Working to rule involves employees meticulously adhering to the letter of their employment contracts, following workplace rules, procedures, and regulations to the exact specification without engaging in any additional tasks or putting in extra effort. Here’s a detailed guide on how faculty can implement this labor action effectively at MSU Denver :

1.    Understand the Rules: Thoroughly familiarize yourself with your employment contract,  Faculty Handbook, Department Guidelines and College or School Guidelines to be fully aware of your contractual obligations as well as the expectations for retention, tenure, and promotion.
2.    Strict Adherence: Follow these rules precisely and strictly, ensuring that you comply with the prescribed procedures and processes in your day-to-day work.
3.    No Voluntary Overtime or Extra Effort: Refrain from working beyond your stipulated obligations or offering any voluntary additional teaching, service, or scholarship. Stick to your defined duties.
4.    Communicate Clearly: If a task falls outside the scope of your contracted duties, communicate this to your supervisor and seek guidance or delegation to handle it.
5.    Report All Issues: Report any workplace concerns, safety hazards, or policy violations in line with the prescribed reporting procedures.
6.    Document Everything: Keep meticulous records of your work activities, tasks completed, and any instances where you adhered strictly to the rules or encountered situations that required deviation from them.
7.    Encourage Colleagues: Encourage fellow workers to also strictly adhere to their job descriptions and follow all rules, fostering a collective effort in working to rule.
8.    Maintain Professionalism: Despite the deliberate slowdown in productivity, maintain professionalism and a respectful attitude towards colleagues and supervisors.
9.    Monitor and Evaluate Impact: Track the impact of the work-to-rule action on operations, productivity, and workplace dynamics, while remaining open to dialogue with management for negotiations and resolutions.

Working to rule is a strategic approach to showcase the importance of employees in an organization and advocate for improved working conditions and fair treatment within the confines of the established rules and agreements. It is difficult to persuade administrators or the Board of Trustees that our workload is unsustainable as long as we continue to sustain it.