Remote Work Arrangement (RWA) System

Understanding the RWA system

Accessibility Accommodations

For disability-related remote work requests, don’t use the RWA System. Instead, use our dedicated accommodations request process.

The Remote Work Arrangement (RWA) system is a university-wide system that allows staff or part-time employees to submit requests to work remotely. The system documents your approved remote work arrangements for your unit.

You’ll need to provide basic information about your remote work arrangement, and the system includes a process for review and approval of your request.

Launch RWA system

Important note: The RWA system is designed for staff and part-time employees (see remote work policy HR-06-80). Academic employees follow a separate policy ACA-83.

How to submit a request

Follow these simple steps to request your RWA: (Accordion)

  1. Access the RWA System: Launch the RWA system here.
  2. Gather information for the request form:
    • Remote work start and end date
    • Whether you’ll be working from home or another location
    • The country and state you’ll be working from
    • Whether you’ll be fully remote or have a hybrid schedule (mix of remote and on-campus)
    • Your expected core work hours
    • The reason for your remote work request
    • Your direct supervisor’s name
  3. Complete the RWA form using the details you’ve collected.
    • If you have a hybrid schedule with floating days, select the “floating” option on the form.
    • If you report to multiple supervisors, work with them to determine who should be listed on the form.
  4. Submit your request for review.

Unfortunately, you can’t edit your RWA request after submitting it. If you made a mistake, contact your supervisor to disapprove it, then submit a new request.

Submitting an RWA doesn’t update your personal information, such as home address and tax withholdings. You need to work with your supervisor or HR representative to update your address and tax withholdings separately.

You can track the progress of your RWA request through the system and on One.IU. Here’s how:

  1. In the RWA System, select View submission.
  2. Record the document number listed in the Review Information section.
  3. Use the Document Search on One.IU, enter the document number, and click Route Log on the far right to check the approval status.

If you’re concerned about delays in the approval process, contact your supervisor directly.

As of August 1, 2021, the RWA system replaced telecommuting agreements for staff and part-time employees.

The RWA approval steps

Once you submit your RWA request, it goes through a review and approval process:

  1. Supervisor review: Your request is first routed to your supervisor for review.
  2. HR representative review: After supervisor approval, the request is sent to unit HR representatives for review.
  3. Additional routing: Some units may have additional internal routing steps between supervisor and HR review.
  4. Final decision: You’ll receive an email notification about the final decision (approved or disapproved).

If your request is disapproved, discuss your concerns with your supervisor. The denial may be due to departmental requirements or other factors. Note that the grievance procedure doesn’t apply to RWA denials, as remote work arrangements are considered special arrangements.

As a leader, when you review an RWA, you should discuss the arrangement with your employee. You can use tools from the Performance at IU program to guide these conversations. Your review should assess whether the arrangement is effective, meets your unit’s operational needs, and doesn’t negatively impact the employee’s performance.

After you complete your review:

  • If no changes are needed, you don’t need to take any action in the RWA System.
  • If changes are necessary, instruct your employee to update the RWA in the system and submit it to you for approval.

Ongoing review and modification of approved RWAs

Once an arrangement has received final approval by HR, it’s typically reviewed after 90 days, and then annually—you and your supervisor will receive automatic notifications from the RWA system.

  • The unit or supervisor may also review it at any time to ensure it’s meeting operational needs and not negatively affecting your performance.
  • Any changes to your RWA must be documented in the RWA System.

You need to update your RWA if there are significant changes to your remote work arrangement. This may include:

  • Change in schedule:
    • Switching from fully remote to hybrid, or vice versa
    • Altering your core work hours
    • Modifying your fixed or floating days in a hybrid schedule
  • Change in location:
    • Moving to a different home address (within the same state or to a new state/country)
    • Working from a different location other than your home
  • Change in supervisor: Your existing RWA will be automatically deactivated if your supervisor changes. Discuss your remote work arrangement with your new supervisor and submit a new RWA request.
  • Change in job responsibilities: If your role changes significantly, impacting your ability to fulfill your duties remotely, an update might be needed.

Your unit or supervisor can review, modify, or terminate your RWA at any time. Any modifications must be documented in the RWA System as soon as possible.

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