Flexible Work

When each of us has support, our team thrives — as individuals and as a community.

Flexible work— which can include location and time flexibility—is one of the many ways Ohio State supports faculty and staff, personally and professionally. It offers the option to have a schedule and work environment that helps individuals balance the various aspects of their lives.

Leaders and managers are encouraged to support flexible work opportunities, while acknowledging it may not be possible for all. The best place to start is by talking about how flexible work benefits the team member and the team.

To help leaders and their teams plan together, Ohio State offers resources to guide conversations and foster equitable, reasonable access to flexible work.

We have information to help you explore and set up a new flexible work agreement, as well as to revisit its effectiveness and verify its accuracy throughout the year. Agreements should be reviewed at least once a year. But if the arrangement or location changes at any time, managers and employees should work together to evaluate and submit a new flexible work agreement.

Employees and managers can use these resources to get started:

  • Flexible work options and definitions
    Flexible work options focus on location and/or time flexibility. These types of work options can be used separately or combined to create a flexible work request.
  • Flexible Work Agreement process
    Employees and managers should work together and follow this process to set up approved and successful flexible work arrangements.
  • Guidance and support for managers
    Productivity and success look different for every team. Leaders and managers should use this guidance and process when evaluating and implementing flexible work.
  • Flexible work policy
    Reference the policy 6.12, which applies to flexible work arrangements for university staff.
  • Working outside Ohio
    Employees may not work permanently from international locations, but travel for teaching and research remains appropriate in many situations. All requests to work domestically but outside of the state of Ohio will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis using the approval process.

New Hires

Flexible work opportunities look different for every team. Leaders and managers hold the responsibility to look broadly at their organization, identify what flexible work options are appropriate and ensure reasonable and equitable access to flexible work for individuals and/or teams.

Flexible work opportunities vary by position and options can be discussed during the interview process. However, most positions expect that the employee resides in the state of Ohio, and Ohio State will not hire employees who intend to work internationally. Certain visas require the employee to work on campus in-person a majority of the time or gain advance approval to work from another location. More information is available on the working outside of Ohio webpage.

Managers should review the Flexible Work Guidance and Resources for Managers when hiring a new employee.