University of Iceland Family Policy

Strategy for balancing work and family life

The University of Iceland is a family friendly workplace. We want to promote a good work-life balance for employees, no matter what their family circumstances, and support them in fulfilling their family responsibilities alongside challenging jobs. To this end, the University of Iceland has set itself the following objectives and measures in order to implement this vision.

Objective 1 - Balance between work and family responsibilities

Create the conditions employees need to achieve a balance between work and family responsibilities and enable them to reconcile employment duties and duties to their families.

Measure 1.1

The University of Iceland strives to organise work and the distribution of human resources so that employees are able to complete tasks with a reasonable workload and temporary replacements are ensured when employees are on leave.

Responsibility: Managers within organisational units and the Division of Human Resources.
End date: Ongoing. Included in manager training.

Measure 1.2

An investigation will be carried out into the advantages and disadvantages of moving the first teaching period of the day at the University of Iceland to a later time.

Responsibility: Division of Academic Affairs and Division of Operations and Resources
End date: Autumn semester 2019

Measure 1.3

Efforts will be made to ensure that University operations (e.g. meetings, teaching timetables and examinations) are generally not organised to take place after 4 pm, in consideration of employees' need to balance work and family responsibilities.

Responsibility: Rector, Division of Academic Affairs and Division of Human Resources.
End date: Spring semester 2019 / ongoing.

Measure 1.4

The University of Iceland will take the winter break for primary schools in the Reykjavík area into account when organising the University calendar to ensure that major events do not coincide with the break. Employees' primary school children are also invited to organised day programmes in some of the primary school breaks during the spring and autumn semesters, e.g. in collaboration with the Science Centre.

Responsibility: Division of Human Resources and Division of Marketing and Public Relations.
End date: Ongoing. 1 x per semester.

Measure 1.5

Manager training will emphasise the key role managers play in creating a family friendly work culture.

Responsibility: Division of Human Resources.
End date: Autumn semester 2019.

Objective 2 - Flexible working hours

Give employees the option of flexibility with working hours and work duties, to allow for family responsibilities.

Measure 2.1

Employees shall be given the option of flexibility with working hours and work duties, to allow for family responsibilities. Particular attention will be given to finding flexibility for employees in jobs that require them to be physically present for all working hours. This will be achieved, for example, by reviewing employment duties and exploring the possibility of changing working hours.

Responsibility: Division of Human Resources and managers.
End date: Ongoing.

Measure 2.2

Academic staff who have taken at least 3 months of parental leave have the option of a reduced teaching load when they return to work.
The reduction is a minimum of 25% of the employee's annual teaching load and a maximum of 50% of the annual teaching load if the employee has taken 6 or more months of parental leave.

Responsibility: School deans.
End date: Ongoing.

Measure 2.3

Staff are encouraged to send and respond to emails only during standard working hours, unless there is a specific and urgent need.

Responsibility: Rector and Division of Academic Affairs.
End date: Spring semester 2019. Ongoing.

Objective 3 - Family responsibilities

Recognise the responsibilities that employees have towards relatives who require care and support, for example due to illness and/or old age.

Measure 3.1

It will be permissible to allow staff flexibility to enable them to attend to relatives who require care and support, for example due to illness or old age.
We propose that specific consideration be given to whether such rights should be included in collective wage agreements, i.e. rights comparable to those that employees have regarding ill children.

Responsibility: Salaries Consultation Committee and Division of Human Resources.
End date: Autumn semester 2019.

Objective 4 - Strengthening connections

Strengthening connections with employees' families.

Measure 4.1

The University of Iceland will organise events for employees' children or grandchildren which will spark their curiosity and interest in their parents' or grandparents' work, the operations of the University and scientific research. For example, 'Bring your children to work', the University of Iceland family day, and family trips organised in collaboration with various parties.

Responsibility: Division of Human Resources, Division of Marketing and Public Relations, school human resources managers and school PR and events managers.
End date: Spring semester 2020 / ongoing.

Measure 4.2

When organising social events at the University, it will always be assumed that employees' partners are welcome to attend.

Responsibility: Rector, Division of Human Resources and schools.
End date: Ongoing.