Action Required: Remote Work Agreement (RWA) for FY23

The UW–Madison Remote Work Policy states that a Remote Work Agreement (via MyUW) needs to be approved on a yearly basis to fully or partially work remotely. Your team leads should have recently notified you of your tentatively approved FY23 work schedule. This agreement is the formal approval for remote work between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. We expect ~95% of DEM team members will need to complete an agreement. Sam, Angie and Mallory will be the RWAs points for OSFA, RO and OAR respectively. Please look for a communication from them related to unit-specific instructions, such as specific text that must be included in the RWAs and when it is OK to start submitting the RWAs.  You can submit your RWA anytime between your unit submission start date and June 24th. As RWAs are annual terms, team members must submit a new RWA for FY23. There is no simple “renew my previous agreement” button (FYI, we are providing that as feedback to improve the process for future years).  How to submit a RWA: 
  • Team members can submit a request using the Remote Work Agreement available under Personal Information > Update My Personal Information in MyUW. Here is information on how to access the agreement.
 Timeline:
  • Unit submission start date through Friday, June 24: DEM team members can submit agreements
  • Tuesday, June 28: Unit approvals must be completed
  • Thursday, June 30: Divisional approvals must be completed
  • Friday, July 1: FY23 Remote Work Agreements are in effect
  If you have a medical concern that requires a remote work accommodation, please contact Ann Bradshaw or Paula Gates before you submit a RWA.  
  • What is Remote Work?
    • Remote work is some or all work performed at an off-campus work site such as home or in an office space near home. This definition does not include business/conference travel or workplace flexibilities (e.g. working from home to let a repair technician into the house; working from home due to inclement weather, etc.)
    • If you are planning to work 20% or more remotely for the upcoming year, you will need to complete a remote work agreement. 20% roughly equates to an average of one day/week or 416 hours/year remote. Even if your remote days vary, this agreement needs to be submitted and approved. We expect ~95% of DEM team members will need to complete an agreement.
  • What is a Remote Work Agreement?
    • This agreement documents the remote arrangement with your unit, onsite expectations, and liability provisions required by UW–Madison.
  • How do I request a Remote Work Agreement?
    • Between your unit submission start date through Friday, June 24, team members can submit a request using the Remote Work Agreement available under Personal Information > Update My Personal Information in MyUW. Here is information on how to access the agreement.
  • I’m going to work at least partially remote; however, I’m a student hourly, grad assistant or temporary employee. Do I need to complete a Remote Work Agreement?
    • Yes. The Remote Work Policy applies to all UW–Madison employees, except for faculty. All other employment types, i.e  Academic staff, university staff, limited appointments, students, grad assistants, temporary employees, zero-dollar appointments, etc. are subject to the policy and requirements.
  • When do I need to complete the agreement?
    • The FY23 (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023) agreement needs to be fully approved by June 30, 2022. Failure to comply with the requirements and provisions of the policy may result in termination of any remote work arrangement. Please note, units may have internal deadlines for submission before the final deadline on June 30, 2022.
  • Will I need to renew this agreement?
    • Yes. The agreement is only valid for up to a year.
  • Who approves the agreement?
    • The general review and approval process is: (1) Your ‘reports to’ team lead > (2) Unit Representative (Angie/Sam/Mallory) > (3) DEM HR. If you are accessing sensitive or restricted data from a personal device, the Office of Cybersecurity will also review the agreement.
  • Can I submit an international RWA?
    • Likely No. Your role would need to have a legitimate international business purpose that fulfills the mission and objectives of the university and is not solely for a personal benefit. These agreements would also need to be reviewed and approved by university legal and risk management.
  • I tried submitting my request and got an error message. What should I do?
    • Please take a screenshot of the error message and email it to Ann or Paula.
  • What if I have questions?
    • This is still a relatively new process for all and we expect there may be questions. If you have questions, please contact Mallory, Angie, Sam, Ann or Paula.