Updated May 5, 2021

Looking toward a post-pandemic future, UCSF supports flexibility and ongoing telework for job duties that can be done remotely, integrating ongoing telework with a combination of on-site work, as part of the way it does business.

In a message to the UCSF community, Chancellor Sam Hawgood noted that "UCSF will incorporate a combination of telework and on-site work in our staffing plans for those job duties that can be performed remotely without compromising our mission. We will approach this new venture in the spirit of continuous process improvement, adapting as we learn from our experience."

The Chancellor’s Cabinet supports a vision and guiding principles for telework, outlined below.

UCSF Telework Vision

As a leader in education, research, and health care, and a powerful contributor to the California economy, UCSF is well positioned to show leadership and vision in the area of effective workplace models

• Be a pioneer in providing flexible and efficient models of work for health sciences higher education/academic medical centers 

• Leverage lessons learned during the pandemic to guide us into our new future with sustainable and engaging work models 


UCSF Telework Guiding Principles

Standard Way of Doing Business: Integrate ongoing telework as a standard part of our operating model

Equity: Prioritize equity, consistency, and accessibility in all aspects of telework and related resources. Make telework decisions based on objective business considerations, not simply manager preference.

Resources: Ensure employees and managers know about and can access resources related to health, safety, and well-being and know how to escalate concerns

Flexibility: Encourage maximum flexibility in the new environment, including asynchronous work and results-based evaluation as appropriate

Space Optimization: Seek ways to optimize space utilization, including creating shared workspaces and repurposing/returning underutilized space

Check and Adjust: Regularly Check and Adjust; adapt to changing conditions and make improvements to move toward our vision of the future

UCSF leaders will use standard guidelines to develop flexible work plans that meet their business and employee needs. With a wide variety of job functions across the campus and UCSF Health, implementation of a combination of telework and on-site work, will vary across the institution.

Background on Telework

Since the early days of the pandemic, shelter-in-place orders to limit the spread of COVID-19 have challenged teams across UCSF to quickly adjust to working remotely. This new way of working prompted many questions about how to support telework on a prolonged basis to reduce the number of employees on site during the pandemic, and how we might incorporate telework into UCSF's long-term strategy.

The Future of Telework and Remote Teams Taskforces, that was established and has since concluded its work as part of the Integrated Recovery Committee, developed tools and resources to meet the immediate needs of those working remotely to support employee health, safety, and wellbeing.

The Telework Toolkit combines resources developed by departments across UCSF in a usable, easy-to-navigate format so employees and managers can find everything they need in one place. The tools address many questions about policy, procedures, equipment, health and safety, and resilience.

• UCSF Policy on Telecommuting and Working Remotely
• Guidance for Employees Working Remotely
• Telework Guidelines
• Telework Agreement
• My Telework Plan
• Telework Workstation Checklist