In an effort to keep UTMB employees safe through the COVID-19 pandemic, UTMB required many staff members to “telecommute” or work from your homes.

Based on this experience, the UTMB Telecommuting Task Force has formed to further study telecommuting as a permanent work option for UTMB. The Task Force represents a cross-section of UTMB and includes representatives from the President’s Office, Institutional Support (Human Resources, Information Services, Business Operations and Facilities, Finance), Health System and the Academic Enterprise.

A key component of the task force’s work will be to survey employees, in phases, over the next several months to understand employees’ views regarding five key areas: telecommuting compatibility, telecommuting readiness, technology adoption, effectiveness of telecommuting, and hoteling needs (temporary space on campus).

In Phase One, the task force intends to survey approximately 10% of the UTMB workforce. These employees are currently housed in office space leased to UTMB and in targeted office space on the Galveston Campus. Included in this phase will be employees working in these locations: Clear Lake Center, 2200 Market, Shearn Moody Plaza, Materials Management Warehouse, former UTMB Children’s Day Care site, Administration Building and select units within Clinical Services Wing, Primary Care Pavilion, and Rebecca Sealy. The primary reason for starting with these locales and groups of employees is to determine the feasibility of a telecommuting option and help determine the cost savings associated with reducing UTMB’s property leases and operational expenses.

Phase One employees will receive an email invitation to participate in the UTMB Telecommuting Survey on Monday, June 1, 2020. This survey will be open for two weeks, from June 1 through June 15, 2020. The Telecommuting Task Force will analyze results and follow up with employees in individual departments during the coming months.

Please take this opportunity to express your thoughts on telecommuting, potentially as a permanent component of UTMB’s work schedule in the future. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ben G. Raimer, MD, MA, FAAP

President ad interim