Very proud of our HR employees

Ingrid Halewijn and Annemieke Zonneveld

The HR department received the first signals about the approaching corona crisis in January and from then on things only got busier. HR Director Ingrid Halewijn and HR ICT programme director Annemieke Zonneveld look back on the recent busy times.

The HR department is continuing at full speed in the corona era. “The organisation still expects the same kind of service; we are also bound by the agreements in the service provision agreement on quality and turnaround time, for example. So it hasn’t been quiet for a moment. In fact, a lot more is being asked of us”, says Annemieke Zonneveld. Already in January, HR was dealing with the first questions. “What should we do about people who are traveling in from areas where the coronavirus is prevalent? That was actually the first dilemma we faced. Immediately, we started welcoming people online and asking them to stay in quarantine for two weeks. At a fairly early stage in the process, we were already taking all kinds of measures, such as HSE did in collaboration with Facility Management in the area of hygiene. The response was good, and we were actually a bit ahead of the game, which meant that at TU Delft we were already used to the national measures”, says Ingrid Halewijn. Acceleration Things gained momentum when the government announced on 12 March that everyone had to work from home as much as possible, starting the following day. And it didn’t stop there: “On the following Sunday morning we heard on that schools were going to close on Monday, so we began to work out what the consequences would be that same day. That was the start of a couple of hectic weeks,” says Halewijn. Hectic weeks too for Zonneveld, who is part of the Central Crisis Team (CCT): “The idea was that education and research had to continue as much as possible, but ideally only online and from home. We had to facilitate this as best we could. As HR department, we provided managers with guidance that could help them fulfil their role in that process. We based this as much as possible on current practice. The current regulations already offer all kinds of options, i.e. for special leave, you just have to make them specific to the current situation.” “In the space of two weeks, we worked out some 20 topics as a guide for managers, based on questions we received from the CCT, the HR managers or HR Services,” says Halewijn. These topics range from childcare to visa. Zonneveld: “We noticed that people mainly needed clarity. We offered them that with our guidelines. The process remains the same: with the guideline in mind, managers can best assess how to deal with a specific situation, and the HR manager can offer advice.” Though the process hasn’t changed, the spirit in which it is acted upon has. “Our advice is to be lenient in applying regulations towards employees. We all have to find a new balance in the light of the national coronavirus measures; that takes time and calls for flexibility. But the fact that, unlike many companies, we don’t have an acute loss of turnover means that you can weigh things up a little more calmly,” says Halewijn. Increased workload Zonneveld has not always noticed the same attitude towards HR employees. “It did surprise me that some people have so little understanding for the fact that colleagues within HR work in the same difficult circumstances. The fifty people in my team still have to pick up the phone and handle calls and be productive, but they too have children at home or have to take care of family.” Meanwhile, the workload for HR Services/ HR administration has not decreased. On the contrary. Although there were some ten percent less new appointments and other mutations to process – normally about 1100 per month – the number of calls to HR Services/HR Contact Centre rose from 1050 to 1200 in March. There was also an increase in the number of questions received via Topdesk. In March, there were 1300, compared to the usual 1000; in April this is rising even further. Workarounds HR also had to deal with all kinds of additional issues. “We have had to make new statements, e.g. for frontier workers and employees in crucial professions, and we have had to arrange workarounds for the signing of letters. We have had to provide all kinds of reports about who is abroad and where, and where new international employees come from. We consult with immigration service IND about visas for people who are currently unable to enter or leave the Netherlands. Our workload is increasing all the time”, says Zonneveld. Ongoing projects are also continuing. “The Employment Options Scheme IKA went live as usual. And to set up the new CORE HR and payroll system, we are organising online workshops with the supplier. It’s business as usual as much as possible.” Nevertheless, the situation is far from usual, which is why HR’s MT is also concerned about the wellbeing of its own employees. To some extent, providing HR employees with clarity on their tasks helps. Zonneveld: “Normally we take decisions in joint consultation processes, now we have to be a bit more directive.” Beyond that, it is also a matter of keeping in touch. “Every morning we discuss via Skype how we’re going to handle the day’s workload. I also talk to the HR Services team leaders on a daily basis, and they in turn stay in touch with their team members”. Halewijn: “We stay in touch a lot to try and cheer everyone up a bit. The frequency of certain meetings has increased and I also check in personally with a lot of people on a regular basis. If you all work remotely, you have to pay extra attention to that. And you notice that it’s appreciated.”

“I think it’s great how focused everyone is on their work, stemming from the shared idea that we have to take care of everything properly to help the organization.”

Proud Both are very positive about their employees. “I think it’s great how focused everyone is on their work, stemming from the shared idea that we have to take care of everything properly to help the organization,” says Zonneveld. “In spite of everything, productivity is very high; I am very proud of that”, adds Halewijn. However, she does emphasise that people also need their rest. “We encourage everyone to take time off from time to time. I consciously try not to send emails during weekends and holidays. Because although after six weeks you are getting used to working from home, it’s tiring. Before you know it, you’re in Skype meetings all day long, where you have to look and listen differently.” Taking some rest now is also important in the run-up to the next busy phase. “We will soon have to prepare for everyone’s return to campus and the questions that this entails. For example, how do we deal with people whose PhD or research project has been delayed while their contract is coming to an end?” says Halewijn. “Or what to do about the annual leave of people who haven’t been able to take any time off at all?” There are also many questions about recruitment. “In September, a lot of ‘new joiners’ always arrive around the same time. We try to keep recruitment going as much as possible, but how will we receive these people when the time comes, and what if they won’t be able to leave their country?” says Zonneveld. Existing arrangements That’s already happening. Halewijn: “There have already been people who have had to start online and haven’t met their colleagues yet. There are also people who, after a week in the Netherlands, decided they’d rather go back to their families. Can you suspend an employment contract in such a case? We are faced with all kinds of new questions.” It means lot of work, but nothing insurmountable, Halewijn believes. The answers are usually provided by organisations such as the IND or the Tax and Customs Administration. “We are seldom allowed to come up with our own solutions. We act within existing regulations such as labour legislation, the collective labour agreement and agreements with the Works Council or the trade unions. You cannot change that unilaterally. As HR directors, we also discuss such matters in the context of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands, the VSNU.” When implementing these solutions, HR applies a number of principles. “First of all, you have to take into account that there is currently a case of force majeure that lies within the risk sphere of the employer, not that of the employee. Secondly, you want to be accommodating and give everyone time to adapt to this unforeseen situation. And thirdly, you want to settle matters fairly, not arbitrarily, but for everyone on the same, good and fair terms. Kitchen table So how are they coping with this situation themselves? “My husband and I both work from home and we have been very busy. At HR, we provide services for staff, but we also have to make sure that our own employees get through this period. On top of that, I am also a member of the CCT,” says Zonneveld. “When I’m at TU Delft I can solve a lot of things on the fly. That is more difficult from home, so I have to work much harder. I’ve also learned that I can only keep this up if at the end of the day I take an hour’s run in the horticultural area between Delft and Pijnacker, or take online yoga classes.” Halewijn currently shares the kitchen table as a workplace with her husband. “In the beginning I did go to campus, but that became more and more difficult because most facilities closed. But those are practical things, it’s not a problem. At the TU we now also see people who have become ill themselves, or who have seriously ill family members. They can’t be with their loved ones or family, not even when they say goodbye. I find that incredibly sad.” Yet she also sees a silver lining: “My daughter is studying at TU Delft. It’s nice to see how that goes, how teachers give insights into their home situation, how they organize exams. Everyone seems to be able to get through it. Lectures and exams are continuing satisfactorily. And satisfied students who are able to continue their studies, is an important motive why we all do this. As well as staying healthy, everyone!”