Dear Colleagues,
Over the past few months, I have consulted with university leadership about how best to support flexibility for our staff while protecting what matters most: academic excellence, student success, innovative research, exceptional patient care, public service, and our role as a national leader in social mobility.
Today, I am pleased to announce that Flexwork@RU will continue. It will transition from a pilot program to an established part of our standard business practices, and we will strengthen the program to position Rutgers to lead at the highest level. This decision reflects our commitment to a performance strategy that values talent, fosters engagement, and delivers on Rutgers’ promise to our students and the communities we serve. Flexibility is earned and sustained through performance.
While approval of flexible work arrangements will continue to depend on demonstrable alignment with the university’s mission, we recognize that, when managed thoughtfully, flexibility can be a powerful tool. It helps us attract and retain exceptional talent and cultivate a vibrant university community.
At the same time, we must ensure seamless service delivery by keeping all offices open and staffed during regular business hours. It is also critical that our work arrangements enable strong connection among employees and their teams and that we set clear expectations, so responsibilities and performance standards are consistently understood and met.
The details regarding program timelines, parameters, and the application process are set forth below.
Important Timelines and Requirements
The FlexWork@RU Program application process is now open. The deadline for submission of flexible work arrangement requests is February 1, 2026.
All current flexible work arrangements will expire on January 31, 2026. The only way to continue a flexible work arrangement after this date is to submit a new application in accordance with the process outlined below.
Employees in non-faculty positions who do not have an approved flexible work arrangement in the FlexWork@RU Application System must report to their Rutgers assigned physical work location for all scheduled work hours.
All flexible work arrangements must be resubmitted and approved annually through the FlexWork@RU Application System. Annual review of flexible work arrangements ensures alignment with operational needs, service demands, and university goals.
Special Note for Aligned Non-Faculty Employees
In recognition of the fact that certain non-faculty union agreements do not contain negotiated language permitting or defining the parameters and work rules for flexible work arrangements, the university will extend the relaxation of University Policy 60.3.22 – Flexible Work Arrangements for Regularly Appointed Staff. This extension will allow these employees to continue participating in the program under the same conditions that have been in place since September 1, 2022.
Employees Not Currently in a Flexible Work Arrangement
Not all positions are eligible for flexible work arrangements, and operational needs may preclude flexible work arrangements. Non-faculty employees who do not have an approved flexible work arrangement on file in the FlexWork@RU Application System by February 1, 2026, are expected to be on campus at their assigned work location for all scheduled work hours.
Employees Currently in Flexible Work Arrangements
By February 1, 2026, all non-faculty employees with existing flexible work arrangements must:
- Complete the Rutgers Ethics Armor Program Annual Outside Activity Questionnaire;
- Revisit the Department Needs Assessment and Team Agreement with their Dean, Director, or Department Head to clearly establish expectations and ensure availability, accessibility, responsiveness, and on campus coverage;
- Submit a new application into the FlexWork@RU Application System (see the Application System User Guide).
The same requirements apply to non-faculty employees who wish to request new flexible work arrangements.
To ensure adequate coverage across the workweek and equity across units, supervisors may approve either a Monday or a Friday remote workday, but not both. The application system has been updated to reflect this change. Non-faculty employees with existing flexible work arrangements that include both Mondays and Friday as remote workdays must work with their Dean, Director or Department Head to develop an alternative remote work schedule.
Employees who fail to complete all required steps by the established deadline will be required to report to the assigned work location for all scheduled hours effective February 1, 2026.
Dean, Director, and Department Head Responsibilities and Coverage Expectations
Deans, Directors, and Department Heads are responsible for maintaining consistent on-campus coverage and ensuring offices remain open during standard business hours, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Units with differing established business hours must ensure full staffing throughout their designated schedule, which must be a full-time workweek.
Leaders are accountable for evaluating operational needs and ensuring flexible work arrangements are applied fairly, consistently, and equitably, and in compliance with applicable policies and collective negotiations agreements. This decision tree may assist the evaluation.
All flexible work arrangements, including those approved in prior years, must be resubmitted and approved through the application system each year by the published deadline.
Flexible Work Arrangement Approval Authority
| Arrangement Type* | Required Approvals |
| Hybrid (up to 2 remote days/week) | Department Head |
| Hybrid (3–4 remote days/week) | Department Head and Cabinet Officer or SVP Designee |
| Fully Remote | Department Head, Cabinet Officer or Designee, and UHR (extraordinary circumstances only) |
* All approved arrangements are valid for up to one year and must be renewed annually.
Additional resources are available on the FlexWork@RU Program website, including a System User Guide, which offers step by step assistance with the application process.
For questions, please submit a ticket through the HR and Payroll Support Portal.
As we move forward, we will continue to evaluate how well we balance flexibility with mission-critical priorities and make improvements to ensure Rutgers remains strong, competitive, and impactful. Our goal is a vibrant and engaged university community, whether in person or virtually, working together to achieve excellence and advance the common good. Thank you for your partnership as we take this important step forward.
Sincerely,
Vivian Fernández
Senior Vice President for Human Resources