Working arrangements at Warwick

Thank you for your patience in waiting for further information about working arrangements at Warwick in line with the Government roadmap on the lifting of Covid restrictions. We’re now able to update you on:

working arrangements before and after Easter;
asymptomatic testing;
support and wellbeing;
next steps.

Our highest priority continues to be the safety of students, staff and the local community. Thank you for your continued support for our community responsibilities.

Working arrangements before and after Easter

Staff can work on campus where the demands of their roles require them to be on site, such as face-to-face teaching, research activities that can’t be done remotely, wellbeing support, cleaning, catering, security and maintenance.

Until Easter, all other staff should continue to work from home wherever possible. After 12 April, these staff will also be able to ask to work on campus:

If the nature of the task means it is easier to do it on campus – for example processing teams in finance or admissions, or teams undertaking one-off collaborative sessions;
If individual circumstances make it easier to work on campus – for example because of personal wellbeing or working environment.

Safety measures, which include face coverings, enhanced cleaning and Covid testing, remain in place to ensure working on campus is safe. Continued social distancing requirements will mean limits to the numbers of staff who can return to work at the same time in some spaces.

Working with building user groups, we’re looking at the process for departments to follow to organise the safe return of staff as required after 12 April. We will share details next week. Pre-Covid building access permissions will resume for all staff from 12 April and for students from 26 April.

Please also see guidance for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable staff working arrangements.

Asymptomatic testing

If you’re working on campus regularly, please book two lateral flow tests per week at the Slate. Twice weekly testing will help to break chains of Covid-19 transmission, identify asymptomatic infections and help further ensure the safety of our community on campus and beyond. You can book appointments in blocks of two each week to fit around your schedules.

Book your asymptomatic tests (warwick.ac.uk)

The asymptomatic testing service is only for people who have no symptoms of Coronavirus. If you experience symptoms, please refer to the University’s test and trace service.

If you receive a positive test result for Covid, please report it to the University via SuccessFactors.

Support and Wellbeing

This continues to be a challenging time for many of us. Please reach out for support if you need it, either through your department, through Wellbeing Support Services or through the Employee Assistance Programme. You can also access self-help tools via these services online.

Next steps

All SEM students are expected to be able to resume some face-to-face teaching from 26 April – see the latest update published on these courses.
We do not yet know when the Government will permit the return of Arts and Social Sciences students. We expect to receive more information on this on 5/6 April, and will confirm arrangements at Warwick for students and staff w/c 12 April. We will ask academic departments to follow up on this general message to outline specific arrangements for their courses.
Even if Government guidance says all students can return, we know not all our students may be able to physically get to campus due to ongoing travel restrictions or other circumstances. We will therefore continue to provide blended teaching and learning and assessment support in term 3. For students who are able to return, we’re putting plans in place for a range of face-to-face co-curricular opportunities and academic support.

We will provide further updates as required on any changes to arrangements at Warwick up to and beyond the expected end of national restrictions on 21 June.

We know from the two staff surveys run in the last year that many staff have said they’d like the opportunity for a blend of on-campus and remote working in future if the nature of their roles permits this. Whilst a new hybrid approach isn’t likely to be introduced until the new academic year, we hope to share more information in the coming weeks and months on plans for hybrid working.

Further information

See updated FAQs online on: