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Psychosocial well-being: staff and doctoral students

As faculty and colleagues, we care about your well-being. It is important that everyone feels good at work and enjoys going to the office. Are things not going your way? Are you having a difficult time? Do you suffer from stress, a bore-out or a lack of motivation? Are you faced with ongoing tension or conflict with or between colleagues? Harassment, persistent gossiping or opposition? Do you feel discriminated, ignored or sometimes laughed at? Are you bothered by unwanted sexual comments or other boundary-crossing behaviour?

Or are you a supervisor and do you want to know the best way to handle conflicts between your employees, discuss stressful situations or convey difficult messages?

We're here for you!

Charter for the improvement of well-being

As part of the psychosocial wellbeing and safety action plan, a vision statement describing how we want to treat each other in this faculty was drafted within the faculty committee on psychosocial wellbeing and safety. The choice was made to draft these behavioural principles in the form of a charter so that they could be carried faculty-wide.

Confidential faculty contacts 

If you are unable to talk about the situation with your co-workers or supervisors, share your story with a confidential contact from your faculty or from another faculty. Confidential contacts are the faculty's first point of contact for all staff members experiencing psychosocial risks such as stress, burnout, collaboration or communication problems and conflicts at work. They offer a listening ear and provide you with additional information about possible further support.

All confidential contacts received a specific training after their selection. They are bound by a duty of discretion and consult only with the central confidential advisors of Trustpunt (the central service at Ghent University).

Trustpunt

Perhaps you prefer to talk to a confidential advisor from the central service at Ghent University, Trustpunt (trustpunt@ugent.be)? They are there to help you tackle any issue, person or situation that impacts your well-being at work. They listen and provide possible solutions. In complete confidence, behind four walls, bound by professional secrecy. They can also mediate, if desired.

Are you confronted with boundary-crossing behaviour from employees or external persons? Always report it to one of the confidential contacts or contact our external prevention advisor on psychosocial aspects (psychosociale.gent@idewe.be).

Ombudspersons

Students and doctoral students can contact the ombudspersons of their faculty for most reports or complaints in case of disputes with lecturers or problems during their PhD track. If this is not possible, you may contact the institutional ombudsservice (ombuds@ugent.be).

The ombudsperson receives, investigates and handles complaints and can act as a mediator in disputes. Efforts are made to reach a solution in the best interest of all parties. The ombudsperson takes a neutral stance on complaints, without prejudice in favour of either students or professors. The ombudsperson will then, with the consent of the (PhD)student, take the necessary steps to resolve or clear up reported problems. However, the ombudsperson can only act within the existing decree and regulatory framework (the university education and examination regulations, additional faculty regulations and decisions of the faculty council). The ombudsperson is entitled to information and is bound to discretion.

UCare

Have you or one of your colleagues experienced a shocking event? Ghent University’s well-trained UCare reception and aftercare team are there for you.

Don't bottle up your feelings, talk about them. Take action.

More info

At Ghent University, no one needs to face their problems alone.