‘There are still places within WUR where the working climate is not up to standard, and no measures are taken.’ Photo Shutterstock The Labour Inspectorate drew ‘hard’ conclusions, to use its own term, in its recent investigation into work pressure and undesirable behaviour at Dutch universities. The report on WUR, which was recently published on the intranet, shows there is room for improvement in the situation at Wageningen, too. ‘But WUR is in a good position to make rapid progress,’ says ombudsperson Jacqueline Schoone.
While the findings of the Labour Inspectorate caused a major stir at Delft, things have been quiet at Wageningen. Not that there is nothing to do. For example, nearly three-quarters of the respondents at Wageningen had experienced work stress more than occasionally in the past two years.
Not only do respondents put in an average of 5 hours of overtime each week (national average: 6 hours), but performing duties that are not part of their (UFO) job profile has become routine. While the latter applies to 91 per cent of the associate professors and 98 per cent of the assistant professors in the Netherlands, the report shows that at WUR, every single associate or assistant professor who completed the survey performs tasks that are beyond the realm of their official duties, without exception.
Undesired behaviour
High work pressure brings with it the risk of undesired behaviour. Over one-third of the Wageningen respondents personally experienced undesired behaviour over the past two years, for example, discrimination or science-related undesired behaviour. Half of the respondents witnessed others face undesired behaviour.
These data paint a bleaker picture than WUR’s employee monitor. According to the monitor, only 19 per cent of the respondents experienced undesired behaviour, compared to 50 per cent. ‘Still too many, but it does place the scope and, hence, options to address the problem in a different perspective’, says ombudsperson Schoone. The discrepancies are likely the result of the fact that many PhD candidates completed the inspectorate’s survey (see box below). PhD students more frequently encounter very high work pressure and undesired behaviour. Moreover, the employee monitor asked about experiences in the past year, while the inspectorate’s survey covered two years.
Causes
The respondents of the inspectorate’s report leave no doubt as to the key causes of the issues. Power imbalance and dependency in work relationships top the list, followed by lack of leadership skills in management, high work pressure and failure to impose sanctions on undesired behaviour.
The ombudsperson agrees with this analysis. ‘It shows that WUR must make an even more conscientious effort to overthrow structures and to stop undesired behaviour. For example, power balance, hierarchies and leadership at WUR.’
Failing leadership
Although WUR is taking strides in addressing failing leadership, Schoone still sees mishaps. Problems are denied and allowed to fester. ‘And quite a few people in positions of power fail to respond to issues.’ She understands the frustration felt by the victims when such managers are offered a graceful exit by WUR. ‘Publicly acknowledging the fact that they went through an experience that is not acceptable would benefit the victims’, she admits. ‘But a graceful exit is often the fastest solution to a problematic situation.’
Schoone has already seen improvements in how WUR handles leadership. Recruitment has been overhauled, and the soon-to-be-implemented Academic Career Framework will bring major changes to career development. ‘Change is achieved by changing things. WUR has no reason to be hesitant. The organisation functions as it should and is not suffering from a crisis of confidence along the lines of Delft. There is nothing to stop Wageningen from taking big steps. Our starting point in addressing undesired behaviour is better than that of many other universities. We know what the problems are and where we should look for the causes, so let’s tackle them,’ she implores. ‘That is really a cry from the heart because there are still places within WUR where the working climate is not up to standard and no measures are taken, while WUR has no reason to be wary or hesitant.’
Many PhD students
The labour inspectorate’s survey was completed by 487 persons (WUR’s employee monitor 2023: 4700 respondents), of which 35 per cent were PhD students. This may distort the results. PhD students, more often than other employee categories, experience high work pressure and undesirable behaviour. Still, Schoone is happy with the relative over-representation of PhD students among the respondents, which she qualifies as an ‘emancipation’. ‘Until recently, PhD students were weary of voicing their opinions on such issues. Apparently, their confidence that criticism will not result in repercussions is increasing. Reports from PhD students are also more frequently submitted. Their position remains a precarious one, however.’
