Chulalongkorn University with its flexible policy towards staff operation from the onset of Covid-19 pandemic until now.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided and allegedly become an endemic, Chulalongkorn University, a state-governed organization, which previously required its faculty staff and lecturers to work on campus full-time, has implemented a more flexible policy to meet with a ‘New Normal’ standard since 2020. It includes several measures as follows:

A decrease in on-campus working days of support staff: staff are required to work remotely from home in some days of the week and work on campus for the rest of the week to reduce risks of the disease spread and infection. (Chulalongkorn University Announcement Re: Concerning Office Opening, Providing Instruction and Staff Operation.) [ https://www.chula.ac.th/news/57861/ ]

A change in working time schedule and a number of working hours: staff of different departments are required to work on a different schedule if their work efficiency is not affected. They work no fewer than 40 hours a week. (Chulalongkorn University Announcement Re: Concerning Normal Working Days and Schedules and Holidays of B.E. 2564) [ https://clla.chula.ac.th/Chulalikit/Download?id=PT1BR1RCNHc0RFZ4dTNMaXhEMUdWUUho ]

Online, onsite and hybrid activities: seminars, meetings, instructions and other academic events can be organized either online, onsite or hybrid (online and onsite at the same time). Efficiency and effectiveness must not be affected. (Chulalongkorn University Announcement Re: Concerning Instruction, Testing and Assessment Guidelines in times of the Covid-19 pandemic B.E. 2564) [ https://www.chula.ac.th/news/57177/ ] [ https://www.chula.ac.th/news/57861/ ]

“Since the university adopted the more flexible policy, it was found that work flow is smooth and work efficiency is achieved to the same extent as in normal times. The university, therefore, continues to adopt the policy until now,’’ was mentioned in the Chulalongkorn university’s Announcement Concerning Opening Office, Providing Instruction and Staff Operation.”

In the more flexible policy, the change in working time schedule and working hours could not be achieved without supports from two units: the Office of Physical Management and the Office of Information Technology. They provide assistance in terms of hardware and software, IT support and advice, for instance, e-mail, Zoom software, VPN, LessPaper applications, to name just a few. Without these, the policy could not be efficiently implemented.