Dear UCSF Community,

As more people get vaccinated and the overall level of new COVID-19 cases declines across the country, we are easing out of the worst public health crisis in a generation. We have come a long way in just over a year, developing new ways of working while serving our mission in education, research, and care delivery. One important lesson we have learned is that those whose responsibilities allow them to work remotely can do so effectively.

Looking ahead, I am pleased to announce that UCSF will incorporate a combination of telework and on-site work in our staffing plans for those job duties that can be performed remotely without compromising our mission. We will approach this new venture in the spirit of continuous process improvement, adapting as we learn from our experience.

Telework Guiding Principles

My Cabinet supports telework as part of our vision for the future, and we have agreed upon principles that will guide us in making decisions about telework. One of these principles is to prioritize equity, consistency, and accessibility to ensure that campus control points and UCSF Health leaders make decisions based on business needs. To support this goal, we have developed a standard tool to evaluate and identify positions for telework. In the weeks ahead, we will communicate these details and provide managers with resource materials.

As I mentioned at this past Friday’s town hall, I am extending the work-from-home guidance to October 1, 2021. This extension gives employees currently working remotely more time to plan for child and elder care, provides managers more time to...