“A culture of trust and a clear personnel policy are complementary elements”
A revised Personnel Ordinance was implemented by the ETH Board on 1 October. Lukas Vonesch, Head of Human Resources at ETH Zurich, explains what the changes mean for employees and discusses how these changes came about.
Mr Vonesch, how are ETH employees affected by the partial revision of the Personnel Ordinance (PVO)?
There are three main changes. The first involves the duration and extent of the continued payment of salary in the event of accident or illness; this will now depend on length of service. Second, the new PVO incorporates the obligation of employees to cooperate in the case of incapacity to work due to accident or illness. Third, paid leave has been extended to include care for employees' parents; until now, this has only applied to persons in the same household. In addition, employees can now take three days of paid leave per event, instead of the previous allowance of five days per calendar year. There are also a number of other amendments made primarily for the purpose of clarification.
Let’s talk about the three main changes in turn. Will employees be worse off when the period of continued pay in the case of incapacity to work is based on length of service?
If someone is ill or has an accident, the key question is not how long they are away from work. The issue is getting them fit and healthy again as soon as possible – and able to return to work. This is relevant not only for the supervisor and the team, but above all for the person concerned. The welfare system and support from ETH is based on this. In dialogue with the employee and their supervisor, we look for a solution that enables the individual to recover. Time is just one element. Added to this is the fact that with every month of absence, the likelihood of a return to work is reduced. Against this backdrop, ETH has expanded its case management system that accompanies employees in the event of longer absences and supports them in their reintegration.
But to answer your question specifically: from the third year of service, employees will continue to be paid for 730 days as before. However, this continued pay will now be reduced to 90% after 365 days. In the first two years of service, employees will continue to be paid for 365 days only. In the case of temporary appointments, the continued pay will, as previously, end on conclusion of the contract.
Then the second point, the obligation to cooperate in the event of incapacity to work, should presumably also be seen in this context. What does this involve exactly?
In the case of illness, it’s important that supervisors and employees stay in touch. With a longer period of illness, it’s also important to ensure the exchange of information and, if appropriate, to be able to obtain a second opinion from an independent doctor. This is not usually a problem, as employees and their supervisors at ETH generally enjoy a relationship of trust. Unfortunately, however, there can be individual cases in which a conflict occurs, and clear rules are necessary as a result.
Another change is that employees must now submit a doctor's certificate after three days of illness. Was this not the case previously?
It might sound surprising, but the previous ETH rules did not include a time limit. We managed to work well without it, thanks to our culture of trust. But naturally there have been individual cases in which the lack of a time limit caused difficulties; for instance, if someone is off work for several weeks and does not submit a doctor’s certificate, because the PVO doesn’t require it... The new PVO now incorporates the three-day rule, which is common practice in the workplace. However, this change does not imply a change in our culture of trust. Clear rules are helpful for those isolated cases when trust is not enough. Here, a culture of trust and a clear personnel policy are complementary elements.
The third main change will please many employees. What led you to expand paid leave to employees to care for their parents?
The social reality based on the demographic development of our society. Support in a family environment increasingly involves not only care of children, but also of close relatives. The new rule of three days per event is intended to give employees the time they need for this.
What are the basic considerations behind the PVO revision?
The world of work and society are changing, as the previous example illustrates, and we have to take these developments into account. The changes involving continued payment of salary have the same roots. The health and welfare system – disability insurance in particular – has evolved in recent years, and the two last revisions are targeted much more at maintaining the ability to work and securing jobs. Part of this process involves requiring employees to participate more closely. Then there are the changes that have been made to provide clarification. We in HR are increasingly being asked: “Where can I find that written down?” This question comes not only from employees and supervisors, but also increasingly from legal representatives. Here, a clear legal basis with no significant loopholes helps.
Was there a specific trigger for this partial revision of the PVO?
The last PVO revision was several years ago, and over time several gaps became apparent. The revision of the PVO is a complex process; we began it three years ago. Various parties are involved in addition to the ETH Domain, the ETH Board and the federal government.
A consultation was held at ETH Zurich. Were there also some critical opinions?
A consultation is an invitation to enter into a dialogue about the common principles of personnel policy. There were some shared viewpoints and some diverging ones – this is all part of the process. Some changes are seen as an improvement, others are not. But as mentioned, in addition to the social partners, the federal government was also involved in the revision process. One example is that the University Assembly proposed an increase in paternity leave to four weeks, and the ETH Board incorporated this input. Due to the political context, however, the point could not be implemented. This shows that it is a matter of balancing a range of interests. But it is important to note that the ETH Domain continues to offer employees very good employment conditions with a high level of job security.
Further information
The full Personnel Ordinance for the ETH Domain (PVO-ETH) can be found external page here.