The guidelines below are for University employees working both in the office and remotely.

Meeting guidelines

• Meetings should be held online via Teams meeting, regardless of whether you are working from the office or from home.

• Employees joining online meetings from the office should stay in their designated cubicle/workspace.

• To learn more about hybrid meetings, see:

  • Microsoft’s hybrid meeting overview

  • What to do before, during, and after hybrid meetings

• Employees with a Skype for Business telephone extension can use Skype for Business to make or receive on-campus and off-campus calls. Read more about using Skype for Business for collaboration.

• There may be circumstances where in-person meetings are required.

Work equipment guidelines

Department budget permitting, IST recommends University employees receive a laptop computer and one docking station. While a laptop is not a requirement to return to campus, it is recommended to provide flexibility while  working from home and in the office. Additional benefits of using a laptop vs. a desktop:

• IT sustainability - using a single work device has lower overall energy expenditure in comparison to using multiple devices for a remote desktop setup. 

• User workflow - using a University-provided laptop eliminates the need to use remote desktop in most cases; users can access software directly on their laptop.

If you have a University-owned desktop

• Your desktop should remain in the office. To connect to your desktop from an off-campus computer, first connect to the VPN, then connect to your machine using remote desktop.

• Desktop computers that have been taken home should be returned to the office once you begin working on campus regularly again.

• Computers that have been shut off (or managed Windows machines used at home without VPN) for 3+months should be updated by your IT support staff before it is used for work, to ensure proper functioning and security. Contact your IT support staff for assistance.

Secure computing practices

• Do not allow family members or others to use your UW computer.

• Review the guidelines for working from home securely

• Learn about cyber security threats and how to prevent them

Additional Resources

• Work from Home (WFH) Guidelines

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