In the spring semester, we will share information regarding the process for annual requests for renewal of AWAs beyond the end of next summer.

In addition, in response to feedback in the staff pulse survey, beginning next month we will remove the current AWA requirement that hybrid-eligible employees must work on-site on a consistent weekly schedule (e.g., Monday and Friday remote and Tuesday to Thursday on-site with no flexibility currently allowed for employees and supervisors to approve changes to those assigned days from week to week). While, the number of remote and on-site days each week must remain consistent (unless a request to amend an AWA is made by the employee and approved by the supervisor and UHR), supervisors will be given discretion to approve schedule requests from employees to change from time to time which days each week they work on-site and which days they work remotely. We know that some level of predictability is helpful for managing on-site collaborative work in some units, and supervisors may still choose a general schedule for on-site days, while granting employees greater flexibility in deviating from the schedule as needed. The AWA policy is currently in the process of being updated, and that work will be completed in January.

3. Extension of Winter Break with Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, return date

We previously announced that Brown will close at the end of the University’s normal workday on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, for the Winter Break. We understand — from both the staff pulse survey and other forms of feedback from staff and faculty — how important Winter Break is as both a time to spend with family and friends and also as a welcome respite, as University business and email traffic slows considerably. In recognition of the importance of this time for rejuvenation, we are pleased to announce that the Winter Break will be extended by an additional day, and the University will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.

The scheduled University holidays during Winter Break 2021 are Dec. 24, 27 and 31 for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day (a Saturday this year) and New Year’s Day, respectively. The remaining five Winter Break days (Dec. 23, 28, 29, 30 and now Jan. 3) are paid days off in addition to these University holidays, and they do not count against staff members’ vacation time. As is the case during every Winter Break, front-line operations like Public Safety, Facilities Management and Dining Services, as well as offices with time-sensitive responsibilities, need to continue to operate with sufficient staff during this time. All individuals are compensated for working during this period, and we want to express our appreciation on behalf of Brown for their dedication.

4. Staff and Faculty Compensation

In the Staff Pulse Survey, respondents were asked to select five choices from a list of possible actions the University can undertake to help support employee well-being and mental health. The lead choice by far — selected by 82% of respondents — was a pay increase/bonus. This is entirely understandable given the salary freeze in FY21 and the temporary reduction of University contributions to retirement, which impacted many staff and faculty. While those measures were essential given the tremendous uncertainty and negative financial impact of the pandemic, due to both loss of revenue from cancelled and adjusted academic programs and the high costs of safety measures like COVID-19 testing, the University is in a more secure financial position today. This provides an opportunity to explore ways we can invest more in the people who make the teaching, research and operations of Brown possible every day.

Salary pools for FY23 are currently under discussion in the University Resources Committee (URC), and recommendations will be made to President Paxson in time for consideration by the Corporation of Brown University at its early February meeting. While we cannot get ahead of the established University governance process with any specifics at this time, the importance of a salary increase pool for FY23 that goes beyond what we have seen in recent years is well understood by all involved in the decision-making process. In addition, we anticipate that President Paxson’s recommendations to the Corporation will also include a special one-time bonus payment for all regular Brown employees in recognition of the shared extraordinary efforts of Brown staff and faculty. Information regarding these initiatives will be forthcoming following the February Corporation meeting.

We want to close this letter by acknowledging how inspired we continue to be by Brown staff and faculty over all these months since March 2020 that have been so difficult for families, our communities, the country and the world. The Brown community has not been immune from the social, political, economic and health challenges, and yet we see staff and faculty going to great lengths to preserve and sustain our core mission of caring for students, providing a world-class education, and conducting groundbreaking research — in many cases to make a positive impact on the very issues created or exacerbated by the pandemic.

The values of this community have been unyielding, and we are deeply grateful to all of you for that. We look forward to a new year with hope and optimism inspired by your example. Please take full advantage of the upcoming break, and enjoy well-deserved times of peace and joy with family and friends.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke, Provost

Russell C. Carey, Interim Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy

Marie Williams, Vice President for Human Resources