HR guidance for managers

Basic information

• VU.nl dashboard

  VU.nl is VU Amsterdam's website and the internal source of information. Start every work day on the VU.nl dashboard. You can read the latest announcements and news, and check your to-do list for new tasks. This page explains the VU.nl website in detail.
  
  The division of HR, Health, Safety, and Environment has all information on personnel matters published on VU.nl. Every HR topic has its own page, organized within themes. Some topics have a self-service options available, recognizable by the blue 'Take action now' button. 

• Self-services personnel

  At VU Amsterdam, you arrange most personnel matters through self-services options. The self-services options are structured with the principle: the person who has the greatest interest in the request or change takes the initiative. Oftentimes that is the employee. This workflow relieves the manager of having to administratively arrange all requests or changes themselves.

  The norm here is that the employee first has a conversation with you as a manager about the request or change. If you agree after the conversation, then the employee submits the request or change through the relevant self-service option. However, you do receive a task to approve the request or change in the digital workflow. After all, you are the manager who is responsible. For changes concerning legal status, your HR Advisor will also receive a task later in the workflow to check the request for compliance with laws and regulations.

  If necessary, the manager can perform all self-services for an employee on their behalf.

  Arranging temporary replacement

  Are you going on holiday or are you ill? Then it is important to delegate your tasks, because otherwise all workflows that you are involved in will stop. On the page Replacement HR tasks you can read how to arrange a replacement in case of absence.

• HRM Reporting

  You monitor the quality and progress of both content and processes in your team. You signal where possible bottlenecks arise. Plus, you keep an eye on your team's reporting of staff and finance, including possible projects and programmes happening within your department. You pay particular attention to the expiry dates of temporary contracts of your internal and external employees, and you make a timely decision on extension or termination.

  To manage operational HR matters and keep an overview from a process management perspective, there are several reports available for managers. The self-service option HRM Reports leads to the Report Centre. Among other things, there you can find the following lists concerning the employees in your team:

  • Employee overview (showing a range of personnel matters, such as fte, position, schedule, contract type, salary)
  • Holiday leave entitlements, split up per type of holiday leave
  • Absences (showing requested holidays and special leave types, among other things)
  • Current illness cases (showing the period of absence and current percentage of work capacity, among other things)
  • Expiring employment contracts
  • Ancillary activities

  The overviews can be exported. Manuals are available for this.

  Your HR Advisor is the first point of contact for report requests that are not provided in this selection. They have access to more reports and can get secondary support, if necessary.

  With technical questions and support for the Report Centre, you can turn to the HR Intelligence team via hr.intelligence@vu.nl. 

• HR Service Desk & HR Advisor

  You can find a lot of HR information on VU.nl. In addition, there is:

  HR Service Desk

  The HR Service Desk is available for all general questions concerning personnel matters and HR self-services. The HR Service Desk is available Mondary through Friday via 020 59 82882 or servicedesk.hrm@vu.nl.

  HR Advisor

  With other questions, the HR Advisor of your faculty or division can help you. The HR Advisor is the management's strategic conversation partner, but also advocates for employees, for example in career or work-related questions.

• HRMAM-zine

  As a manager, you automatically receive the monthly HRMAM-zine in your mailbox. With this newsletter, the division of HR, Health, Safety and Environment informs you about important personnel matters. The urgent advice is to read this HRMAM-zine well, so you stay up to date. If you think that certain topics are also relevant for supporting employees within your team, you can forward this newsletter internally without any issues.

  Through the HRMAM-zine, you are the first to be informed of important news. If this information is also relevant for your employees, then they are usually informed a week later, via a news item on VU.nl, often combined with an item in the weekly VU-zine. Through this so-called cascade, the managers are always informed before their employees. In case of questions, they have prior knowledge and can respond adequately.

Your practical HR duties as a manager

• Recruitment and onboarding

  Drawing up a (correct) vacancy and subsequently hiring a new employee is a complicated process. Usually you are supported in this by your HR Advisor, because this process requires you to follow the Collective Labour Agreement and legal regulations. In addition, you discuss your financial capacity with your business controller, since the vacancy must be budgeted before publishing.

  VU Amsterdam uses a digital recruitment system (Applicant Tracking System) for the recruitment process. The page Vacancies explains everything about this system and the process of vacancy creation.

  A lot is involved in hiring a new employee. On the page Start employment contract you find everything you as a manager need to know about the start of new employees, such as:

  • When do you choose for an internal employee and when for an external employee? 
  • And which variants of these are available to you?
  • How about position management, in which you as a manager have an important role?
  • How to conduct a pre-employment screening?
  • How does our university job ranking system, named UFO, work?

  When registering new employees, you take the lead, but if you wish, another employee within your faculty or division can support you.

  Onboarding overview

  As a manager you have an Onboarding overview at your disposal that allows you to track the status of onboarding cases yourself at any time. This overview provides insight into the current status of the entire process at a glance: who are the linked actors, and who is responsible for the next task? This overview is also accessible to support staff who have started an onboarding process for a manager.       

• IT affairs

  When a new employee joins your team, it is important to arrange a digital workspace for them in time. The IT division provides the necessary equipment and mobile devices. 

  If an employee needs a specific IT provision, then contact the IT Service Desk. IT can provide the vast majority of equipment.

  Letting the employee acquire and declare their own equipment is a large security and continuity risk, and should be avoided at all times. All equipment provided by IT is automatically managed by IT. This also ensures that VU Amsterdam's strict security requirements are followed. Devices that are individually acquired cannot be monitored and pose an uncontrolled risk, for example when the employee leaves VU Amsterdam and takes the equipment with them.

• Hybrid working

  VU Amsterdam facilitates hybrid working for all employees who can do part of their job at home or at another location. As a manager, you discuss with each employee the arrangement of hybrid working. It is important to agree on how many days on average the employee works from home. The employee needs this information for their commuting statement.

  Within your department, communicate the individual arrangements you made with your employees, and make sure your team can collaborate well. You can use more information and some useful tips to support you in this.

• Changing the employment contract

  Your employee's contract may change. Think for example of:

  • Extension of a temporary employment contract or moving onto a permanent employment contract
    As a manager, you have an important task in monitoring the end date of employees who have a temporary employment contract in your department. This task is supported by HRM Reports. In addition, you receive an e-mail notification 2 months before the end date. For international employees this is 3 months before the end date, because of possible extensions of permits.
  • Change in working hours/schedule
  • Change in salary
  • One-off allowance, fixed allowance, extra increment
    You can reward an employee in case of who performs exceptionally well or for any other reason that justifies an additional remuneration. You can choose from various remuneration options.
  • Change in place of work

  These are changes in legal positions. As a general rule, you first discuss this with you HR Advisor and your business controller. After that, you discuss the change with the employee. Then the employee in principle submits the change via the self-service option Change employment contract. 

• Annual consultation

  The annual consultation at VU Amsterdam is a yearly moment for the employee to reflect on their functioning in the past year, and set new goals that fit within the goals of the faculty or division. Early February, every employee receives a task to start the process around the annual consultation, but the timing of the actual consultation is decided by you and the individual employee. Together, you are free to plan the consultation between February and December. The consultation is supported by a digital form. Attention is paid to talent, ambitions and development, but you also discuss ancillary activities, possible holiday leave reservoirs and pressure of work. There is a dedicated page The annual consultation for supervisors available to you.

  Additionally, for the academic positions assistant professor, associate professor and full professor, the annual consultation is the moment when they agree with their manager on focusing on one of the three core domains of the academic career paths. In this way, we practice Recognition and Rewards at VU Amsterdam.

• Holidays and holiday leave reservoirs

  According to the Collective Labour Agreement, the employee is entitled to 232 hours of holiday leave per calendar year (pro rata for part-time employees). Some of those hours are collective holiday leave hours. Following the rules regarding the Flexible working hours, the employee can work two hours more (plus option) or less (minus option) than 38 hours. The two hours worked extra in the plus option are registered in the holiday leave chart as compensatory hours. The two hours worked less in the minus option are deducted from the statutory holiday leave balance.

  To prevent holiday leave reservoirs, you as a manager monitor that your employees use their built-up holiday leave hours in the same calendar year. It is important that they can rest and recover regularly. Plus, there is a financial reason to prevent holiday leave reservoirs in your department: unused holiday leave hours are registered as a debt in the balance sheet, and this money cannot be spent on the primary process.

  If you notice that an employee is building up a reservoir, as a manager you discuss this with them to get to one or more of the following agreements:

  1. You agree that the employee will structurally use holiday leave hours to use their holiday leave credit more quickly, for example by planning a fixed day off for a certain period. Naturally, you enable the employee to use these holiday leave hours.
  2. The reservoir can be lessened by encouraging the use of holiday leave hours as a source in the Individual choices model.
  3. The employee participates in the long-term saving model.
  4. You make another agreement that reduces the holiday leave credit, for example by (temporarily) not allowing the plus option of the Flexible work hours.
  5. If you do not manage to make an agreement with your employee, then as a manager you are able to determine a mandatory holiday leave for the employee, according to Collective Labour Agreement article 4.7, paragraph 7 sub c. This holiday leave can last a maximum of four times the employee's weekly working hours.

• Illness and recovery

  If an employee is ill, what should you do as a manager? Most absence is brief, but in case of long-term illness there are more concerns. The Eligibility for Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter) states that the manager and the employee together are responsible for a speedy reintegration. As a manager, you are ultimately responsible for the reintegration trajectory and the employee is jointly responsible. On the page Reporting illness and recovery - Information for the manager you find all the information. If you wish, the absence advisor helps you with support and advice if an employee is ill.

• Termination of employment

  There can be different reasons to terminate an employee's employment contract. The rule of thumb is: if the employee requests the resignation, then the employee arranges that themselves via the self-service option Offboarding - resignation request by employee. In all other cases, the manager is responsible to arrange the termination on behalf of the employer, via the self-service option Offboarding - resignation request by manager. The HR Advisor can support you with this.

  Organizing matters in time in case of termination

  Don't forget to refer the employee to the page Termination of employment contract - finalising your resignation, so they can arrange and resolve all important matters before the employment is terminated in the systems and the VUnetID is deactivated. 

  Exit interview

  It is recommended to have an exit interview with an employee who resigns by their own request. This helps you get a clearer picture of the reasons why someone leaves VU Amsterdam. An employee who leaves is a valuable source of information on what could perhaps be done differently or better within your department, the faculty or division or the VU Amsterdam organisation.

Your other HR responsibilities as a manager

• In-house emergency response

  As a manager, it may be necessary to provide personnel capacity for participation in the in-house emergency response (BHV). You also give employees the opportunity to attend an emergency response and first aid course (BHV) and to remain adequately trained through regular practice. The statutory emergency response duties include providing first aid, evacuating the premises, and extinguishing an incipient fire. 

  When introducing new personnel in your department, you should ensure they are familiar with the VU Amsterdam emergency contact number (+31 (0)20 598 2222), the escape routes in the building, and the meeting point in the event of an evacuation. In short, you create awareness of what to do in case of emergencies. Physical accidents and incidents within your department are reported internally afterwards to the internal safety hotline.

• Knowledge security

  Knowledge security covers the protection of scientific knowledge, research data, and technology against abuse, espionnage or unwanted influence. VU Amsterdam has policies and guidelines around knowledge security to ensure that employees deal with sensitive information, collaborations and digital resources carefully.

  As a manager, you have the following to main responsibilities concerning this:

  1. Awareness and exemplary role 

  You are aware of your responsibility to apply the guidelines. You lead by example by dealing with information in a careful manner, and you have a role in alertness. If you see possible risks, then you discuss this in time with the knowledge security contact person in your faculty or division. Think for example of unwanted access to sensitive data or unclear external collaborations.

  2. Supporting employees

  You follow and actively direct who has access to what data, how information is shared and what collaborations there are inside and outside the Netherlands. You discuss with your employees how to safely use digital systems, how to critically judge international collaborations and how to comply privacy and integrity regulations. When hiring new staff, you conduct a pre-employment screening.

  If your employees have questions or doubts, you refer them to experts within VU Amsterdam.

• Education and development of your employees

  As part of sustainable employability, VU Amsterdam values employees' development, both personally and academically. In addition, a degree programme may be necessary, whether this was discussed in the annual consultation or not. As a manager, you have an important role in your employees' development. The Learning & Development department supports this with an offer of training courses and programmes. In addition, career guidance and coaching is offered.

  For a healthy working environment and effective results, good team collaboration is crucial. Collaborating professionally with colleagues is not a given. This demands attention, practice and coordination of our behaviour. As a manager, you actively devote attention to this in your team.

• Learning and development for you as a manager

  VU Amsterdam has developed special programmes and training courses to support you in your role as a manager.

  The Management framework offers insight and inspiration for the duties, responsibilities and development of managers at VU Amsterdam. The framework shows what VU Amsterdam can expect from you as a manager and what you need to perform this role well. It is meant as a guiding principle for selection, staff review, appointment, annual consultation, career promotion and managerial training.

  Leadership is a role that requires attention and training. As a manager, you have more impact than you may realise. Because of this, VU Amsterdam wants managers to invest in self-awareness and development. Specific training courses for managers have been developed to help you with this.

  Do you want to know more about VU Amsterdam's vision on leadership and management? You can read the theme page Leadership.

• Safe and healthy working

  As a manager, you share responsibility for the working conditions under which your employees can carry out their work safely and healthily. Examples include sedentary work (with display screens), working during pregnancy, handling hazardous substances, exposure to noise, or lifting.

  Your employees also have a responsibility to work safely and to report any unsafe situations. In the annual risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E), the risks within your unit are identified. Make sure you are aware of the risks relevant to your own department and discuss the measures to be taken with your employees.

  For occupational health expertise, occupational social work, and occupational health physicians, VU Amsterdam has an internal occupational health and safety service. In the event of serious (personal) incidents, consult the Guideline for coping with shocking events.

  For occupational health expertise, occupational social work, and occupational health physicians, VU Amsterdam has an internal occupational health and safety service. In the event of serious (personal) incidents, consult the Guideline for coping with shocking events.

• Pressure of work

  Pressure of work arises when duties, deadlines and expectations are not balanced with your employees' capabilities. You ensure a realistic task allocation, clear priorities and a timely detection of overburdening. Regular consultation, attention to work-life balance and availability of resources or extra support are crucial for this. You also have a responsibility in enabling discussion of structural bottlenecks within the organisation.

• Social safety

  VU Amsterdam has formulated a Health and Safety Policy Framework, in which you as a manager have an important role. The aim is to create a work setting where social safety is central. Employees must feel respected and free to express themselves without fear of retaliation of any kind. In addition, you as a manager have a responsibility to prevent unwanted conduct and deal with it, if it does happen. Unwanted conduct damages another person's personal integrity. Examples are discrimination, (cyber)bullying, unwanted sexual behaviour, racist behaviour, aggression and violence. The page Guidelines for managers addressing cases of inappropriate conduct provides tools for this.

  The VU Code of Conduct and all regulations that fall under it, such as the policies around diversity, are guiding in this context. As a manager, you show a good example by behaving respectfully, not tolerating any sort of transgressive behaviour and treating complaints seriously. Employees should also feel free to admit their mistakes and share ideas. In sum, a manager ensures awareness, open communication and application of this policy for a healthy work environment. This not only promotes wellbeing, safety and motivation of employees, but also a sustainable performance of your department and the VU Amsterdam organisation.

• Conflicts: finding a solution together

  Employees first report to their manager if they encounter problems, have questions or worries that they want to talk about, or if they need help in a conflict. The page Help, support and advice offers support for both employee and manager. In addition, there are leave schemes available that can help the employee.

• Vision and strategy

  Depending on your level as manager in your faculty or division, you play a role in setting objectives that help shape the long-term direction.

  From a strategic management perspective, you proactively monitor the long-term perspective and formulate a departmental annual plan in line with the VU strategy. You monitor the agreed-upon objectives and put the strategy into practice. You inspire your employees to proactively contribute to this.

  You manage the broader picture, and delegate responsibilities where possible. As a representative of the department you promote your employees' interests, and you take on a professional leading role in assigning projects and programmes within your team. You encourage innovation and actively commit to strategic collaborations with internal and external partners.

  You ensure that your department as a part of your faculty or division is connected to societal challenges and to the mission and core values of the university.

• Strategic personnel planning

  Based on strategic management, Strategic Personnel Planning (SPP) is a good instrument with which you can steer the optimal staffing of a department or team. What ambition do you have as a department, and which competencies and skills do you need to realise this now, but in the future as well? A Strategic Personnel Planning helps you fine-tune your department's future perspective and the actions you need to let your team members grow with changes and developments. On the dedicated page Strategic Personnel Planning you find more information.

  As a manager you don't carry out Strategic personnel planning on your own. You are accompanied in this by the HR Advisor of your faculty or division. For example, the HR Advisor supports you in executing a regular fleet review, helps in succession management and assists in applying talent management and how you process the result in annual training plans.

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