Continuing to strengthen our hybrid environment requires that we all work together to change and grow as individuals and as a workplace and community. To continue to support our evolving workplace, the Future of Work Phase 2 (FOW2) Program Implementation Working Group is working to support and optimize implementation.

The group’s vision that guides their work is:

As UCOP evolves over time, we will continually elevate the way our people work, collaborate and connect. The way we work will reflect and remain deeply rooted in our commitment to — and celebration of — our people, community, history and the UC mission.

Workgroup progress

The three workstreams have identified and are exploring the following near-term priorities:

Effectiveness and Experience: Enabling organizational effectiveness and optimizing the employee experience in a hybrid organization (Co-leads: Lily Dimitrova, Erin Pressman and Zainab Olaosebikan)

• Equipment: Provide equipment to support the hybrid environment
  • Outfit additional Zoom rooms: Four medium conference rooms in Oakland; one medium conference room in the UCPath Center
• Culture: Establish consistent practices and set expectations for a hybrid work environment
  • Raise awareness of and reinforce UCOP meeting scheduling guidelines
  • Evaluate the FOW website and determine resources needed and restructure content
  • Provide the top ten agreed upon guidelines for a hybrid environment
  • Raise awareness of the Emergency and Employee Safety Coordinator Program in Oakland and at the UCPath Center, in partnership with Building Services and Security

Community and Connection: Activities and offerings related to bolstering community and improving personal connection to the organization (Co-leads: Shirley Bittlingmeier, Marjo Keller and Hilary Steinman)

• Plan and deliver a Community and Connection Fair: Highlight the many resources, products and services available to UCOP staff throughout the organization, including IT, Business Resource Center (BRC), Learning & Development, Office of Workplace Inclusion and Belonging, Work Management Center, etc.
• Create a UCOP-wide webinar series: Each unit will present their vision, strategies, key activities and potential opportunities to collaborate and partner across UCOP to help strengthen inclusion and belonging.
• Research cost and design of UCOP branded merchandise
• Explore opportunities to beautify the common work areas with mission-focused art and messaging

Research, Best Practices and Metrics: Ongoing research on hybrid organization best practices and benchmarking (Co-leads: Jenna Allen and Epiphanie Gillette)

• Research other innovative work arrangements for potential consideration by UCOP
• Recommend metrics for evaluating the hybrid work model

Opportunities to stay up-to-date and provide input

Throughout the coming months, there will be many opportunities for you to learn more about the group’s work and provide your perspective. In addition to looking out for articles in future issues of Link, you can:

• Contact a working group member from your division to learn about their progress (see list below)
• Contact a workstream lead to learn more about a specific area of interest
• Join the FOW 2 Program Implementation Working Group listserv to receive direct updates and participate in data-gathering and feedback surveys as requested. Sign up via the FOW2 Program Implementation Working Group Smartsheet form.
• For questions, email UCOP-FutureofWork@ucop.edu.

FOW 2 Program Implementation Working Group members

Thank you to the following employees who have agreed to participate in the Program Implementation Working Group:

• Alan Wan, UC National Laboratories
• Blaze Farrar, UC Operations
• Devin Richards, UC Operations
• Dina Mouris, UC Operations
• Emrica Agossa, UC Health
• Epiphanie Gillette, UC Legal
• Erin Pressman, Ethics, Compliance & Audit Services
• Felice Lu, Academic Affairs
• Hilary Steinman, UC Finance
• Jackie Gonzalez, UC Operations (UCPath Center)
• Jenna Allen, Academic Affairs
• Kari Robertson, UC Operations
• Kristen Cowden, UC Operations (UCPath Center)
• Lily Dimitrova, UC Operations
• Maria Martinez, UC Operations (UCPath Center)
• Marjo Keller, UC Operations
• Nicola Gruen, External Relations & Communications
• Olga Zundel, UC Operations
• Polly Miller, Academic Affairs
• Rita Hao, UC Legal
• Shirley Bittlingmeier, UC Operations
• Summer Alvarez, UC Operations (UCPath Center)
• Tiffany McBride, UC Operations
• Zainab Olaosebikan, Academic Affairs

The following core team supports the working group:

• Thera Kalmijn, Project Lead
• Patricia Hardaway, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer
• Steve Murray, Subject Matter Expert
• Heather Baptista, Project Management and Operational Lead
• Merideth Wakeman, Change Management Lead
• Michelle Simms, Communications Lead

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