Line managers

1. How can communication with a team that partly works from home and partly on campus be organised? Is there a video conference room, for example?

Please continue to conduct meetings with more than one member of your team virtually via one of the video conferencing systems provided by the Centre for Information and Media Services (ZIM) in order to avoid unnecessary risks of infection. If it is necessary to hold a meeting involving physical presence, please use a sufficiently large room that can be ventilated. Please also comply with the general hygiene and distancing rules.

2. How can line managers handle the fears of the members of their team?

The Work Psychology Unit has developed guidelines for line managers (German only). If you need further assistance, you can discuss your questions with the work psychology experts during their consultation hours.

3. What can line mangers who are members of a high-risk group do?

Consult your attending physician or the university’s Occupational Health Service. Follow the physicians’ recommendations and communicate your situation to your team and, if applicable, your direct superior.

4. Who provides assistance for line managers who are unsure how to implement the required measures?

For technical issues and questions regarding material occupational safety and health protection, the Occupational Safety and Health Specialists will provide assistance. In the case of medical questions (e.g. regarding risk groups), you can contact the university’s Occupational Health Service. If you have questions relating to the implementation of measures and the mental stress for the members of your team, the work psychology experts will provide support.

5. What do line managers have to do if information emerges on cases of infection?

Do not rely on information provided by third parties (e.g. other members of staff). Instead, you should by all means contact the person in question directly. Thus, you can avoid misunderstandings and snowball effects.

During the conversation, find out for whom an infection has been confirmed and what the relation between them and the person in question is. The list below will help you assess the situation:

0) Confirmed case of infection
An infection has been confirmed for the person himself/herself (and a quarantine has been imposed).

1) First-degree contact
The person himself/herself had immediate contact with an individual for whom an infection has been confirmed. (Depending on the level of contact, a quarantine may be imposed or recommended.)

2) Second-degree contact
The person had contact with an individual who had contact with another individual for whom an infection has been confirmed. (This usually does not require an assessment by the authorities.)

3) Higher-degree contact
Continued as above

Individuals for whom an infection has been confirmed are usually issued a corresponding certificate. Quarantine orders are issued in writing. Recommendations may also be communicated via telephone.

6. What actions do line managers have to take if a confirmed infection or immediate contact with an infected person occur?

Cases of confirmed infection or immediate contact with individuals for whom an infection has been confirmed (first-degree contact) must be reported to the Human Resources department immediately.

Affected individuals must not enter university buildings for the duration of the quarantine imposed or recommended by the health authority. If, in individual cases, a quarantine has not been imposed or recommended, a 14-day period after the last contact with the confirmed case of infection will apply or, in the the case of a common household, the duration of the quarantine imposed on or recommended for the infected person is to be observed.

In confirmed cases of infection, you have to identify all persons who had immediate contact with the case (first-degree contacts). Please send corresponding documentation (see I.12) to the Human Resources Department, which will supplement personal information on staff that may be missing in accordance with the Coronavirus Protection Ordinance (CoronaSchVO) and forward the data to the responsible health authority upon request. Furthermore, the first-level contacts and their line managers are to be informed in accordance with the internal action plan.

University management is to be informed about confirmed cases of infection at UDE.

7. Does any action have to be taken with regard to indirect contacts or is it permitted to do so?

Individuals who had indirect contact with a confirmed case of infection via one or more persons (second or higher degree contact) are not included in the contact tracking conducted by the health authorities. Thus, a quarantine will neither be imposed nor recommended for these individuals.

Pragmatic solutions aimed at reducing contact may be applied at the discretion of the relevant line manager.

Examples:
A) If a second-degree contact person already (frequently) works from home, this may easily be extended.
B) A second-degree contact person working in a technical unit could carry out inspections and simple maintenance tasks that may be fulfilled alone.

8. What has to be taken into consideration when creating staff schedules for reduced regular operations?

The Department for Human Resources and Organisation has compiled guidelines for this purpose.

9. What has to be taken into consideration with regard to job interviews?

Job interviews may be conducted if the hygiene regulations are adhered to. The Department for Human Resources and Organisation has compiled information regarding protective measures in the context of job interviews for this purpose.

The option to conduct interviews via video conference is also available. The Department for Human Resources and Organisation has compiled information regarding personnel selection via video conference.

In the case of job interviews with academic staff, this document may contain useful information on how to implement, prepare and conduct the interview from a technical perspective. However, as most interviews for academic positions are not usually conducted in the form of structured interviews, these guidelines may only be applicable to a limited extent.

The invitation to the interview is to include information on the rules of conduct applicable at UDE.