Developments for our colleagues
2022 saw a number of significant developments for our colleagues, namely:
UMC CLA 2022-2023
The 2022-2023 UMC CLA became effective on January 1, 2022. This CLA brought improvements for all UMC employees in terms of remuneration, vitality, generation policy, schooling, and professional growth.
It was also agreed in the CLA that the CLA partners would coordinate with each other in 2022 regarding wage increases for all employees before 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2022, NFU and labor unions met repeatedly to negotiate about this. At the end of 2022 an agreement on wage increases was reached, namely that all employees would get a 6% pay rise on January 1, 2023, and 4% in November 2023. These salary increases are positive for our people, but will also bring considerable financial challenges for our organization in the coming years.
UMC Utrecht Helpline ‘Together through the winter’
In October 2022, UMC Utrecht and the Staff Provident Fund together set up a Helpline for all colleagues who are in danger of encountering financial problems due to high inflation and energy costs. Via the UMC Utrecht Helpline, colleagues were able to ask questions, share their concerns, ask for help and advice, and receive financial support. The helpline was a temporary initiative, but even after the winter, colleagues can continue to call on the Staff Provident Fund for support with medical, psychological, social and financial problems. In 2022, 44 colleagues were in touch with the helpline and received help.
Hybrid working
In 2022, 78% of all colleagues at UMC Utrecht worked (partially) from home. In 2021 we decided to switch to ‘hybrid working’. Hereby we stimulate connection between colleagues, regardless of the time and place, whereby we connect worlds. Most of these colleagues who do ‘hybrid’ working have an office or research job.
To connect hybrid-working colleagues with each other in an optimal way, we supported them in 2022 in terms of ‘bricks, bytes and behavior’. We ensured that the office (‘bricks’) was an inspiring place to get together, that stimulates knowledge-sharing and cooperation. In our strategic development outlook for accommodation we ensured that office spaces are laid out in such a way that they can be used efficiently, flexibly, and geared towards activity. And, to make sure that colleagues can work effectively from home, besides the necessary hard- and software (‘bytes’), we also offered training on how to use it smartly. As for how we work (together) (‘behavior’), we established frameworks in which we work autonomously. And via interactive workshops we help teams with how to make good work agreements and work together optimally in a hybrid way. 41 teams followed the workshop In 2022. Hybrid working contributes to creating a good place to work, and to achieving our goal of creating the healthcare of tomorrow.
Future-proof nursing
At UMC Utrecht we invest in the development of the nursing profession with the program ‘Future-proof Nursing ’. This is done for, by, and with our nurses. Through the program, we are ensuring that the composition of our nursing teams - with more time and space for research, development, innovation and education - will match the future demand for care. In addition to strengthening the nursing profession, we also want to strengthen nursing leadership, by improving the positioning and say of our nurses. This means that nursing knowledge and opinion is included for example in major programs, such as the Healthcare of Tomorrow , innovations and decision-making at many levels in the hospital.
In 2022 we translated the national job profiles for directional nurses and combination positions from NFU into job descriptions for UMC Utrecht, and developed corresponding development programs for these positions. We also organized for instance a UMC Utrecht-wide traineeship program for nurses, with nine nurses starting in September 2022. We also held meetings for new nurses to support them on issues they encounter as novices and to remove potential obstacles. 25 nurses took part in this.
In addition, we started an Innovation Lab in 2022. Colleagues work here on innovative solutions for small and larger practical challenges that nurses face every day. In one of our divisions we also set up an ‘academic workplace’ where colleagues do scientific research on nursing issues.
