According to the University Council, it is important for employees to be on campus as much as possible, to strengthen connections between colleagues and increase their visibility to students. In that respect, the council welcomes the new policy on hybrid working, which is based on the principle that employees should spend sixty per cent of their working hours at the office. Nevertheless, the council had some unsolicited advice.
University Council members Laura Vargas and Aditya Pappu pointed out that, particularly for international employees, it can sometimes be difficult to combine family visits or caring for relatives with remote working. They asked whether arrangements could be made for family visits once or twice a year.
Grandparents
Vice-president Machteld Roos pointed to employees’ entitlement to annual leave and the possibility of taking a sabbatical. Vargas responded: ‘Visiting family is not the same as going on holiday. When I visit my parents, I can work eight hours a day myself, while my children get to spend time with their grandparents.’
According to Pappu, the lack of clear guidelines led to different interpretations among HR advisers. The University Council therefore called for uniform criteria and proper monitoring.
Executive Board member Roos said that similar situations should receive the same response and that employees should discuss this with their own team manager. Vargas then asked whether approval of leave depended on the relationship an employee had with their team manager.
The University Council did not yet succeed in getting clear arrangements for international employees set down in writing. Roos said the Human Resources department would keep a close eye on the situation to see whether cases arise that warrant an exception to the policy.
