Personnel affairs
If you’re experiencing a problem at work, you may want support in resolving it. Perhaps you feel that your manager is never satisfied with your work, or you’re unhappy with certain decisions. The confidential advisor for personnel affairs can help you find a solution.
Marije Bedaux
Confidential counsellor for personnel affairs
‘You may feel like you can never meet your manager’s expectations – as if they’re always changing. Or there may be an imbalance in the power dynamic. There’s two sides to every story, so I’ll work with you to understand exactly what’s going on.’
Bedaux works as a career coach for students at the Leiden Law School’s Career Service. She has completed several training courses, including a mediation course.
Contact Marije Bedaux by email.
Nadia Garnefski
Confidential counsellor for personnel affairs
’As a confidential advisor, I’m here to listen and help you move forward by exploring possible solutions together. Don’t wait too long to reach out – sometimes the first step is easier than you think.’
Garnefski is a healthcare psychologist (GZ-psycholoog) and a senior lecturer in the Clinical Psychology department at the Institute of Psychology. Her research includes developing e-health programmes for adults and young people dealing with depression.
Contact Nadia Garnefski by email.
The confidential counsellor will help you resolve the problem you are experiencing at work. All your meetings are confidential and the confidential counsellor will not take any action without receiving your explicit consent.
Raise the problem
Try raising the problem with your manager or HR adviser. If you are unable to resolve it – or your manager is part of the problem – you can discuss it with the confidential adviser for personnel affairs. The university has two confidential counsellors for personnel affairs who can help with:
- Communication or other problems with your manager and/or colleagues.
- Changes at work or within the organisation – whether or not due to a reorganisation – that you feel have had unfair or unjust consequences for you.
- Concerns about misconduct in your immediate work environment that you don’t feel comfortable addressing openly.
If a different confidential advisor has the specific expertise you need, they can refer you to them.
More information
For more information about confidentiality, how the confidential counsellors can help and the options for appeal, see the confidential counsellors page.
When to appeal?
The counseloor is the right person to consult on, or to report to, all kinds of sensitive work-related issues, which staff members cannot openly discuss with their direct supervisor or institute’s board. Or in case the actions already taken for resolving the problems have failed to achieve the desired results.
Which kind of complaints can the adviser deal with?
The complaints and points of dissatisfaction should primarily be work-related. For example, conflicts with a supervisor about work load or future perspective, suspicions of discrimination, plagiarism, sexual harassment, feelings of intimidation, hostility, neglect and disrespect. In addition, issues which apply to PhD candidates such as excessive pressure on publishing or lecturing, dissatisfaction with the quality of the supervision, meeting’s frequency with (daily) supervisor, feedback’s quality and delay and work conditions in general.
What does confidentiality mean?
It is important to emphasize that due to the sensitive character of the consultations the counsellor is obliged to act with the utmost prudence. Confidentiality means that the identity of the staff members and their specific complaints will not be revealed to anyone and that no action will be undertaken without their direct request and full consent as well.
Contact
You can make an appointment by sending an e-mail to Dr. Henk Tromp.