Saco-S comments on the decision by the university management regarding the Coronavirus

In connection with the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, the university management has made a number of decisions that affect all employees at the university. Saco-S is very positive about the management's actions during this crisis and would like to encourage all members to follow the employer's referrals and decisions. However, there are two things I want to make you aware of:

1. The university is now adjusting its teaching to what the management calls "distance mode", which means that from now on the teaching should be conducted at a distance. Switching courses to distance courses can generate a lot of extra work that in some way the employer must be prepared to reimburse. Sure, we have a very special situation, but that does not mean that labor law regulations no longer apply. Our contact association SULF writes on its website:

https://sulf.se/fragor-och-svar/#coronaviruset the following lines:

What applies if, as a teacher, I am forced to do more work because of the fact that teaching must be done remotely or because colleagues become ill?

The employer can impose such work on you, but you should ensure that it is properly documented in this case, for example by updating your annual work plan and that it is then clearly stated that you are obliged to work in addition to the plan that existed before. Since teachers have annual working plans, working hours can be reallocated during the year. If, since the end of the year, it turns out that you have been ordered to work in addition to regular annual working hours, you are entitled to overtime or overtime compensation, depending on whether you work full-time or part-time.

Saco-S at LiU completely shares this view. So, we urge both employers and employees to document the extra work that will now take place to later align with the annual working hours.

2. The employer decided among other things that

• Managers are tasked with ensuring that all employees who can work at home do so. Distance work must be approved by the nearest manager.

This decision can be perceived as incompatible with our local teachers' working time agreement, which is, after all, an agreement based on the central Terms- and Condition  Agreements that stipulate annual working hours and, moreover, give the teacher a substantial freedom to shape her/his working hours and of course teachers have usually no daily duty to notify the employer about their whereabouts. However, Saco-S at LiU believes that during these extraordinary circumstances there are good reasons to follow the employer's decision, but we intend to discuss this with the employer more extensively when the crisis is over.

Now we should all focus on our duties so that the university can still function but at the lowest possible health risks! And, of course, the situation can change quickly, but at the time of writing (shortly after the government's press conference at 9:45 am today, Tuesday, March 17), it looks like our university is still allowed to work - though at a distance - at least for a while.

Best regards

Krzysztof Marciniak
chairman Saco-S/LiU