“There is a lot, but it is a bit of a maze.” That is the conclusion drawn by the HR director Nieke Guillory, director of Legal Affairs Cenay Akin and director of the Diversity & Inclusivity Office Constance Sommerey after they had taken a close look at Maastricht University’s so-called care landscape (see box) last year.
The issue was also discussed in various councils the past months – certainly after the report from the Diversity and Inclusivity Office, which states that almost half of Maastricht students find themselves having to deal with sexual harassment or intimidation during their time as a student: where can people who experience undesirable behaviour, go? Both students and employees often don’t know, while reporting issues is so important, said president Rianne Letschert during the first Ask Me Anything meeting in January. “Otherwise, we can’t do anything either.”
One centre
Now, there will be a single care and complaints centre for employees, which Guillory hopes to launch at the end of June. “They can go there with all their questions, concerns and complaints. They will speak with a professional – so they don’t need to go through a digital list of questions – who can offer them a listening ear and who can point them in the right direction. That person also co-ordinates the team with various officials [confidential advisers and ombudspersons, ed.].”
The co-ordinator can also help people submit a formal complaint. With the confidential adviser, the initial route is often an informal one. They look into whether a meeting can take place, or whether mediation could be useful. In the case of a formal complaint, there is an official procedure. If the complaint is deemed legitimate, there may also be sanctions. “The Concern & Complaints Point will also give people an idea of what the procedure entails, what they can expect from it, they receive guidance if they want and they will be told what they themselves need to do.”
More hours
Those who deal with the complaints will also be given more hours. The ombudsperson will go from 0.5 to 1 FTE and soon there will be two confidential advisers for undesirable behaviour, one with 0.5 FTE and the other with 0.8. There will also be a co-ordinator for the social safety policy. “We could use more guidelines and policies in that area,” says Guillory. “At the moment, we have a concisely formulated policy vision, but together we should determine what social safety is exactly and what it means for our behaviour. This person, with the necessary academic background, will also contribute towards the development of new training courses in the UM Leadership Academy. For example, how to deal with cultural differences in your team, how to ensure that an atmosphere of openness is created in which people dare to discuss matters? So, we both want to prevent social unsafety and set up a clear and solid care landscape.”
Students
The complaints desk is only for staff members. “For students, there is already a central point which has, as it were, an extra layer of mentors, student advisers, student deans and psychologists for students around it,” says Guillory. “They can help students or refer them to a confidential adviser for students. That is why we are starting with employees, we will evaluate annually (the first time in January 2023, ed.), and continue to build, should that be necessary.”