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UConn professional employees who are denied permission to work from home — or are approved for only one remote day per week — can appeal the decision to a two-person panel that includes a representative appointed by the employee’s union.
The process is part of the university’s 2025-2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA). To qualify for an appeal, an employee must have received a rating of “Good” or better on the most recent performance evaluation.
Employees have four weeks to appeal after receiving the original decision. According to a UCPEA flowchart, the manager may reverse the denial after reviewing information submitted with the appeal. If that happens, the appeal ends before it reaches the panel.
If the manager stands by the decision, Human Resources must convene a two-member panel within two weeks. The panel includes one representative from UConn Human Resources and one member appointed by UCPEA. Together, they review the employee’s appeal, the original telework decision and any other information. They may also meet with the employee and manager before deciding what to do.
Both members can agree to uphold the original decision, ending the appeal. They can also agree that the employee’s request should be reconsidered. If they recommend reconsideration — or if they cannot agree — the case goes to the appropriate UConn vice president or designee for a final written decision.
The process gives UCPEA a direct role in reviewing telework denials, but the panel cannot award employees additional days at home. Final authority remains with university management.
In an announcement about the process, UCPEA said remote and hybrid work have helped employees achieve greater balance without sacrificing productivity or quality.
“What does not work is when management arbitrarily takes these options away,” the union said. “This forces unneeded disruptions to the lives of UCPEA employees.”
UCPEA said the new contract language was intended to give employees more power to determine what “works best for their type of work and for their specific needs.” It said its representatives were ready to hear appeals and protect employees’ ability to create “reasonable hybrid schedules.”
But Operational Needs Come First
UCPEA’s announcement focuses on what employees gain from telework — and the “disruption” they face when management takes it away. The CBA’s fine print puts the focus somewhere else: Telecommuting must be in the university’s best interest, and operational needs are “paramount.”
Managers are encouraged to consider reasonable requests, but they do not have to approve them. UConn can require employees to report to campus, limit the number of remote days, and suspend or revoke an arrangement when university operations demand it.
The issue extends well beyond back-office work. UCPEA represents academic advisers, financial aid staff, librarians, health care professionals, and student affairs personnel. Those are offices students turn to when they cannot understand a bill, need help securing financial aid, or face a problem that cannot be solved through an online portal or chatbot.
The contract specifically allows UConn to consider whether a position requires an on-campus presence for service delivery, supervision, training, collaboration or “student-facing responsibilities.” It may also revoke telework because of performance problems, inadequate supervision, security concerns or other legitimate business reasons. In other words, an employee’s ability to do the job from home is not the only test.
For 2026–27, UConn lists typical direct costs of $36,758 for a full-time in-state undergraduate living at Storrs and $59,426 for an out-of-state student. Those bills cover more than classes, housing, and meals. Students also depend on financial aid staff, academic advisers, and other university professionals to help them navigate the institution. Whether those employees work on campus or remotely, UConn should ensure that students can reach them when they need help.
UConn’s contract gives professional employees a detailed process for challenging telework decisions. It also preserves management’s authority to put operational needs and student-facing responsibilities first. Taxpayers and tuition-paying families should expect UConn to use that authority.
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