Ask SLT - August 2023

IT staff are invited to anonymously share a question, challenge, or opportunity with IT’s Senior Leadership Team. Responses to recently submitted questions appear below.

Question: It was absolutely devastating to hear, at the last town hall, that there would be no further exploration into allowing hybrid work for DSPs (and associated roles). For many of us, that carrot was dangled in front of us for 2 years, by both our managers and SLT. We were told to trust the process, that it would be thoughtful. And were led to believe we would see positive results if we were patient. But, those results never came. We never received an update. We just continued to do our work, and wait patiently. And it’s clear now, that had not someone spoken up in the last town hall we may have never received one.

How are we thanked for that sacrifice?

• With the dissolution of departments and the transferal of their work to our already beyond full plates.
• With what was formerly managerial duties now being delegated to us.
• And most egregious, with being lead to believe we would have hybrid work options in the future, only to have the rug pulled with zero explanation.

The least SLT could have done was NOT create a blanket policy to be applied across all DSP teams, that excludes us from hybrid work indefinitely, without a medical exemption. It’s true that their is plenty of work to be done on campus. And we have never had a problem completing it, not even throughout the pandemic. It’s important to note that our work doesn’t require all of us to be on campus, all of the time. So why do you require it? We are professionals, and we’re telling you we can get the work done, without interruption, on a hybrid schedule. A one-size-fits-all policy is ill-conceived, thoughtless, and quite frankly makes SLT seem clueless.

Consider this a friendly cautionary notice: Your DSPs are burnt out, they are overworked and overburdened. They feel neglected and disregarded. This sentiment is shared across all the DSP teams. Many are desperate, and uncertain of their future at Yale. Corrective, compassionate action is necessary. I implore you to take another look at how you can offer this group hybrid work arrangements. It can be accomplished. The question is, do you value our DSPs enough to take action. And the answer will evident. All eyes are on you.

For many of us over 75% of our work is still remote. We support departments that are either largely remote or working hybrid schedules. Yet we are required to come to campus every day, for seemingly no other purpose than to be warm bodies in a chair. So, we commute in, we pay for parking, we provide remote support for other staff who is working from home, and then we commute back home. And in doing so we sacrifice extra time with our family, our work-life balance, our money, and ultimately our mental health.

Answer: Thank you for sharing your concerns. Though work models continue to be determined by the university, within ITS we continuously assess where flexible work arrangements should be considered as the needs of the community evolve. This is consistent with our efforts to continuously elevate Yale IT as a Workplace of Choice for technology professionals, balanced with the service delivery expectations of the community. We take this feedback seriously, and will continue to review data and assess hybrid work for DSPs. We commit to providing a meaningful update by the end of September.

We also encourage all staff to talk to someone if they are feeling burnt out. Talk to your manager if you feel comfortable or Yale’s Signature Benefits website can direct you to personal wellness resources to reduce stress and maintain a better work-life balance.