Copenhagen Business School Employee Human Resource Policy This brochure presents the key principles of the Copenhagen Business School Human Resource Policy. Offering an impression of CBS as a workplace, it describes what level of expectations managers and employees can reasonably have toward one another and toward their working relationships.
An inspiring and attractive workplace Copenhagen Business School (CBS) is committed to its role as one of the best business schools in the world with the most advanced level of research and teaching. This places great demands upon us as an organisation, compelling us to create an international environment that stimulates innovation, experimentation and originality. We expect all of our employees to openly and actively rise to the CBS mission and to participate in creating solutions that help meet CBS objectives. We attach importance to allowing room for differences and encourage open debate at every level concerning CBS activities. We strive to be an attractive workplace where everyone is treated with respect and trust, where employees apply their talents meaningfully and support new ideas and where everyone contributes to realising the goals of innovation and global awareness as a university that prizes diversity. Our Human Resource Policy covers a number of employment practice principles concerning professional qualifications, flexibility and balance, cooperation and management, and health and well-being. 2
This Policy is a framework to be addressed by individual units and departments through dialogue between management and staff as an organic part of every day operations in which employees are active partners, in accordance with the principles of our Human Resource Policy. Professional qualifications Copenhagen Business School seeks to recruit and retain the most well-qualified and talented employees. This means we must work persistently to create and identify attractive career and development opportunities and to continuously provide resources to generate a high level of professionalism and quality. This calls for both management and staff to take personal responsibility. We will support individual employee development opportunities by establishing a learning environment that promotes knowledge sharing, job development and forms of collaboration such as teams, networks and projects. Competency development on the job allows us to play a part in the lifelong learning of individual employees. By pursuing professional and personal development on the job employees receive and create the best opportunities possible for dealing with current and future tasks effectively and satisfactorily for themselves and for CBS. 3
By engineering and implementing competency development, our goal is to provide all employees with equal opportunities to participate in the development process, including those of making individual arrangements that take family circumstances into account. Annual staff development interviews between employees and management are an important tool for supporting professional competency as well as improving qualifications and other skills. Flexibility and balance Copenhagen Business School seeks to create a workplace with a satisfactory balance between work and private life for the benefit of both CBS and the individual employee. The way in which work is organised should respect the need employees have for flexibility and be adjusted accordingly while taking into account the work tasks involved. Employee wishes concerning working conditions change depending on what stage of life they are in and their personal ambitions, which is why we do our best to meet employee requests. We recognise an obligation to show special consideration to employees when they have an increased need for flexibility in order to balance their work and private lives. This is the case, for 4
instance during pregnancy, parental leave and for the parents of young children, as well as during a family crisis or long-term illness within the family. In these instances, working a reduced number of hours or occasionally working from home is possible. This is also the case if an employee becomes ill. In recognition of the fact that illness can strike anyone to a varying degree, we expect sickness absence to be a matter of mutual trust, concern and openness. We will also take into account employees whose social and health issues temporarily or permanently require special planning regarding the content of their work or the set up of their workplace in a particular way. Cooperation and management Copenhagen Business School seeks to have both a positive working environment where there is mutual respect and trust for each other and good workplace relationships with a pleasant, open atmosphere. Cooperation and good relations between employees and managers across departments and units contribute to the well-being of everyone. We seek to develop a workplace culture that motivates and engages employees in relation to their specific tasks, but also that causes them to think and act holistically and effectively. 5
We seek to create an internationally-oriented work environment in which diversity is valued and the equal treatment of all employees is ensured as well as characterised by diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration internally, regionally and globally. We will equip all employees with the skills to work in an international environment, including language skills. Copenhagen Business School seeks a management culture that creates results and allows the development of employee skills and commitment. We place emphasis on the responsibility management has toward staff members to generate the best possible opportunities for handling and prioritising current and future task efficiently, professionally and satisfactorily for the employee and for CBS. We will ensure the continued development of management skills in a broad sense and in this context we will work with forms of communication that invite the daily participation and coresponsibility of all employees. Another area that we work with on all levels on a continuing basis is organisational and management practices that equip management to lead and to work in dynamic environments, where the boundaries between tasks, competencies and responsibilities are constantly changing. 6
Health and well-being Copenhagen Business School continuously strives to be an attractive workplace and this especially means having employees who work and thrive in an environment that promotes trust, commitment and job satisfaction. The management of individual departments and units are responsible for: Creating working conditions that involve employees in an ongoing process of developing a healthy and safe physical working environment in cooperation with the health and safety committee at CBS. Being aware of employee well-being in relationship to the content and design of their work, its organisation, the technological conditions and interactions between employees. The management is to support individual employees or groups of employees if something goes wrong. Bullying and harassment can be a sign that the working environment is under pressure. Bullying and harassment is not tolerated. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. We carry out a risk assessment of the physical work environment and measure employee well-being and the psychosocial work environment. This is done in collaboration with the General Consultation Committee (HSU) and the health and safety 7
committee, which does planning and follows up on the physical and psychological working environment at CBS. Local action plans and subsequent evaluation are also designed and carried out. We help employees affected by a crisis, illness, substance abuse or a reduced ability to work. Additional information The Human Resource Policy has been developed in collaboration with the General Consultation Committee at CBS, 2012. Individual policies have also been developed for selected areas and additional General Consultation Committee guidelines on a number of areas are available on the CBS Intranet under HR. The Human Resource Policy applies to all staff employed at CBS. The Human Resource Policy does not describe the legal and contractual basis of CBS as a whole. Relevant employee information is available on the CBS Intranet, where you can find, for example the CBS Personnel Handbook. 8
Contact Please do not hesitate to contact HR Services if you have any questions. 9