Protection of employee rights
- Constitutional Ombudsperson
- Contact persons
- Important questions and answers
- Methodological Guide for Supporting Social Security at the MBÚ
1) Constitutional Ombudsperson
(Protector of the rights and interests of employees of the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)
The Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i., with its registered office at Vídeňská 1083, 142 00 Prague 4 (hereinafter referred to as the “MBÚ”), has established the position of Ombudsperson. Its aim is to provide employees with trustworthy and independent support in situations that may disrupt the culture of behavior in the workplace, threaten the sense of security or interfere with personal dignity.
The main role of the Ombudsperson is to mediate solutions to situations that may negatively affect working relationships or the atmosphere in the workplace. It is not her responsibility to evaluate the behavior of individuals or make decisions on the merits. Her mission is to seek an acceptable and fair solution for all parties involved.
The Ombudsperson is completely independent of the management of the Institute and is bound by a duty of confidentiality in the performance of her activities. All suggestions are handled with maximum discretion and consideration for the sensitivity of the situation.
When can I contact the Ombudsperson?
You can file a complaint in cases of suspected inappropriate behavior in the workplace, especially if it involves:
- unequal treatment,
- violence,
- bullying,
- harassment,
- coercion,
- intimidation,
- hateful or defamatory speech,
- other behavior that may be perceived as an infringement on dignity.
Since the perception of these situations can be subjective, it is possible to contact the Ombudsperson even in case of doubt. Filing a complaint does not oblige you to take further steps – the first meeting may be a non-binding conversation, which may or may not lead to a subsequent solution.
How to file a complaint?
A complaint can be filed in writing, orally, or in person using the contacts listed below.
Contact
- Ombudsperson: Mgr. Radoslava Kartnerová, LL.M.
- Email:
- In person: By prior arrangement. The meeting can also be held outside the premises of the MBU to ensure anonymity.
- By mail: Microbiology Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i., Vídeňská 1083, 142 00 Prague 4
- With the mark “In the hands of the Ombudsperson”
2) Contact persons
First point of contact, support and advice
The position of contact persons is being introduced as a key part of the Mechanism for the Prevention and Resolution of Inappropriate Behaviour with the aim of ensuring accessible, sensitive and effective support for people who find themselves in difficult situations.
These trained persons from among the employees of the MBÚ serve as guides and basic support, but not as an investigative or decision-making body, which guarantees their independent and supportive approach.
The advantage of the position of contact persons is low barrier, it can be assumed that employees will turn to people who are hierarchically close to them with questions or requests for support of an informative nature.
Contact persons provide emotional and informational support, provide information on possible solutions to the situation and refer to external organizations if necessary.
The function of contact persons is subject to clearly defined competencies and ethical principles. The emphasis is on empathy, reliability and trustworthiness. This is a voluntary function, and employees can apply for it.
In order to fulfill their tasks responsibly, contact persons had to complete specialized training focused on sensitivity to the topics of sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and effective communication.
The introduction of this role strengthens confidence in the institution’s ability to respond effectively to the issue of inappropriate behavior and supports a safe environment for all members of the MBÚ.
Areas of contact persons:
- Advice within the framework of social security
- Acceptance of informal sharing of unpleasant experiences
- Ensuring the MBU’s awareness of social security
- Proposing changes
List and contacts of contact persons:
Ing. Gabriela Altmanová
Michal Bureš
Mgr. Karolína Buriánková, Ph.D.
RNDr. Ondřej Černý, Ph.D.
Kateřina Klimšová
RNDr. Markéta Koběrská, Ph.D.
genetické manipulace
Mgr. Petr Kohout, Ph.D.
Mgr. Zdeněk Kukačka, Ph.D.
Šárka Maisnerová
Mgr. Eliška Růžičková
Mgr. Petr Solil, DiS.
Mgr. Martin Schwarzer, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Kateřina Valentová, Ph.D.
RNDr. Petra Weberová, Ph.D.
3) Important questions and answers
-
- No one may be sanctioned for their complaint or initiative
- When investigating, the Ombudsperson proceeds discreetly, sensitively, with respect for the rights and personalities of the persons concerned
- The Ombudsperson maintains confidentiality about all facts that she learns in connection with the performance of her duties.
- The Ombudsperson is independent of other bodies of the faculty, and does not accept any instructions from anyone.
- When resolving a specific complaint or initiative, the Ombudsperson proceeds impartially and objectively.
- The Ombudsperson proceeds transparently, and each whistleblower is informed about the procedure for resolving their complaint or initiative.
Any of the scientific, technical, administrative workers or other employees of the MBÚ AS CR.
The Ombudsperson primarily (but not exclusively) addresses problematic situations related to sexual harassment, discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, etc., abuse of power, inappropriate communication, mobbing and bossing, bullying, different, unjustified and unequal claims on students, academic staff and other employees of the MBÚ, but also addresses inaction of persons or bodies.
Do not hesitate to contact the Ombudsperson if you are solving a problem related to your work at the MBÚ, are afraid to solve it with an authorized body for various reasons, or do not know how to proceed. The advice is confidential, the assistance is discreet.
In areas that primarily fall within the competence of other institutional bodies or departments of the institute. This does not apply, of course, if the Ombudsperson deals with inappropriate actions or inaction of specific individuals in this context or participates in systemic changes.
For example, the Ombudsperson does not answer questions regarding scientific activities, cannot change the outcome of a decision to terminate employment, does not influence the distribution of funds, but can act if you feel discriminated against in these situations.
However, do not be afraid to contact the Ombudsperson with any question or request for assistance. If the matter does not fall within her competence, she will help find another way, refer you to the authorized body, forward your suggestion or complaint. But she will always act with your knowledge and consent.
No. You can make an appointment with the Ombudsperson, discuss the matter, and then decide whether you want to formally file a complaint. The Ombudsperson does not initiate an investigation until she has the consent of the person who contacted her with the problem.
4) Methodological Guide for Supporting Social Security at the MBÚ
The methodological guide was created based on the cooperation of the Working Group consisting of representatives of the MBÚ, headed by the current Deputy Director for Economics Martina Vančurová (hereinafter referred to as the “Working Group”) and representatives of the organization Konsent, z.s.
The cooperation itself consisted of an assessment of the current state of social security at the MBÚ, an analysis of documents related to social security and three brainstorming meetings, during which the Working Group, led by lecturers, addressed the following topics:
- Formulation of communication, problem-solving and environmental cultivation procedures and rules
- Setting up a process for reporting problematic behavior
- Implementing and defining a person who will be responsible for resolving any problematic behavior of employees or students and defining the process for selecting such a person
- Defining additional roles in preventing or resolving sexual harassment and bullying
- Options for preventing inappropriate behavior
- Updating the Code of Conduct
Objective of the methodological guide: Prevention and resolution of undesirable behavior (e.g. sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination and gender-based violence) in the academic environment, specifically at the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
The methodological guide for supporting social safety at the MBU can be downloaded below (in CZ):