This is the first time a work pressure survey is to be conducted on all UT employees. A previous attempt, in 1999, to measure work satisfaction among UT employees failed. After the survey was partially conducted, doubts were raised on the methods used, and after that the UT-wide reorganization threw a monkey wrench in the process.
Surveys conducted elsewhere in the country show that three-quarters of Dutch employees experience increasing work pressure. Absentee statistics of the personnel department show that a third of long absences through illness on the UT are caused by high work pressure. In general, however, UT employees seem to be happy about the campus work climate. In an online poll held by UT-Nieuws last March, UT staff rated their work satisfaction with a 7.8.
However, the personnel department expects the survey to show some points to improve upon. Several points have been mentioned in a number of preliminary sessions, such as bad support from managers, lack of positive feedback, insecurity because of the reorganization and the low priority of education compared to research.
The results will be published in January, both UT-wide and according to group. After that, the personnel department will create plans for improvement. In four years, the survey will be repeated in order to confirm that the problems have been solved.
Trans. Jeroen Latour
