A strong manager fosters critical employee participation
Help, someone is needed for employee participation. Having a say in school policy is complicated, time-consuming, and what about risks to your career?
Image: XF\x26amp;M
“I know people who have been laid off or fired because of their critical attitude in the works council. But if they speak openly about it, their severance pay is at risk.”
Rob Nederkoorn, chairman of the Platform for Participation in MBO, does speak out. 'I am not the only one who has personally experienced how a chairman of the board - because I publicly criticized the policy pursued - tried to make my life miserable', he recently wrote in an article. By telephone he sums up what can happen: fuss about expense reports, unexpectedly difficult performance reviews, promotion to a job that cannot be combined with employee participation duties. “In response to my article, I received a registered letter from an institution that believed it was about one of their employees. But I was not even aware of that case.” The consequence of these manners, also in other education sectors: participation is not a popular task. “If somewhere there are more candidates than seats, people are proud of that.”
Peeing and dragging
As in politics, employee participation elections can be a party with inspired campaigns and debates. But in practice it is a struggle to find candidates. “Nobody wants or dares to take the free seat in our district council,” says a secondary special education teacher who does not want to be named in the plight because of the plight. the Education Magazine. While an impulse for the faltering employee participation at that school is desperately needed. “Our director prefers to discuss everything orally and the previous mr-chairman went along with that. Then they would sit in the office for a while for verbal consent and that was it.”
Teacher and representative Peter Kors, member of the secondary education sector board of the AOb, sees the same. “People don't dare to share good ideas for fear for their career and appointment. Staff huddle together, they make excuses and someone hangs an anonymous complaint note on the board.”
People are afraid to share good ideas for fear for their career and employment. Staff huddle together, they make excuses and someone hangs an anonymous note of complaint on the board
Elsewhere, an Mr chairman also receives such notes, but according to this parent - who wishes to remain anonymous - there is little to do with it: “For example, does a group of teachers really think what it says about matters such as personnel planning, educational concepts, housing? Usually we don't even know who put such a letter in the tray. I find it worrying that people apparently don't even dare to contact the mr.” He feels a lot more confident. “Teachers often say: don't bite the hand that feeds you. Parents do not need anything from the other parties. I can bite in peace.” His Mr. teachers prompt their chairman about matters that the staff themselves do not dare to bring up. Not a good development, he thinks, but understandable. “Quite a few drivers find it difficult to get comments. If you are not on the line, you will fall from grace. As a manager, you must have people around you who are better than you in certain areas. But in education and also in healthcare, I often see managers who think they can do everything best themselves.”
Covenants
The government likes to put extra tasks on the board of the employee participation council, but without extra time. For years now, collective labor agreements for primary and secondary education have stated the same minimum number of hours that are sufficient to read documents and hold meetings. In the other sectors, employee participation time is a matter of negotiation.
Codes of conduct, advice and covenants contain fine words about the value of employee participation. But young scientists at universities are often advised to stay away from it because of possible negative consequences for their careers, the National Consultation for University Participation (Lovum) points out. Chairman Rien Wijnhoven: “People don't want to say it by name, but I even hear it from rectors and promoters. It is difficult to activate PhD students in particular. As a result, we talk about their well-being, but they don't sit at the table. People feel inhibited because they have a different relationship with their manager within employee participation, without knowing what consequences this could have for their career. In the meantime, the government is asking more of employee participation.”
People feel inhibited because they have a different relationship with their manager within employee participation, without knowing what consequences this could have for their career
Lovum believes that employee participation should be explicitly recognized and valued, just like administrative work, both at the central level and at the faculty councils and program committees. “Our interests are the same: a well-functioning university. The costs of employee participation are negligible compared to the benefits.”
Disturbed relationships
The example of nasty consequences for a critical employee is the case by teacher and works councilor Paula van Manen, fired for her critical book on personalized learning. The descriptions were anonymized, but colleagues and the leadership of Roc Nijmegen felt hurt. The dismissal for relationship breakdown has been upheld on appeal, with additional damages for the school's mistakes. An appeal in cassation is still pending with the Supreme Court.
Such an affair does not promote enthusiasm for employee participation, says MBO platform chairman Nederkoorn. The statutory protection against dismissal for works council members is insufficient if criticism leads to disturbed relationships. Should something like the statutory whistleblower scheme be added? “I'd rather have a code of conduct that the MBO Council should draw up with us. If all institutions commit to this, we can ensure that the 'golden triangle' of the Executive Board, Supervisory Board and Works Council can function properly.”
Such a guideline already exists in primary and secondary education. The Advice on Good Participation describes equal discussion partners who can handle a dispute as follows: 'If the mr or the consultation partner appeals to the Disputes Committee or the Enterprise Section, we will let that procedure be mutually agreed upon. don't cloud relationships.'
According to Arne Breunesse of Education Disputes, that is indeed usually how it works when the Disputes Committee comes into play. “The fact that people come here means that they feel free enough to enter into a dispute with the employer. People can also call us for advice and that happens, but we have very few signals that mr members do not dare to bring a case."
The fact that people come here means that they feel free enough to take up the dispute with the employer
Remarkable things can happen in such a dispute: in 2018, the director of the Avicenna College in Rotterdam threatened to recover mr costs from the staff. That mr took up the fight and the driver left after a long period of uncertainty.
Making progress without escalation is also possible, says AObtrainer Aysegül Aslan. Training, awareness, ambition talks, observation, mediation, there is a toolbox full to break through ingrained patterns. “Are we willing to work together? How do we achieve an equal partnership? Discuss the taboos and evaluate what you achieve; not to point a finger at the other, but to wonder what else you can do. And when you have achieved something, show off the fruits of your commitments.”
This article appeared in the January issue of the Education Magazine. Knowing more? Bee AOb Participate you will find all the information.
