Postponing long-term flex work model

To the UTSW community:

As UT Southwestern President Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., addressed in his campus briefing this morning, due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in North Texas, and in the interest of safety for our front-line staff, patients, and the entire UT Southwestern community, we will postpone implementing our long-term flex work model until later in the year. This will allow UTSW to focus its resources and energy on supporting caregivers and other essential staff, though we understand the value of having a permanent flex work model for eligible employees and remain committed to instituting the plan when the time is right.

This decision was made with guidance from the Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), which, as Dr. Podolsky mentioned, is now meeting regularly to address COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations caused by the Delta variant. The EOC is closely watching the UTSW forecasting model, which indicates the current surge could reach levels seen last winter, when we experienced the most serious surge to date. We remain in Phase Four at this time with some modifications to maximize safety, including the decision about our long-term flex work model, which will be a critical component of the future of work at UT Southwestern.

Key details:

  • Employees may continue to work remotely with supervisor approval.
  • Employees are expected to adhere to all institution policies and maintain productivity levels and UTSW’s high standards for excellence, teamwork, and customer service.
  • Support must be provided to all on-campus operations, regardless of where employees are working.
  • For departments that have requested flex work, we will be communicating to your managers later in the fall, in time to allow smooth transition to the long-term flex work model.
  • Upon notification of flex work categories, employees will complete a flex work learning module and attestation.

Please listen to Dr. Podolsky’s campus briefing from this morning to hear more about flex work, the significant increase in COVID-19 cases, community spread of the Delta and Lambda variants, and how to keep kids safe as they return to school.

As UT Southwestern works through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we place the safety and well-being (both physical and mental) of our employees above all else. Your resilience and ongoing commitment throughout this pandemic are appreciated.

If you need assistance or have questions, please discuss with your manager or supervisor.

Janelle Browne
Vice President, Human Resources
Chief Human Resources Officer