Workplace Expectations.

SPH has a tradition of collegiality and shared governance and strives to maintain these standards as a mainstay of its culture. Collegial interactions are those that occur among and between colleagues, subordinates, supervisors, administrators, and other individuals within SPH and BU at large. Collegial interactions are essential to support our values in an effective, efficient, and ethical manner.

Collegiality represents an expectation of a professional relationship among colleagues with a commitment to sustaining a positive and productive work environment — critical to the progress and success of the SPH community. Collegiality consists of collaboration and a shared decision-making process that incorporates mutual respect for similarities and differences, whether it’s in background, expertise, judgments, and points of view, in addition to mutual trust. Central to collegiality is the expectation that members of the SPH community remain individually accountable to conduct themselves in a manner that contributes to the SPH’s academic mission and high reputation. Collegiality among associates involves a similar professional expectation concerning constructive cooperation, civility in discourse, and engagement in academic and administrative tasks within departments and in relation to the institutional life of the School and University as a whole.

A documented pattern of frequent and pervasive activity that interferes with fostering a safe and professional work environment or a blatant act of unprofessionalism will constitute a violation of this policy. Such allegations will be examined in a reasonable, objective, and expedient manner, and following applicable federal and state labor laws, as well as School and University processes and procedures. This policy is per Section IV of the University’s Employee Handbook, capturing the policy on harassment and code of conduct.

The School of Public Health follows Boston University definitions, policies, and benefits for staff, as defined in the University Employee Handbook. This section of the handbook details how these university-wide policies and practices are applied at the school.

This section of the handbook details how these university-wide policies and practices are applied at the school. Staff should contact the Associate Dean for Administration and Finance with any questions about expectations and Human Resources with questions about employment type and/or benefits.

Work Schedules and Hours of Work

The regular workweek at the School of Public Health is forty (40) hours. For computing payroll, a workweek consists of seven (7) consecutive twenty-four (24) hour periods beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday and continuing through midnight the following Sunday. Regular work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Student-facing offices are open through 6:00 PM, and managers in those offices may make alterations to the work hours to ensure continuity of operations and proper staffing.

Managers are responsible for properly communicating work schedules for their employees. For exempt employees, the regular workweek represents the minimum hours that an employee is expected to work. Exempt staff may be required to work at SPH or departmental events, including but not limited to orientation and convocation ceremonies. Non-exempt staff who volunteer to work at SPH or departmental functions, including but not limited to orientation and convocation, will be paid their regular hourly rate for all hours worked at the event. Non-exempt employees also receive one-and-one-half (1-1/2) times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked over forty (40) hours during the workweek.

Staff and managers should adhere to the University policies on meal and rest periods available in the Employee Handbook.

Attendance and Punctuality

Attendance and punctuality are crucial. It is the responsibility of each SPH employee to communicate with their direct superior promptly, accounting for any late arrivals, early departures, or absences from work. All SPH staff are expected to be present for work, on time, every day. Regular attendance and punctuality keep our team and SPH operating. Arriving late, being tardy, or chronically absent causes disruptions. Employees are required to report an absence by calling, texting, or emailing the direct supervisor. Employees must report each day they are absent. Failure to notify the immediate supervisor of an absence one hour before the start of the workday will result in a no call/no show. Attendance infractions reset every year.

SPH recognizes that there are times when employees will have an authorized absence from work and will follow BU HR’s outlined policies in place at the time. Planned absences from work require advance notification and approval. Requests should be submitted to the manager and input into SAP before the absence. For sick time, managers should be notified immediately, or in advance of the next scheduled work period. Failure to comply with the established procedures for attendance and absences will result in progressive disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Excessive absenteeism without proper justification may qualify for disciplinary action. If an employee is absent for three or more consecutive days, evidence for excusing the absence, such as a physician’s note, must be provided to Human Resources by contacting the respective Human Resources Business Partner for SPH. If an employee is a no call/no show for three or more consecutive days, this will be considered job abandonment or termination without notice.

Employees may request exceptions for work absences from Human Resources. Approval is on a case-by-case basis.

Excused Absences

As described in the Employee Handbook, funerals, jury duty, bereavement, childbirth, a car accident, medical appointment, and inevitable emergencies are excused absences. Employees must provide documentation to justify the absence.

Absences due to bereavement, jury duty, or military duty are exempt from disciplinary action, as are FMLA and ADA related absences. Bereavement, jury duty, and military exemptions require proper documentation to a manager within 48 hours of the absence.

Extended Absences

Employees who need to take an extended absence from work should work closely with People Services and Human Resources to identify the appropriate course of action. Please see Time Off and Leaves of Absence for more information. When advance notice of the extended absence is possible, employees should work with their managers to make arrangements for the work that needs to be completed while they are away.

Remote Work

The School of Public Health aims to foster a community, that is available to support our students and each other. Staff may be permitted to engage in remote work, whether partially or fully, in accordance with Boston University Remote Work Guidelines. Further information regarding remote work at BU may be accessed here. A toolkit has been developed for Employees and Managers on the request process, tips on becoming successful at remote work, and setting up your remote work space. In order to be considered for a Remote Work Arrangement, an employee must submit a request through the Remote Work Arrangement Request Process. Such a request will require the employee’s manager, as well as the Dean or Dean’s designee to review and approve the employee’s request. In addition, if an employee’s remote work location is outside of Massachusetts, the Vice President for Human Resources must also review and approve such request.

Remote work consideration and approval must be in accordance with SPH business needs. Supervisors should also have an eye toward equity among staff in the department or unit. Supervisors may approve or deny a remote work or flexible schedule request to meet work requirements. Approved flexible work schedules are those that sustain or enhance employees’ ability to complete the functions of their job without presenting an undue inconvenience to the School of Public Health, its clients, or the employees’ departments. If approved to work remotely, employees are expected to be responsive via email, available for phone calls and meetings, and actively participating in work, particularly during core hours. If an employee is mostly unavailable when working remotely, the appropriate supervisor will be required to issue a verbal warning to the employee, and if the issue persists, subsequently consider terminating the agreement to work from home. The arrangement may be reviewed and changed at any time.

Requirements for a remote work agreement may be altered during extraordinary circumstances such as a pandemic, etc. In such situations, managers will communicate accordingly with employees to advise them of applicable policies and practices thereof as a result of such exigent circumstances.

SPH does not fund the purchase of any durable goods or services, as well as potential coverage of fees, to equip employees’ home offices. Working remotely is a personal choice rather than a mandate by SPH. As such, it is implicit that a remote environment where you choose to conduct work is conducive to supporting your daily activities in support of business operations. While you are always welcome to return to work on premises, perusing all equipment as needed (printers, headphones, desktops, etc.), SPH will not engage in the purchase of additional equipment beyond what is necessary to conduct your work on SPH premises.

This FAQ document provides helpful guidance vis-à-vis remote work protocols and procedures.

MPH Practicum for SPH Staff

SPH employees also enrolled as students may discuss with their supervisors whether they can do their practicum at SPH. While this may prove convenient, should such a request be granted, please note that in such a case the practicum will not be a paid one.

SPH encourages, promotes, and expects collegial and professional conduct from any employee, regardless of their title or role within the organization. The intent is to foster a positive, productive, and collegial work environment that exudes effective communication, constructive feedback, and attempts to resolve complaints, where possible informally. The School also strongly encourages efforts to resolve issues at the unit or departmental level with those alleged to have engaged in unprofessional conduct. Employees should freely reach out to their direct supervisor, Department Administrator, or the Associate Dean for Administration with any concerns alleging a violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, seeking proper resolution in a manner that is conducive to fostering a collegial and collaborative work environment. Any personnel/employee relations matters may be brought directly to the Associate Dean for Administration who may involve the Human Resources Business Partner assigned to SPH or the Ombuds Office as appropriate, adhering to established confidentiality protocols as appropriate and applicable.

Unprofessional activity often leads to a hostile work environment. Unlike discrimination or harassment, unprofessional conduct may not necessarily be targeted at a particular individual at the workplace, for it to have spillover, negative impacts on the work environment as a whole. Such behavior shall be considered a violation of the SPH and Boston University’s professional code of conduct.

Any administrator, faculty, or staff member who experiences or witnesses possible unprofessional conduct has the right to report this activity, providing supporting evidence to the SPH Associate Dean for Administration.

In the absence of a resolution through an informal process, the allegation or complaint may be submitted by any party (staff member or supervisor) for formal review to Human Resources, according to the University’s Employee Handbook, Section 206, Employee Grievance Process.

Additional guidelines around professionalism in the workplace is available in the University Employee Handbook, Section 401.1, Professional Standards of Conduct under the University Rules of Conduct.

Boston University, and inherently, the School of Public Health, is committed to fostering a learning and working environment that is respectful, inclusive, and free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Students and employees who experience or witness conduct that may violate University policies are encouraged to report concerns to the Equal Opportunity Office (EOO). In that vein, you may file an incident report by utilizing the EOO Incident Reporting Form. To learn more about EOO policies, processes, and resources, please visit Boston University Equal Opportunity Office. Students are always encouraged to engage respectfully in classroom discussions and to uphold the principles of academic freedom, civil discourse, and mutual respect. Employees are always encouraged to display collegial conduct in all interactions, at all times.

Please also note that the Senior Associate Dean for Finance, Administration and Business Operations serves as the coordinator for Title IX and EOO matters for the School of Public Health and may be reached via email at iralazic@bu.edu or on the telephone at 617-358-3220.