Recommendations annual report ombudsperson 2023

A small selection of observations and recommendations from the 2023 Annual Report by independent ombudsperson Jacqueline Schoone:

How do you look back on three years working as an ombudsperson at WUR?

‘Three years ago, the position of the ombudsperson was still new,’ Jacqueline explains. ‘This position was established nationwide in 2021 to work more structurally towards a safer study and working environment at Dutch universities (and, in the case at WUR, also at Wageningen Research).’ Jacqueline: ‘The position was intended to complement the existing support structures within the organisation (such as confidential counsellors, occupational social workers, student advisers, and student psychologists). As an ombudsperson, I focus specifically on trends and patterns around undesirable behaviour, and I can independently identify and advise management and the Executive Board in this regard. That is really the added value of the ombudsperson.’

‘One of my tasks three years ago was to act as quartermaster to give shape to this position at WUR. I enjoy this kind of pioneering role; along the way, the position of ombudsperson was shaped in way that suits WUR and that my successor Joke Genee can take further. I experienced it as an enormously inspiring period. I did not have to think very hard about my next career step. The work of ombudsperson has really proven to be an ideal fit for me. That is why I am now starting as an ombudsperson at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, to reshape the ombudsperson position there as well.’

‘Undesirable behaviour? Surely that doesn’t happen here?’ Or: ‘But aren't we the best university in the Netherlands?’ Jacqueline recounts some of the statements she heard in 2021 when she was just starting out as an ombudsperson. ‘A lot has changed in that respect, in society at large, but also at WUR. Social safety is now firmly on the map; people are more aware of the importance of a socially safe working environment. And that it is an ongoing process that requires constant work from us all. We need to understand that every situation is new and that it is always hard to do the right thing. I am especially proud of the fact that I managed to demonstrate the added value of the ombudsperson position; that as an ombudsperson, you can make structural patterns (i.e. many reports from a certain part of the organisation) visible and help break them. I also found it positive that when I raised issues with management, the Board, and managers, they were truly willing to do what was needed to resolve a case.’

2023 Ombudsperson Annual Report

2023 Ombudsperson Annual Report: Some facts at a glance:

• The 2023 Ombudsperson Report lists 67 reports from 86 reporters. A report may involve more than one reporter, which is why the number of reporters is higher than the number of reports. The number of reports and reporters shows a slight increase compared to the previous year (57 reports, 79 reporters)
• 43 of the reports led to a case: a situation in which the ombudsperson made an intervention.
• In terms of types of reports, the list is headed by harassment (42), followed by sexual harassment (7), discrimination (7), and a generally unsafe working environment (6).
• Almost half the reporters were members of the academic staff (WP and PhD combined). 32% of the reporters were students. The majority of reporters were women.

The Executive Board has read with keen interest the annual report of the WUR independent ombudsperson and is taking her recommendations to heart. Corporate HR, the HR departments of the knowledge units, and the Integrity and Social Safety Steering Group (led by Prof. Wouter Hendriks) are now working on several topics also mentioned by the ombudsperson. See also the WUR Social Safety Programme.   

Not shying away from sensitive topics

Jacqueline: ‘It is part of my role as an independent ombudsperson not to shy away from sensitive topics; and that means calling a spade a spade. Reports about undesirable behaviour and unsafe situations seem at first glance to be individual cases where cooperation is not going well or where there is a conflict, but these cases are not isolated. What I mean is that the structure of an organisation, the systems of assessment etc. used and the way we deal with or believe we deal with each other certainly also contribute to a more or less safe working environment. These things need to be named and improved.’

Leadership

The current annual report also discusses, among other things, issues such as ‘neglectful leadership’ in which managers, often due to lack of skills, create a socially unsafe working environment. The annual report states that leadership comes up as a theme in many of the reports. ‘But,’ Jacqueline stresses, ‘with most leaders and most teams, things are going well. In fact, there is only a limited number of managers who are experiencing problems. I argue that the trick then is not to lapse into ‘generic policies’ but to address these specific managers, and get them to reflect on and develop their behaviour in a mandatory way. Another aspect is that we need to change the way managers are assessed. For example by combining and integrating different pieces of the puzzle that tell us something about how comfortable people feel in their workplace. nN addition to people’s experiences, we could for instance also use figures and factual data, such as outflow figures, sick leave, outcomes of the Employee Monitor, etc. That is not yet being done on a structural basis.’

Chairholder mobility

Another ‘sensitive’ topic in the annual report is the plea for a discussion within WUR on limiting the job duration and mobility of chairholders. This is a sore point as there is no set term of office for chairholders within WUR. The WUR model makes it possible for chairholders to remain in their position indefinitely, according to the annual report, which is not always desirable in light of the needed renewal within a chair group and/or when the shelf life of the chairholder has expired.

Alarming behaviour

The annual report also calls for more attention to alarming behaviour, such as addiction, suicide, obsessions, radicalisation, and polarisation. These problems can sometimes lead to things like stalking and in person or online threats being addressed to staff or students. Jacqueline: ‘Fortunately, the problem of alarming behaviour is not yet as urgent at WUR as it is at universities in the big cities. So far, we have been able to handle this in a case-by-case manner, but the annual report does recommend setting up a ‘pop-up organisation’ at WUR that can become more active as soon as there are new developments in this area.’

Recommendations from Ombudsperson Annual Report:

1. Strengthen the focus on the defendants in a report by:

1. Continuing to bring to the attention of managers and HR the Guidelines for Complex Cases and the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Social Safety.
2. Evaluating every complex or non-complex case, and integrating the ‘protocol on dealing with the defendant’ theme in the process.

2. Discuss leadership, including the following themes:

1. From generic to specific policies
2. Assessment of managers
3. Position of chairholders
4. Chairholder mobility

3. Create a ‘confidential counsellor for employees’ position for employees who find themselves in the position of ‘defendant’. Designate a ‘dedicated’ counsellor for this group or organise this externally.

4. Establish a facility that comes into action in cases of alarming behaviour. This facility can be thought of as a crisis organisation in which a limited number of persons/positions are designated and come into action when needed.

5. Ensure that reports of employee investigations can be generated at the lowest possible level. Should this be undesirable, make the results of the investigation available to a limited number of people, including the ombudsperson.

6. Keep devoting attention to diversity and inclusion.