Flexible Work Survey Results

TASK FORCE ON WORKPLACE CULTURE (TFWC) The Flexible Work Subcommittee CO-CHAIRS T O N Y R I Z Z O , A S S O C I AT E D E A N , F I N A N C I A L & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E O P E R AT I O N S , C H O B A N I A N & AV E D I S I A N S O M M A U R E E N S U L L I VA N , S R . A N A LY S T, C A M P U S P L A N N I N G & O P E R AT I O N S MEMBERS RENE FIELDING DIRECTOR, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT M A R I A N A S T O YA N C H E VA E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R , Q U E S T R O M S C H O O L O F BUSINESS L A N E I A T H O M A S A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R , I N S T I T U T I O N A L R E V I E W B O A R D ADVISOR J I M M Y H U Y N H , B U S I N E S S I N T E L L I G E N C E A N A LY S T, I S & T SPECIAL THANKS Q I Y U A N L I , D ATA M O D E L E R & D E V E L O P E R , B U V I R T U A L - O M B A Survey Participants • Total eligible population: 6,299 • Total # of surveys started: 2,729 • Total # of surveys completed: 2,749 Total # of responses: 3,158 • 702 non-remote respondents • (508 Staff | 194 Managers) • 2,412 remote respondents • (1,636 staff | 776 managers) • 44 people exited the survey before answering “Do you work remotely?” The survey questions were developed and structured in accordance with the core principles of remote work at Boston University and our institutional mission as a vibrant, residential research university, with intense collaboration and in-person interactions between students, staff, and faculty which are crucial to our work. SURVEY AUDIENCE & STRUCTURE: STAFF Working Remote NOT Working Remote Survey Questions MANAGER Includes faculty supervising staff Working Remote NOT Working Remote Survey Questions Manager Only Questions Flexible Work Survey Results Summary (Staff vs. Managers) NOT Working Remotely Do you feel your job can be performed remotely, some or all of the time? Did you apply for a remote work arrangement? STAFF (N=508) MANAGER (N=194) STAFF (N= 508) Yes No Did Not Answer Yes No Did Not Answer N 36 463 9 188 6 0 % 7.1% 91.1% 1.8% 96.9% 3.1% 0.0% Yes No Did Not Answer Yes No Did Not Answer N 323 162 23 148 46 0 % 63.6% 31.9% 4.5% 76.3% 23.7% 0.0% How important is having a flexible work arrangement to your willingness to remain at BU? How important is having a flexible work arrangement to your overall job satisfaction at BU? STAFF (N=508) Not Important important MANAGER (N=194) Did Not Answer Not Important important MANAGER (N=194) STAFF (N=508) Not Important important Did Not Answer MANAGER (N= 194) Did Not Answer Not Important important Did Not Answer N 36 403 69 22 171 1 N 55 381 72 31 163 0 % 7.0% 79.3% 13.6% 11.3% 88.1% 0.5% % 10.8% 75.0% 14.2% 16.0% 84.0% 0.0% Flexible Work Survey Results Summary (Staff vs. Managers) NOT Working Remotely N % Besides remote work, what additional flexible work arrangements would best meet your needs?* STAFF (N=542) MANAGER (N=208) Seasonal Seasonal Compressed Adjustable Compressed Adjustable Schedule Schedule Work Week Work Hours Work Week Work Hours Flexibility Flexibility 254 134 154 111 43 54 50% 26% 30% 57.20% 22.20% 27.80% *These N's and %'s are the number and percent of people who selected "4 - most preferable" Besides remote work, what additional flexible work arrangements would best meet your needs? STAFF (N=508) 4-day work week Adjustable Work hours Seasonal Schedule Flexibility MANAGER (N=194) 1- least preferable 2 3 4 - most preferable Did Not Answer 1- least preferable 2 3 4 - most preferable Did Not Answer N 39 48 80 254 87 19 17 40 111 7 % 7.7% 9.4% 15.7% 50.0% 17.1% 9.8% 8.8% 20.6% 57.2% 3.6% N 95 79 110 134 90 43 43 55 43 10 % 18.7% 15.6% 21.7% 26.4% 17.7% 22.2% 22.2% 28.4% 22.2% 5.2% N 104 55 97 154 98 26 44 57 54 13 % 20.5% 10.8% 19.1% 30.0% 19.3% 13.4% 22.7% 29.4% 27.8% 6.7% Flexible Work Survey Results Summary (Staff vs. Managers) Working Remotely On average, how many days per week did you work remotely during the 2021-2022 academic year? STAFF (N=1,115) Do you prefer your remote workdays to be more flexible? STAFF (N=1,636) MANAGER (N=528) 2 days 3 days Did Not Answer 2 days 3 days Did Not Answer N 769 220 126 394 115 19 % 47.9% 13.4% 7.7% 50.8% 14.8% 2.4% N % Yes No My Schedule is already flexible 940 57.5% 108 6.6% 404 24.7% Did Not Answer 184 11.2% MANAGER (N=776) My Schedule Did Not Yes No is Answer already flexible 470 66 237 3 60.6% 8.5% 30.5% 0.4% How productive do you feel when working remotely? STAFF (N=1,636) MANAGER (N=776) Productive Neutral/Unproductive Did Not Answer Productive Neutral/Unproductive Did Not Answer N 1390 68 178 741 35 0 % 85.0% 4.1% 10.9% 95.5% 4.5% 0.0% Flexible Work Survey Results Summary (Staff vs. Managers) Working Remotely How satisfied are you with the current remote work guidelines? N % STAFF (N=1636) MANAGER (N=776) Neutral Did Not Neutral Did Not Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Answer Unsatisfied Answer 917 625 94 458 316 2 56.1% 38.2% 5.7% 59.0% 40.7% 0.3% What are the reasons that best describe your dissatisfaction with the current remote work guidelines? STAFF (UNIQUE RESPONDENTS = 285) MANAGER (UNIQUE RESPONDENTS = 135) Limited days WFH Commuting to Campus not flexible enough not clear enough Limited days WFH Commuting not to flexible enough Campus N (Staff 654 | Manager 300) 256 218 33 147 125 98 10 67 % of Unique Respondents 89.8% 76.5% 11.6% 51.6% 92.6% 72.6% 7.4% 49.6% As flexible work continues to change, what additional options should University Leadership consider? STAFF (N=1,636) MANAGER (N=776) To a To a Great Did Not Did Not Not at All Very Little Somewhat Great Not at All Very Little Somewhat Extent Answer Answer Extent 4-day work week N % 55 3.4% 67 4.1% 390 23.8% Adjustable Work hours N % 48 2.9% 112 6.8% 439 26.8% Seasonal Schedule Flexibility N % 28 1.7% 76 4.6% 294 18.0% 935 189 57.2% 848 51.8% 1043 63.8% 11.6% 189 11.6% 195 11.9% 23 3.0% 56 7.2% 213 27.4% 20 2.6% 41 5.3% 222 28.6% 15 1.9% 37 4.8% 170 21.9% 478 6 61.6% 488 62.9% 548 70.6% 0.8% 5 0.6% 6 0.8% not clear enough Flexible Work Survey Manager Only Responses (Managing Non Remote Employees vs Remote Employees) N % Do you feel there is adequate communication from your employees who do not have a remote work arrangement? Do you feel there is adequate communication from your employees while working remotely? Non-Remote Managers (N=194) Remote Managers (N=776) Strongly Agree Agree Neutral/ Disagree Strongly Disagree Did Not Answer 166 85.6% 21 10.8% 7 3.6% N % Is it easy to reach your employees who do not have a remote work arrangement when you need them? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral/Disagree Strongly Disagree Did Not Answer 712 91.8% 52 6.7% 12 1.5% Is it easy to reach your employees when they are working remotely when you need them? Non-Remote Managers (N=194) N % Remote Managers (N=776) Strongly Agree Agree Neutral/Disagree Strongly Disagree Did Not Answer 172 88.7% 15 7.7% 7 3.6% N % Strongly Agree Agree Neutral/Disagree Strongly Disagree Did Not Answer 689 88.8% 42 5.4% 45 5.8% Flexible Work Survey Manager Only Responses (Managing Non Remote Employees vs Remote Employees) What is the reason that best describes why your department has not approved remote work arrangements? Non-Remote Managers (N=194) Dean or VP did not support Essential to University operations 10 5.2% 65 33.5% N % Position is Position is student clientfacing facing 39 20.1% 40 20.6% Other Did Not Answer 29 14.9% 11 5.7% What alternative flexible work options would you be open to? 1 - least open to offering N 27 13.9% 24 12.4% 48 % 24.7% N 4-day work week Adjustable Work hours Seasonal Schedule Flexibility % N % Non-Remote Managers (N=194) 4 - most 2 3 open to offering 82 32 43 42.3% 16.5% 22.2% 79 20 59 40.7% 10.3% 30.4% 54 35 45 18.0% 23.2% 27.8% Did Not 1 - least open Answer to offering 10 5.2% 12 6.2% 12 55 7.1% 25 3.2% 46 6.2% 5.9% Remote Managers (N=776) 4 - most Did Not 2 3 open to Answer offering 393 48 76 204 6.2% 9.8% 26.3% 50.6% 476 50 57 168 6.4% 7.3% 21.6% 61.3% 447 45 79 159 10.2% 20.5% 57.6% 5.8% QUALITATIVE DATA SUMMARY QUALITATIVE DATA SUMMARY • Table on the right shows whether the theme (≥ 5 responses) was Satisfied, Dissatisfied or if improvements are needed with remote/flexible work • Data presented included 876 total qualitative nonmanager responses; 851 manager responses. Some responses included multiple themes • Top 10 themes presented in previous graphic shows both staff & manager responses were very closely aligned