Working from home
If your work allows it, you can work partly from home and partly at the University. How this combination of working from home and at the University will turn out for you depends on your own working activities and situation and those of your team. This means that tailor-made solutions are needed.
Please note: alternative agreements may apply for your part of the organisation. Select your unit from the drop-down menu at the top of this page to retrieve information (if available) from your organisational unit.
Discuss with your supervisor
Working from home is not a legal right, and not all positions are suitable for working from home. If you want to work from home, you should discuss with your supervisor your preferences and the possibilities available. You will make clear agreements with him or her about the facilities, the division between working at home and in the office and how teamwork will be organised.
Conditions
Staff who are able to work on a structural basis at least one day a week:
- Have a position where their work allows them to work from home
- Spend at least 40% of their working hours in the office
Home-working allowance
The Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) finalised on 1 August includes agreements on hybrid working after the coronavirus pandemic. One element of this CAO is an allowance for working from home, which came into effect on 1 September 2021. This consists of three components:
- €2 for every day spent working from home;
- €25 a month as an internet allowance;
- Travel allowance in accordance with the university regulations.
To find out if you are eligible for a home-working allowance and how to arrange to receive it, see Home-working allowance.
Additional agreements Leiden Law School
Leiden Law School has made a number of additional agreements in relation to hybrid working and requests for facilities to work from home.
Hybrid working
This academic year 2022 we find ourselves in a transition phase where we will gain experience in hybrid working. Laptops will be issued in stages and desktops will be replaced with laptop workstations.
- From 1 January 2022 you could receive a home working and commuting allowance on the basis of your travel schedule in the Service Portal. Read here how you can apply
- Laptop: the faculty will provide a 15.6 inch laptop as standard. The ISSC does have other laptops in its range. The purchase of these laptops is possible, though any additional cost will be paid for by the institute.
- The laptop is managed or semi-managed. Installation of software programs is done in the same way as the desktop. If you request this, your own programs can be installed (after a security check).
- All workstations at the faculty will be equipped with a docking station and two monitors as standard. Exceptions to this are workstations for functions that require a fixed desktop or for employees who do not want a laptop.
- Secretarial staff, study advisers and members of the crisis team can apply for a mobile phone. A decision will be taken in 2022 about the faculty standard for all staff. Currently the purchase of a mobile phone (standard mobile phones of the ISSC are Samsung Galaxy A52 4G DS 128 GB EE (Dual SIM, zwart) en Apple iPhone SE-220 new generation) is possible on the institute’s account.
Facilities for working from home
The University will supply as standard a – refurbished or secondhand – desk and office chair. The faculty has made additional agreements about requests for ICT equipment.
- You can apply for office furniture via the Service Portal. Upon termination of employment, these can be handed in again or taken over.
- Apply for ICT facilities such as a laptop and monitors via beheer-ICT@law.leidenuniv.nl.
- A separate stand-alone keyboard and mouse are provided as standard ( a monitor and replicator at request). If a second monitor is desired this can be purchased on the institute’s account. In view of sustainability, a printer is not provided for home use.
More information on Leiden Law School’s guidelines is provided in the Quick Reference Card below.
Do you still have questions about these principles, your workplace at the faculty or working with the laptop? In the FAQ below you can read the answers to frequently asked questions.
Faculty workstation
What will my (laptop)workstation look like?
All workstations at the Faculty will have a height-adjustable desk and an office chair that meets occupational health and safety requirements. The desktop workstations will be replaced in stages with laptop workstations. This workstation will have two screens – with a built-in docking station to connect your laptop – a separate keyboard and mouse, and a fixed-line telephone.
Can I also work at a laptop workstation using my own laptop?
Yes. If your own laptop has a USB-3 or USB-C port it can be connected to the laptop workstation.
Can I accesss my J and P drive while working at a laptop workstation?
Yes, this is possible with all managed and semi-managed laptops of ISSC connected with the University network (NUWD-laptop). From home you will have to connect with EduVPN to have access to the J and P drives. Read: Make a secure connection to the university network with the new version of eduVPN
I want to keep my desktop workstation. Is that possible?
To be able to facilitate flexible work on location as well as from home, the ISSC is assuming that eventually all staff will have a laptop. Would you prefer to work at a desktop workstation – for instance because of your job – always at one fixed place? Please let your Institute Coordinator know.
Can I use the laptop workstation for digital meetings?
Yes. All laptops have a built-in camera. This means in principle you can meet anywhere as long as there is an internet connection.
Can I print directly to LU card printers from a laptop workstation?
Yes, if your laptop is connected to the University network, you can print in the same way as printing from a desktop. Read Copying and printing
To what network is the laptop workstation connected?
When you take your laptop to the Faculty, there are various ways to connect to the network:
- Via Wi-Fi: In a University building, a laptop from the Faculty will automatically make contact with a Wi-Fi network that provides access to the virtual disks as would occur when using a fixed desktop. Therefore you don’t have to use Remote Workspace/Citrix.
- Via the fixed network (directly with a network cable of via a port replicator): The ISSC is still working on this option. Information will be provided by ISSC when this option is available.
Will the Wi-Fi signal be strengthened now that there will be more laptops in use?
The Wi-Fi network is a priority of the ISSC but improvements will take some time (no planning is available yet). An inventory of the Wi-Fi coverage has been conducted at the KOG and Old Observatory buildings. Besides coverage, the capacity of the access points will be considered. It is possible that these will have to be supplemented or upgraded. The ISSC is busy solving these issues and is also paying attention to security. An alternative that is being considered for safe connections for laptops is the fixed network via a network cable or port replicators. Laptops would then not need to use Wi-Fi.
Where do I leave my laptop at the end of the day?
To work flexibly it is important to always have your laptop with you. So you should take your laptop home with you at the end of the day. If you then want to work the next day from home, you won’t have to use your own personal laptop.
When will the laptop workstations be available?
The laptop workstations will be set up in stages. We are working hard to replace the old desktop workstations with laptop workstations. Ask your Institute Coordinator for an update and to find out which workstations will be replaced.
Guiding principles: Working from home and issuing of laptops
What does the University policy on working from home entail?
The policy on working from home is as follows: In coordination with the team leader, anyone with an appointment (or accumulated contracts) of 0.5 FTE or more, who has a position in which it is possible to work from home, can work at home at least one day a week. To emphasise the importance of team bonding, a minimum of 40% of the appointment or two days working at the faculty is required.
Where can I apply for facilities to work from home?
- You can apply for office furniture via the Service Portal. Upon termination of employment, these can be handed in again or taken over.
- Apply for ICT facilities such as a laptop and monitors via beheer-ICT@law.leidenuniv.nl.
Can I also apply for a smartphone from the University?
Only secretarial staff, members of the crisis team and study advisers are eligible for a smartphone from the University. A smartphone (standard smartphones are: Samsung Galaxy A52 4G DS 128 GB EE Dual SIM, black and Apple iPhone SE 64GB 2020, black) for other staff members can be purchased for them by the relevant Institute.
Can smartphones be supplied with a dual SIM?
Yes. The ISSC’s standard phones (Samsung Galaxy A52 4G DS 128 GB EE Dual SIM, black and Apple iPhone SE 64GB 2020, black) support 2 numbers. The Samsung has space for 1x Micro SD, 2x nano SIM card. The Apple has 1 space for a normal nano SIM card and the option for an E-SIM (electronic SIM card). Indicate on your application if you want a dual SIM.
Can I keep the laptop I currently have on loan or do I have to hand it in again?
The laptop you have ‘on loan’ will become the laptop to use for work (managed by ISSC). This laptop will have to be turned in when the appointment is terminated.
Are the laptops registered by name? And how is this registered?
Yes, after application the laptop will automatically be registered in your name. It remains in your property until termination of the appointment. Then, you will have to hand in the laptop again.
Working with the laptop
What type of laptop can I apply for?
We issue a standard 15.6 inch laptop. Would you rather have a different laptop? The ISSC has other laptops in its assortment. Any extra cost for a different laptop will be charged to the relevant Institute.
I use a lot of special software. Can the standard model work with this?
Yes, in principle the standard laptop model can work with all software.
Do I have to apply again for special software when I get a laptop?
Yes, special software has to be applied for again when you get a new desktop or laptop. Unfortunately, it is not possible to organise this differently. Software can be applied for to use on the laptop if the staff member is no longer working on a desktop. So it is not possible for someone to have 2 licences.
How can I access the J drive and software programs (like Atlas.ti and SPSS) via my laptop?
When you are connected to the University network, you have direct access to all your virtual disks and software programs (network:NUWD laptop). EduVPN is now available for all staff to work from home. Once this is installed on the (managed) laptop from the Faculty, the virtual disks P, J etc. will be immediately accessible (without using Remote Workspace/Citrix).
Can I keep or buy my laptop if I am no longer employed by the University or the laptop has depreciated in value?
No, unfortunately it is not possible to take over University laptops. This has to do with various security, software and tax aspects.
If you have any questions about the above, please contact your institute coordinator.