Eight Considerations for Transitioning Administrative Team Members to Working from Home

The pandemic taught us that many office-based jobs can largely be done from home. Also, many PA programs had been using hybrid or primarily not-in-person formats for years before the pandemic.  

Although faculty and instructional roles typically have some flexibility built into the roles, many in-person PA Programs have relied heavily on in-person administrative staff. While some research shows that embracing remote or hybrid work can lead to increased job satisfaction and retention, PA programs that are primarily in-person should consider several factors when making these decisions. Just because a role can be performed from home, that may not mean remote work is optimal for your program.  

Here are eight items to consider prior to reducing in-person administrative staffing for your program.  

1. Is the role better performed at home or in the office? In some cases, even if all duties can be performed out of the office, consider whether completing the work in the office has any meaningful advantages for the program. Looking at the same whiteboards, papers, or screens is usually easier in person, but does ease of or convenience of collaboration matter enough to consider that in your program? If there is a difference, where is the line between acceptable and optimal? Does attempting to collaborate digitally negatively affect efficiency of the task? If so, how much of an effect matters?
2. How might decreased in-office presence impact faculty and the rest of the team? While some key stakeholders may find connecting on the phone or Zoom equally convenient to walking down the hall for a quick conversation, consider whether this is the case for all faculty members. Will faculty input be considered or sought when making such decisions about administrative staff? If your program faculty typically makes collaborative decisions, it may be a good idea to discuss changes like this prior to making a change. Consider that ARC-PA’s staff sufficiency consideration here might be affected by the choice, depending on how your program operates.
3. Will this influence the student experience? Depending on many factors, including the size and location of your office, students may not even notice a staff member’s absence. However, if your program has fewer faculty and staff and the office is frequently visited by students, moving a position out of office may have an impact on your students. Whether there is actual decreased access or perceived decreased access to student support from administrative team members, a change may impact program culture as it is perceived by students.
4. Consider the three Ps: Position, Precedent, and Person. While some WFH decisions are made with consideration of a particular person in mind, a thoughtful approach should be given to the position itself and setting precedents that may create future challenges. Some positions were designed to be in-person for a reason. If that is the case, has that reason changed since the position was designed? If there is a vision for a greater role to be performed by the person in the position, then consider whether the plan for the position may be best served in-person or remote. Consideration of precedent is also important, particularly in newer programs. How might this change affect other staff members who are not given the same option? Would requiring a return to in-office be feasible, if needed? 
5. Are there access or security issues? Some administrative team members are the first to arrive and the last to leave. They may have a role in allowing access to certain parts of your program for students and visitors. Even if their primary role is not security and access to learning areas, remember to consider the roles that they may play when considering a change. Faculty are often away for site visits and off-campus meetings, so faculty may not be able to consistently fill this type of gap on a week-in, week-out basis.
6. What will the breakdown be between working in-office and working from home? Will the arrangement be the same each week, which may be helpful for planning collaboration? Or will the days in office change from week to week, depending on what is happening in the program, such as interviews or special events? Is there a seasonal aspect to the arrangement or will the arrangement be the same all year?
7. If the plan is for consistent days to WFH, is there flexibility for special circumstances? If another staff member is sick or on vacation, will the team member who normally works from home come into the office to cover some of the in-office duties? If there are interviews or a special event on a day that is usually a WFH day, will the staff member come into the office to offer in-person support? If the team member does come in for such days, is there an expectation that the “missed” WFH home day will be made up by adding an additional WFH day in the future?
8. Are there connection expectations? Does the team care if the person who is working from home is only accessible by phone, not Zoom/Teams? If there is an expectation of being able to meet on Zoom/Teams, is there an expectation that the person working from home will use their camera when they meet on Zoom with their in-office colleagues? If the team member is taking a break, how will colleagues know that they are not available at that time? Is it OK to call or text the WFH team member’s cell phone, or do they prefer only to be contacted on university channels, such as email or Teams?

Although many programs have seen great benefit to transitioning some administrative team members’ work out of the office, there are also some potential pitfalls to consider when building in new complexity to working arrangements. Likewise, consideration of precedent is important, even when rolling out a new initiative on a “trial” basis. Before moving ahead, considering these eight thoughts can help you plan a smooth transition.