Vitality and sustainable deployment
UMC Utrecht strives to be a healthy and good place to work. A workplace where not only the health of the patient but also that of our colleagues is central. It is therefore important to create a vibrant and resilient working environment. To achieve this, managers and employees must have control over vitality, the prevention of absenteeism, and support during absenteeism. They are seconded in this by experts and advisers, and extensive support is available. In this way, together, we facilitate a healthy, safe workplace for everyone. An key concern in 2021 was to give colleagues support with regard to psychosocial pressure, which was particularly high due to the COVID pandemic.
Psychosocial support
In our ongoing ‘Work in Balance’ program, we offer all colleagues the possibility to get psychosocial support through 1-on-1 conversations with inhouse counselors. This offer was also available in 2021. In total, over 250 colleagues made use of it in 2021, and our inhouse counselors conducted about 1,000 conversations. Via our ongoing vitality program Energiek@UMC <, we introduced VRelax virtual-reality spectacles in eight divisions and directorates. This positive diversion helps colleagues to relax, reduce stress, and prevent burnout. VRelax was received positively, and our aim is to provide these spectacles in more divisions.
For the approximately 500 colleagues who were directly involved in COVID-19 care in particular, we organized the “Lucht je hart’ (‘cheer up’) project in 2021, where coaches were available to provide psychosocial support during transfer moments at the beginning and end of shifts. These coaches were also available for individual and team conversations. Reactions to this approachable support have been positive. We also organized after-care get-togethers for these colleagues, to give all of them personal attention, recognition and appreciation for their boundless dedication. 360 colleagues made use of this.
This positive diversion helps colleagues to relax, reduce stress, and prevent burnout. VRelax was received positively, and our aim is to provide these spectacles in more divisions.
Lastly, in 2021, in the scope of Energiek@UMC, we introduced a new program on building resilience. With this, be help colleagues to deal with psychosocial stress by strengthening their vitality (mental and physical health), resilience, and feeling of connectedness.. More than 800 employees and managers made use for instance of webinars on resilience, workshops by vitality experts, and/or digital yoga classes.
Sick leave
Despite our actions to boost vitality and prevent absenteeism, sick-leave figures were high in 2021. The average percentage of sick leave was 5.57% compared to 5.32% in 2020. However, there were significant differences between divisions at UMC Utrecht. At IC, where mainly nurses work, sick leave in 2021 for example was more than 12%. In December 2021, this percentage rose to almost 15%. The overall average percentage at UMC Utrecht is lower than the average absenteeism percentage in health- and social care (6.8% average in 2021, source CBS ). We can confidently assume that absenteeism rose due to COVID-19. Both because of virus infections, and indirectly because of the additional psychosocial pressure that colleagues experienced as a result of it.
Relocation
It is important for us that everyone at UMC Utrecht should be in the right place. In 2021, we went through a relocation process with 132 colleagues. Of these, 61 found another job at UMC Utrecht, and 25 found a job elsewhere. In total, 27 were integrated in WW and 19 in WIA.