Future of Work Resource Program

The FoW program supports technology upgrades to some conference rooms and hoteling spaces that accommodate a hybrid workforce. For conference rooms, the program includes AV equipment to enable remote meetings. For hoteling spaces, the program includes computer peripherals to allow sharing of workspaces by employees who work on campus occasionally. Requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to maximize the effectiveness of limited resources. Priority will be given to conference rooms and hoteling spaces that currently, or have the potential to, serve multiple units.

A hybrid workplace, or hybrid office, is a flexible workplace model that is designed to support a distributed workforce of both in-office and remote workers. This can include hoteling space that is shared among workers, as well as meeting rooms equipped to support virtual conferences with both local and remote attendees.

Office hoteling allows employees to use available office workspace as needed. It may be an ad-hoc system using a first-come, first-served arrangement or it may utilize a reservation system to find and claim a workspace or resources, on-demand and for a specified period of time, to fit their working needs. In a dynamic workplace, it is often used alongside, or as an alternative to, traditional permanent seating.

Hot desking is a space-sharing practice that enables employees to choose an available desk or office space when they arrive at work. Desk hoteling is a space-sharing practice that allows employees to formally reserve their workstation, much like booking a hotel room. Both hoteling and hot desking are intended to establish a more agile working environment.

A hoteling workstation is an individual desk space temporarily used by a single worker. Hoteling workstations can be located in private offices, in an open office environment or both, depending on the needs of your unit.

Once your department has identified spaces for Future of Work, please select one of the vendors listed here Hybrid-ready Conference Rooms information page and reach out to the account manager. They will assist you in generating a quote for your space. Complete the Hybrid Workspace Request Form, attach the vendor’s quote and submit the request to FoW for review.

The program is asking that a separate request be submitted for each conference room and hoteling space. This will allow better tracking and allocation of funding. Each request should include specific location information about the proposed space such as building, floor and room number.

A hybrid workplace is a flexible workplace practice that empowers employees to work where and when they want, usually by balancing their time between office work and remote work. This means departing from the traditional working model where every employee has their own desk. When managed correctly, units may be able to downsize their footprint while still offering the space employees need.

The FoW program will reimburse the cost of the approved equipment and associated costs.

1. The request is submitted to and approved by the FoW program.
2. The unit proceeds with the work.
3. When the invoice is received upon completion, a copy of the invoice is sent to FOW@uci.edu and the funds are reimbursed.

The Future of Work program will cover the cost of infrastructure needs such as power and network cabling installation for the A/V equipment up to $5,000 per conference room. Note that this is in addition to the A/V equipment itself. Hotel space cost proposals will be considered on a case by case basis.

There are many factors to be considered including the vendor’s capacity to take on the work and the time required for any additional tenant improvements such as furniture or painting. The one caution the program would offer is that the world-wide chip shortage is impacting delivery of equipment which is currently taking as much as 90 to 120 days.

When implementing a new workplace strategy, it is imperative to have a plan in place to make the transition smooth. Here are some suggestions:

• Communicate changes quickly and clearly
  Shifting to hoteling requires new ways of thinking about both work and the office. Employees comfortable with dedicated workspaces need to understand hoteling’s benefits. An ongoing communication effort will help various employee audiences successfully embrace the system.
• Develop hoteling standards
  Avoid confusion and instill habits by creating a consistent experience for users. Set some standards such as terminology, business rules for both users and all reservable workspaces, and processes for how hotelers can find space for the day or seek support and assistance.
• Create a consistent experience, but offer choices
  When employees need to be in the office, their ability to quickly find the right place to work should be the same, whether they have access to multiple facilities, or just one. They should be able to expect a number of seating options to meet their different workstyles.
• Support your hoteling program with innovative, yet easy-to-use, technology
  Consider a workplace booking system that provides features employees can rely on to find the workspaces and other office resources easily and quickly.

Please consider all the aspects of typical tenant improvements. The FoW program does not cover tenant improvements. Please be aware that there may be more to creating the appropriate working space than just purchasing the equipment. Follow the standard procedures for your unit.

UCI’s Office of Information Technology has developed guidelines for developing hybrid-ready conference rooms, which can been found at Developing Hybrid-ready Conference Rooms | UCI TechPrep.

The program will provide monitors and docks for shared spaces. Keyboards and mice are considered personal equipment and are not part of the program.

No, the FoW program is intended to support technology upgrades only.

No, but low-cost solutions are available (e.g., Outlook or Tririga). Please contact your unit’s IT support team for recommendations and guidance.

Telephones are not part of the FoW program. For departments interested in exploring alternatives to traditional handsets, please consult with OIT for the campus VoIP solution Micollab.

The program will work closely with campus Space Management to prioritize requests that can be utilized by multiple units.

The program will make every effort to ensure that funds are allocated in a fair and equitable manner. Large requests may be reduced to ensure all departments have the opportunity to participate.