University of Kentucky announces date for employees to return to work in on-campus offices

After months of working from home, many University of Kentucky employees will be heading back to the office this summer, President Eli Capilouto announced in an email to employees Friday.

Capilouto said July 1 has been set as the date when staff should begin transitioning back to on-site work, though he said “a few” areas have “work needs that require staff to return sooner.”

“The expectation is that all staff will fully transition to their FY22 schedule (fully on-site, fully remote or hybrid) by the week of August 2,” he said in the email.

UK said on its website that the goal is for the upcoming fall semester to be as much like the pre-coronavirus fall semester of 2019 as possible, including ”a return to mostly in-person classes and a vibrant campus community for our students.”

UK spokesman Jay Blanton said more than 90 percent of UK’s classes are expected to have an in-person component during the fall of 2021.

The announcement came a day after the CDC announced changes to masking guidelines, saying people who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus don’t need to wear a mask or follow social distancing guidelines in most settings.

Capilouto said that change was one reason for “even more confidence about ensuring a safe and healthy environment for our employees as they return to physical spaces.”

He said UK is still evaluating policies on mask use indoors and in other situations and “we will let science and data drive everything we do.”

“Of course, we will make this transition while holding firm to our most important priority: the health and safety of our community,” he wrote.

Blanton said UK estimates that about 3,000 of its 12,500 full-time staff members, excluding faculty, worked remotely at least part of the time during the spring semester.

Friday’s announcement was geared primarily toward those non-faculty employees, and Blanton said colleges and academic units will develop plans for faculty.

“Additional plans for fall will be developed this summer, more geared to that learning and instructional component,” he said.

He pointed out that some employees were already working remotely or splitting their time between on-campus and remote settings before COVID-19 and will continue to do so.

And, Capilouto wrote, “we will continue to explore flexible work options throughout the next year as we create a long-term plan for our post-pandemic workforce.”

During the month-long transition period, this summer department and unit managers will develop specific plans for their respective staffs that will be approved by senior administrators, Blanton said.

The university’s website says a process is being developed for employees who want to request to continue working remotely or to take on a hybrid schedule where they come to campus some days and work remotely some days.

Whether employees choose to be vaccinated will not factor into the decision about whether they can keep working from home, according to the university’s website, though UK said people who do not get the COVID-19 vaccine for medical or religious reasons should “contact UK’s Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity about potential accommodations, which may include the ability to work remotely.”

Capilouto said employees will be able to offer feedback on UK’s plans through an online form until May 24.