The University of Texas at Austin will require “almost all” staff members to return to work on-site full-time.
UT President Jay Hartzell said the policy will fully take effect by Aug. 19, the week before fall classes start.
In an email to the campus community, he said: “Staff members can most effectively serve our students when working together.”
Hartzell claims that this type of environment “fosters collaboration, innovation, availability, and reliability”
Some roles will still be eligible for remote or hybrid work based on what department leaders decide.
These roles “will be characterized by observable productivity.” That could mean work that is transactional, internal, or service-related.
So, functions that require high levels of individual time to perform could be excluded from this policy.
A spokesperson said that “accounting, payroll, or IT” could be examples of jobs eligible for hybrid or remote work.
UT Austin has 21,000 faculty and staff members, making it one of the largest employers in the area.
Many employees have already returned to full-time, in-office work.
