Duke University. A Work-From-Home Committee and medical leaders explore new strategies to increase remote positions. As the committee states, Duke’s approach to remote work is evolving. In some departments, the university is launching a 90-day work-from-home pilot to stay in remote mode after the pandemic.
Like other U.S. colleges, Duke University is pushing towards remote work according to its staff’s preferences. The office Working@Duke conducted an online survey with 2.200 Duke employees to determine the preference for remote work. As a result of the pool, 74% wish to work remotely three to five days per week, and only 3% would prefer a full on-site position.
Lack of a commute, productivity, and flexibility during working hours are the top reasons behind this preference. Duke’s decision aligns with the national preference for remote work. The “U.S. Remote Wokr Survey” by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in January 2021 confirms that over 55% of U.S. employees prefer to work at least three days remotely per week after the pandemic.
Following the survey, the president and CEO of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR), said that rethinking remote models for the university is the priority in the coming months.
“We will have institutions that embrace the need to change and be flexible to attract and retain talent,”. “There will be others that choose not to do so. Some of them might be successful, but I think a lot of them will suffer because they did not adapt.”
Position in Finance, Research Administration, and Human Resources are becoming primarily remote, opening the way for other positions in the university. Taking the right time to structure a suitable model, Duke University moves towards a remote work arrangement.