Employee participation

As a member of the Radboud University Works Council (OR), Rian Bobbink contributes to issues that affect the entire university. From the identity of the organsiation to codes of conduct and educational visions, the topics debated on by Works Council are very broad. In this interview, Rian discuses his role, the issues on which the OR advises and how he ensures that, as an OR member, he has a voice and makes a difference.

Wide range of topics

One of the first questions we asked was what themes and topics are covered by the OR. “It's very broad,” explains the OR member. “For example, we recently met with the Executive Board to discuss the identity of our university. Another important theme is the introduction of a code of conduct at our university. The university's vision on education is another key agenda item that we’ll discuss soon.”

It’s important to focus your attention on the topics where you can make the biggest difference. During each meeting, Rian thinks about which topics are the most relevant and where he can make a valuable contribution. By focusing on the important issues, he can contribute more effectively to the decision-making process.

Influencing and advising

But how do you exercise your influence and can make a difference as a member of the Works Council? There are several ways to do this, explains Rian. The most direct way is to exercise your right of consent on certain issues that come before the Works Council. This means a decision cannot be made without the consent of the Works Council. In this case, the most obvious course of action is to vote on the issue at hand. However, the Works Council has the opportunity to hold extensive consultations to determine its position and can sometimes impose conditions for granting consent. This is just one way the council exerts its influence.

Another way is by raising issues in a round table meeting. While the Executive Board is not obliged to respond, this approach sometimes leads to results. A third way to exert influence is by giving unsolicited advice. The Works Council can always issue an opinion if it believes a change is needed, even on files over which it officially has no say.

Valuable contribution

One of the Works Council’s biggest achievements in the past eighteen months was developing the code of conduct. “I think we made a valuable contribution to the development of this code,” says Rian. “Everyone agreed there should be a code of conduct, but they had different opinions about the content and wording. This made the process interesting and fun. In the end, we all had the same goal and everyone understood how important it was, which allowed us to work well together to achieve the desired result. I’m very proud of this.”

Rian’s experience in the Works Council

As a university employee, you get to deal with the everyday affairs of your own faculty. But what if you wanted to know more about the ins and outs at the university level? That is exactly what motivated Rian to nominate himself for the Works Council.

The experience taught him which issues are at play and how they relate to other universities in the Netherlands. More importantly, he gained a better understanding of the dynamics between the central umbrella organisation and the faculties. He wasn’t aware of this before, but now he understands how the two layers interact and how decisions are made. This experience taught him a lot personally and expanded his outlook on the university.

Why run as a candidate?

Rian sees participation in the Works Council as a unique opportunity to participate and influence decisions that affect the entire university. It is not just about personal ambition, but also about representing the voice of your own faculty and contributing to the future of the university. It is an opportunity to develop and grow on a personal level, while contributing to a better university for all students and staff.

As an employee at Radboud Services, you want to feel represented. This is where the Radboud Services Representative Council (OC) comes in. The committee consists of a team of passionate employees who are committed to improving the work environment, the working conditions and more. In this article, Radboud Services OC chair Martine Gulden discusses the challenges facing the committee and how it deals with them.

The challenge of a highly diverse workforce

One of the biggest challenges the OC faces is representing the interests of the 1,300 people employed by Radboud Services. This is no easy task, as the committee has to deal with a wide variety of employees across six departments and multiple buildings on campus. Nevertheless, the OC aims to be of value for all employees.

The multi-faceted themes of the Radboud Services Representative Council

The Representative Council covers a wide range of themes. In recent years, for instance, the committee has focused on issues such as reorganisations and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. When doing so, they were mindful of employees who worked on campus and those active in the hospitality sector who suddenly found themselves without work.

At the moment, the work environment is the main focus of the OC. The committee is closely following projects that are investigating how the work environment can be adapted to accommodate the growing number of employees who work from home or work in a hybrid set-up.

There are also standard themes that recur annually, such as the annual plan and budget and the annual report. Risk assessment and evaluation play an important role in this, with the committee focusing on health and safety issues such as workload and safety. The OC, as an employee participation body, has right of assent with regard to the plan of action, which allows them to steer aspects such as workload.

Exercise influence

Each term, the OC sets its priorities and focus points. A key advantage of the OC is that they are able to add topics to the management agenda. To make a real difference, it is crucial to clearly define within the OC what the ultimate goal is and which processes can be influenced. The focus tends to be on process issues, such as improving communication.

For example, Radboud Services OC aims to promote clear communication, regardless of the employee's job level. Sometimes it’s necessary to adjust communication in different ways. By paying constant attention to these issues and by sharing input with management, the OC makes a real difference and ultimately improves communication.

Diversity within the OC

To properly represent the interests of all employees, it is important for the OC to be as diverse as possible. This also ensures a balanced representation of the different job levels, which in turn guarantees that the OC has broad support and can best represent the interests of all employees.

Participation expands your perspective

As an employee, why should you get involved in the participatory bodies? For the chair of the Radboud Services OC, that motivation is twofold. On the one hand, she wants to contribute to the decision-making process, and on the other, she sees it as an opportunity for personal development. Participating teaches you a lot about political decision-making and expands your field of vision, especially within a broad field like Radboud Services.

Time and support

A common question is how much time council membership takes up. As a regular member, you have two hours per week to spend on council duties and as a member of the executive board, (chairman, vice-chairman, secretary) you have four hours per week to spend on your duties. In practice, you won’t always spend exactly this much time on council tasks every week due to peak work times. Fortunately, the RU management team strongly supports the participation process and, as an OC member, you’ll be given the time you need.

In short, employee participation offers an opportunity to exercise your influence within an organisation and contribute to development and communication. It is also a great opportunity to acquire new knowledge and learn new skills. For candidates who are hesitant to run for election, Martine recommends going for it anyway or stopping by to see how the process works. It’s not a lifelong commitment and can be a valuable experience.