Workplace in the office
Who should you contact to set up, move or adjust your workplace?
Design your physical workplace
Do you need extra or other furniture? For example an adjusted office chair, a desk which matches your wheelchair or do you need a braille display?
Don't hesitate to contact the Servicedesk of your building. This is also the case when your devices are broken.
What about facilities for working from home?
You are not allowed to take accessories and equipment home with you without asking. If you need furniture or IT equipment, discuss the options with your manager. Some organisation units can request furniture via the Service Portal. If this isn’t available yet for your organisation unit, ask your manager how to submit a request.
Who should you contact for hardware?
The the ICT Share Service Center (ISSC) can provide you with hardware, additional software and other ICT services. If you have your supervisor's approval for purchasing hardware, then make sure that you arrange the application via the helpdesk portal. For more information on what is available, see the ICT workplace.
Preventing physical symptoms
When at work, your chair and desk should be positioned correctly so as to prevent pain in your neck and back. If you want to make sure that your workplace is set correctly, or if you are suffering early symptoms, please make an appointment with your building’s health and safety coordinator. Please contact your service desk to make an apointment.
If you spend too much time at the computer, you can install Workrave pause software to prevent physical symptoms from developing. In some cases, you might benefit from using computer glasses. If you spend more than two hours per day at the computer, and you have trouble seeing the screen with regular glasses or lenses, you might need computer glasses. You may also be eligible for compensation.
How the climate control system works in the Gorlaeus Building
The indoor climate in the Gorlaeus Building is managed by an automated system that takes sustainability, comfort, and occupancy into account. Because the building is large and contains various types of rooms and systems, this text explains how the system works in practice.
Government guidelines
All (semi-)public buildings in the Netherlands are expected to maintain a standard heating temperature of 19°C. This does not mean the system will always heat up to exactly 19°C. Rooms may feel colder, especially if they have not been used for a while. Unoccupied spaces are minimally heated to save energy.
Occupancy determines the temperature
In offices, teaching rooms, and meeting rooms (excluding practical laboratories), the heating or cooling only activates when someone is present. If you are in the room and the temperature drops below the set level, the heating system will respond. You can adjust the temperature for heating between 16°C and 22°C. How this works exactly depends on which wing of the building you are in.
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In these wings, the system is triggered by the presence sensor connected to the lighting.
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If no sensor is present, the light switch determines whether the system turns on.
- Offices and smaller rooms: These rooms have a motion sensor in the ceiling. When it detects movement, the heating or cooling will switch on.
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Teaching and meeting rooms: In these spaces, you need to manually press the ‘house’ symbol on the control panel to indicate the room is in use.
Please note:
- This setting is automatically reset in the evening.
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If the room is unoccupied for more than 30 minutes, the system will also reset. Don’t forget to press the house symbol again when you return.
What can you adjust yourself?
Heating (winter):
- The default temperature is 19°C.
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You can adjust the temperature up to 22°C using the arrows on the control panel. For example, if it’s set to 20°C and you press +3, the system will not exceed 22°C.
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All settings are reset at the end of the day.
Cooling (summer):
- The standard cooling setting is 24°C.
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If you are present in the room, you can lower the temperature by up to 3 degrees (down to 21°C).
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On very warm or humid days, the cooling may be reduced to prevent moisture problems such as condensation or water dripping from the cooling ceiling.
Keep windows and doors closed
To ensure the climate control system works effectively, always keep windows and preferably doors closed. This helps the system function properly and prevents unnecessary energy use.
Questions?
If the system does not appear to be working properly, or if you have any questions, please contact the Service Desk at: servicedesk@science.leidenuniv.nl.