Staff assistance
The interests and affairs of employees at the University of Potsdam are represented and handled by various bodies. Below you will find information about the work of the Division of Human Resources and Legal Affairs, the staff representatives, the equal opportunity officer, and the representative for the severely disabled.
Staff administration
Services and administrative tasks related to the employment of personnel at the University of Potsdam are handled by the Division of Human Resources and Legal Affairs (Division 3). The division’s main tasks center around providing optimal personnel support and administration by dealing with employees in a competent and customer-oriented manner.
The range of services includes, among other things, assistance with job advertisements, support and advice on personnel selection procedures, group allocation in accordance with performance and collective bargaining law, contract design, secondary employment law, organization and accounting of business trips, company ticket, training and further education of employees, and measures in the event of termination of employment relationships.
The Division of Human Resources and Legal Affairs is also the point of contact for questions regarding the provision of workplaces suitable for the disabled or the acquisition of financial benefits for the employment of severely disabled employees or employees with equal status.
Professors and third-party funded project managers should contact their respective dean's office directly regarding the hiring of new staff and any necessary corresponding advertisements. Once funding has been clarified, the following procedure applies:
- Requests for hiring or changes in externally funded personnel should be submitted to Division 3 using the appropriate form via the faculty administration (usually administrative managers).
- Use the appropriate form to submit requests for hiring or changes in budget-funded personnel to Division 3 via the Dean.
You can find further information and forms, e.g. for applying for leave, business trips or hiring personnel, in the overview of forms on the Intranet
Staff representation
According to the Staff Representation Act of the State of Brandenburg, Staff Councils must also be formed at the state’s universities. In order to do justice to the interests of the different employee groups, several Staff Councils exist at the university (see below). The goal of all Staff Councils should be to work closely with the department (the university management) for the benefit of the employees, so that official duties are performed in compliance with laws, ordinances, and the collective bargaining agreement. At the same time, the Staff Council is to help enforce the rights of the employee in his or her working life in the event of conflict. To this end, the Staff Council has various rights under the Staff Representation Act (information, participation and co-determination rights). As a rule, a Staff Council is elected for a period of 4 years. All members of the Staff Council are bound to secrecy.
The Staff Councils at the University of Potsdam are divided as follows:
General Staff Council
The General Staff Council represents the interests of all employees of the University of Potsdam (with the exception of the employee groups listed in Section 90 (1) of the Staff Representation Act), especially in overarching social, organizational, and other internal matters. It is intended to coordinate the work of several local staff councils that are formed in one department and are under the control of a common department management. An important principle of our work, and at the same time a legal mandate, is cooperation based on trust and the exercise of participation rights in accordance with the Staff Representation Act. Important areas of activity are the conclusion of service agreements, occupational health and safety for employees, and the introduction of new IT processes and data protection.
Homepage of the General Staff Council
Staff Council for Employees in Technology and Administration
The Staff Council for Employees in Technology and Administration (PR MTV) is the elected liaison between university management and employees from technology and administration at the University of Potsdam. The PR MTV represents the specific interests of this group of employees and exercises the corresponding rights to co-determination and participation according to the State Staff Representation Act (Sections 63 - 68 of the PersVG-BB). In addition, the PR MTV is available to colleagues as an advisory contact.
Homepage of the Staff Council for Employees in Technology and Administration
Staff Council for Academic and Artistic Staff including Graduate Assistants and Research Assistants
The Staff Council for Academic and Artistic Staff (WiMiPR) represents the academic staff (excluding professors, junior professors and lecturers, but also the SHK and WHK). In this context, a special feature should be pointed out immediately: While employees in the technical area are automatically represented in all matters by their staff council, the Brandenburg Staff Representation Act does not provide for this for academic staff. Comprehensive representation is only possible if the employee legitimizes the staff council for this purpose. The form can be found on the website of the Staff Council for Academic and Artistic Staff. Consultation by the WiMiPR is possible informally at any time. This also applies to applicants who would like to ask the staff council questions before signing an employment contract at the University of Potsdam.
Homepage of the Staff Council for Academic and Artistic Staff
The Youth and Intern Representative (JAV)
The Youth and Intern Representative (JAV) represents interns and young employees at the University of Potsdam. The JAV ensures compliance with the law and collective agreements. Therefore, the members of the JAV are the contact persons for all questions regarding the organization of qualified training, the working conditions for young people and interns, and the employment of interns.
Equal Opportunity Commissioner
The central Equal Opportunity Commissioner and her (decentralized) deputies support the university in accordance with Sections 7 and 68 of the Brandenburg Higher Education Act in promoting equality and implementing gender diversity. She advises university members on issues relevant to gender equality and works towards the elimination of existing disadvantages, in particular on the basis of gender discrimination.
Representative Body for Disabled Employees
The Representative Body for Disabled Employees is committed to supporting employees with disabilities. Their main focus is on the inclusion of severely disabled people.
Information regarding the Representative Body for Disabled Employees at the UP