FAQs

Imperial is a UK-based institution and, in the majority of cases, requires staff to be based in the UK and for work to be carried out there. 

If, as a Line Manager, you believe that exceptional circumstances apply to permit an employee to work overseas, please follow the process for making a request to employ staff to work overseas outlined in the University’s Overseas working guidance.

The amount of time to be spent onsite has been stated as a percentage of usual working time, whether full- or part-time. Local areas will determine how this will work for each member of staff in their teams.

The percentage of time you work onsite should be discussed with your manager. For many, the percentage is likely to reflect the amount of time spent onsite every week; however, it could be agreed for a different period, for example, an average percentage over a month, term or a year, depending on operational requirements and fluctuations in service needs.

A workplace adjustment is any adaptation made in the workplace to ensure equal access and opportunity for a disabled person. Discussions about workplace adjustments may arise from the Work Location Framework; however, the framework should not be used to determine whether an adjustment is reasonable.   All workplace adjustments must be considered on a case-by-case basis in discussion with the disabled member of staff.

There are several ways to request workplace adjustments. Full information can be found on the Workplace Adjustments web pages, including the process and guidance for managers and staff.

No additional measures will be put in place to monitor staff attendance. Normal practice for managing attendance will continue to apply.

Some members of staff might feel they do not want to return to campus at all, or feel unable to attend a University location for the required percentage of time by their Faculty/Department. We aim to avoid this and will initially work with staff members to understand the reason(s) why before disciplinary proceedings are considered.

Where there is difficulty in reaching an agreement, managers should meet with the member of staff to discuss the situation. Managers should listen to any concerns staff may have and, if feasible, take the necessary steps to address them. In reaching a decision, managers will also need to consider the operational requirements, the impact on other members of teams or associated teams and, where appropriate, discuss this with their Head of Department/nominee/faculty/leadership team.  

Managers should also seek advice and support from their People Strategic Partner/People Partner on the best approach to progress these conversations, as clear and regular communication, together with early intervention and feedback, may address any concerns. Where appropriate, a facilitated conversation may be suggested.

The Work Location Framework is a framework for determining ‘where’ an individual works, whether on-site or hybrid. The Work Location Framework should be referred to in the first instance when discussing work location arrangements. 

Imperial has a separate Flexible Working Policy which sets out the right to request flexible working.  

The Flexible Working Policy remains available to staff who wish to request permanent and structured adjustments to their contractual working arrangements, including part-time working, remote working, or changes to their work pattern.

All flexible working requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and staff are reminded that making an application does not automatically mean that the change will be agreed. Any decision not to approve a flexible working request will be made with reference to the eight fair business reasons as detailed in the Flexible Working Policy.

The University Management Board decided that, to support the University's mission and ensure the delivery of education and research, staff in roles suitable for hybrid working should normally spend 60% of their time on-site. 

Hybrid work patterns will vary across the University, and individuals will always need to be flexible to ensure operational requirements are met and work is delivered. Hybrid workers may be required to work onsite for a greater or lesser number of days in any given week as operational requirements fluctuate and change.

The overall parameters for work location arrangements will be determined by the Head of Department/Senior Manager and implemented locally by the line manager. Hybrid working arrangements are considered flexible, non-contractual, and may be subject to change depending on operational requirements. 

If a specific work location arrangement is requested as a reasonable adjustment by a disabled member of staff, the request should be considered in accordance with the workplace adjustment process. 

Hybrid working arrangements are considered flexible, non-contractual, and may be subject to change depending on operational requirements.

There are no changes to how members of staff should request leave, including annual leave, special leave, or family leave (e.g., maternity leave). Staff should refer to their local department arrangements for information on booking annual leave, and to the relevant policy for special or family leave. There are also no changes to how staff members should notify absence due to sickness. 

If a member of staff is absent due to sickness or leave on a day when they would usually be expected to be on-site, they should not normally be expected to ‘make up’ that day the following week solely to meet the required percentage of time on-site.

One of the principles of hybrid working is that staff should be available and accessible whilst working remotely; this will include providing cover aligned with the requirements of the job.
Staff may be required to come on-site on a day they had planned to be at home and must comply with all reasonable requests to attend, e.g., for operational reasons, unplanned circumstances, or sickness absence. It is recommended that managers aim to give two days’ notice, where reasonably possible.

The balance of working remotely and onsite depends upon the operational requirements within your Faculty/Department/Team. 

How hybrid works for each area is agreed upon and implemented locally, so you will need to discuss the arrangements with your line manager.

This should be discussed with your manager as the situation arises, as it will depend on a number of factors at that time, such as operational requirements.

Hybrid working arrangements are flexible and informal. It would be impossible to accommodate every individual's hybrid working arrangements when undertaking a timetabling exercise.
As such, hybrid workers should not expect a specific hybrid arrangement to be considered when timetabling and will be required to work at the time and location they are timetabled for.
This may mean an existing hybrid work pattern will change.