• The 2026 staff meeting will take place on November 11, 2026 (July 14, 2026)
• The staff meeting will take place on 13.11.2024 (26.10.2024)
• The staff meeting will take place on 21/02/2024 (01/02/2024)
• The election of the new Staff Council will take place on Tuesday, 27 February 2024 (01.01.2024)
• Time Out - 30 minutes for work & health (short telephone events) (29.03.23)
• Staff Council Newsletter (new page)
• Summer heat in the office (22/07/2022)
• Training leave generally also possible online or hybrid (30/06/2022)
• Service agreement on the electronic time recording system (20/06/2022)
• Service agreement on the principles of the introduction and use of hardware and software (20/06/2022)
• Service agreement for employees of the online degree programmes of FB T (20.06.2022)
• Service agreement on working time regulations (27.04.2022)
• Service agreement on teleworking and mobile work (27.04.22)
• New JAV elected (15/03/2022)
• Survey ‘Working environment monitor: Working in the corona crisis’ until 15.3.22 (14.02.22)
• Request for participation in important petition on barrier-free participation by 8.3.22 (14.02.22)
• Negotiation result of the 2021 collective bargaining round (new page)
• DB Job Ticket for state employees (26.11.21)
• Staff meeting on 23.11.21
• NEW service agreement Mobile Working in the winter semester 2021/22 concluded on 14.9.21.
• 81 agreement on tele- and mobile working
• All service agreements (new page)
• Appeal for a moratorium on university cuts...
• Open letter on university funding and reply from the Minister
• Pe

Short telephone events for all interested parties from the state administration 
New! Please dial the following telephone number: 069 667781672 and enter the following conference code: 925 700 023#

In this telephone format, all interested parties from the state administration of Lower Saxony will be given condensed specialist information on all aspects of work and health in just 30 minutes, as well as the opportunity to ask questions. No registration is required, you can simply dial in. The waiting room is open from 12.30 pm. Please dial in before 13:00 in order to be able to respond to technical challenges.

Mon 24 April 2023 - 13:00 hrs
Reintegration according to the Hamburg Model - How to successfully return to work?
Dr Gero Koch

Tue 16 May 2023 - 13:00 hrs
There are no stupid questions - Why psychological safety makes teams more successful
Karen Eilers and Maria Kühn

Tue 07 June 2023 - 1:00 pm
How much training does the immune system need?
Prof Eva Peters, MD

All further information and helpful hints for technical challenges can be found in the following flyers:

Flyer 2nd quarter 2023
Flyer 2nd quarter 2023 - barrier-free

We hope you will dial in in large numbers!
 

Offices with large windows that are exposed to intense sunlight are particularly affected by the heat. It is also noticeable in offices that are further heated by computers, printers, or large numbers of people. However, employers and employees can take steps to stay healthy and productive on hot summer days. You ’ll find tips on this in this leaflet from baua .

COVID-19 - Questions and Answers, April 2020

PR Update December 2019

Staff Meeting November 2019

PR Update July 2019

PR Update March 2019

PR Update March 2019: Results of Collective Bargaining

PR Update January 2019

Staff Meeting, November 2018

PR Update October 2018

Changes to the Staff Council’s Composition / Final Impact of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement / Election of the Representative for Employees with Severe Disabilities in November 2018 / Announcement of the Staff Meeting

PR Update December 2017

New Employment Agreements / Changes to the TV-L Effective January 1, 2018, and Information on the Introduction of Level 6 in Pay Grades 9–15 / Election of the Youth and Apprentice Representatives (JAV) in February 2018 / New Minister at the MWK

PR Update July 2017

Changes to the VBL (contributions, initial credits) / Working in the summer heat / Changes in the PR Office

Staff Meeting on May 17, 2017

PR Update April 2017

Invitation to the Staff Meeting

PR Update March 2017

Results of Collective Bargaining

PR Update February 2017

Brief Update on the Current Status of Collective Bargaining Negotiations

PR Update December 2016

Collective Bargaining / Workplace Health Management

PR Update April 2016

Composition and Contact Information for the Newly Elected Staff Council

• Working Hours Act
• Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act
• Youth Employment Protection Act
• Vocational Training Act
• Maternity Protection Act + related information: BMFSFJ
• Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act + Information on this: BMFSFJ
• Unfair Dismissal Protection Act
• Occupational Safety and Health Act + Information on this: BMAS
• Workplace Ordinance
• Care Leave Act
• Social Code Books I through XII + Overview of Social Security Laws

You still have until March 8, 2022, to sign this important petition on the topic of accessible participation, which has been submitted to the Lower Saxony State Parliament under the title “Inclusion: Equipment for Metronom Commuter Trains.” You can easily sign the petition online at the link below: Lower Saxony State Parliament – Online Petition (niedersachsen.de
Background/Text of the Petition: The recently modernized trains do not reflect the reality of life for people with disabilities and represent a deterioration of the previous regional rail services. The State Parliament should intervene to halt this deterioration in local rail service as quickly as possible and, to that end, urge the operator to find a solution that meets everyone’s needs.

The follow-up survey for the “Workplace Monitor: Working During the COVID-19 Crisis”—whichhas been ongoing since early 2020—will run through March 15, 2022.
A high response rate will enable us to obtain meaningful results on the medium- and long-term impacts of the pandemic on the world of work. The survey covers infection risks and protective measures, how employers are handling the pandemic, economic consequences, employee participation, child care, and assessments of government policies. Click here to take the survey!
The Working World Monitor is a joint project of the University of Osnabrück (Prof. Dr. Hajo Holst) and the Network of University-Trade Union Cooperation Offices in Lower Saxony and Bremen. Results from the three rounds of the Working World Monitor can be found here. Have fun exploring the site, and thank you in advance for your support!!

The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture decided in a decree dated June 9, 2022, that educational leave courses under the Lower Saxony Educational Leave Act (NBildUG) may now also be offered in online or hybrid formats , provided the course content is suitable for such delivery. (Source: AEWB, last accessed June 30, 2022) It is important, however, that the criteria required for recognition are also met for online or hybrid courses. Particular attention must be paid here to the required duration of the course—five days, with at least three consecutive days, each consisting of eight 45-minute class periods. In addition, the participant must provide proof of proper attendance to their employer. The organizer of the educational event must ensure that attendance actually takes place and must issue the participant the necessary certificates for this proof free of charge.

More on educational leave (PDF).

View educational leave programs recognized or eligible for recognition in Lower Saxony on Bildungsurlaub.de or Bildungsurlauber.de.

The State of Lower Saxony has entered into a framework agreement with Deutsche Bahn Vertrieb GmbH, effective January 1, 2008, regarding the purchase and use of discounted annual passes (DB Job-Tickets) from Deutsche Bahn. The DB Job-Ticket must be ordered no later than four weeks before the start of the desired term. When submitting the application, the Human Resources department must confirm the existence of the employment relationship on the order form.

Further up-to-date information on terms and conditions, as well as FAQs and the “DB Job-Ticket Order Form,” can be found on the website of the NLBV (Lower Saxony State Office for Salaries and Benefits).

The staff meeting was held online on November 23, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A report will follow shortly. The staff council members are available at any time to answer questions and receive feedback regarding the meeting.

In the event of any issues (rejections, requests for changes from supervisors, etc.), we are happy to provide you with support (-1733 and any PR member).

What does the Mobile Working Service Agreement for the 2021/22 winter semester (PDF) contain?

• Up to 30% remote work with informal, written permission from supervisors, provided the work is suitable and the necessary tools are available
• More than 30% remote work in justified cases with formal, written approval from your supervisor, provided the work is suitable and the necessary tools are available
• Participation in remote work is generally voluntary
• Compliance with relevant occupational safety regulations and ergonomic guidelines in the workplace
• Pay particular attention to data protection and data security, especially when outside the office
• Legal and collective bargaining provisions governing working hours, as well as existing service agreements, must be observed

All service agreements between the staff council and the university can be found here.

A new agreement with the state of Lower Saxony has been in effect since July 1, 2021, which regulates not only telework but also mobile work. This benefits approximately 230,000 people in 60 occupational fields within the Lower Saxony state administration. This provides them with greater flexibility, while also ensuring that occupational safety is not neglected.

• 1981 Agreement on Mobile and Telework (PDF, 3 MB)

A broad coalition used the state government’s budget meeting on July 12, 2021, as an opportunity to draw attention to the cuts in higher education. Letter to the State Government

[...] The situation facing higher education institutions in Lower Saxony is alarming. We are concerned about the situation facing higher education institutions in Lower Saxony. We therefore propose to Minister President Weil and Minister Thümler a moratorium on cuts to higher education funding and a joint dialogue on the future of higher education institutions.

Given the state’s enormous financial challenges and the uncertainties surrounding short- and medium-term planning, no strategic decisions for the future should be made that would have negative consequences for the higher education landscape. [...]

Higher education funding in Lower Saxony must be adequate! University staff councils and the union are calling for the reversal of the overall spending cuts and an end to all further austerity measures.

• Letter from the ver.di Lower Saxony-Bremen union and the Lower Saxony university staff councils
• Reply from Minister Thümler

The facilities at the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer will remain closed from December 24, 2021, through January 1, 2022. For details, see the DV regulation on working hours for the 2021/2022 New Year’s holiday. All service agreements can be found here.

CORONA: Here we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers, as well as web links to internal, regional, and national information and support resources . Feel free to contact us—phone (04921) 807-1733!We at the Staff Council are here tohelp you find a solution.

Opportunities for Career Changes - University Career Portal

In conversations with colleagues, it often came up that there are few or no opportunities for professional development or career changes at our university. Especially within the academic departments, it’s difficult to “advance” in one’s career because there are no higher-level positions available. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to change careers or advance professionally! And we have many employees on fixed-term contracts who are looking for a new position when their contracts end.

The university has a wide range of interesting research and externally funded projects, as well as internal projects, for which staff are being sought. These are typically fixed-term positions for the duration of the project, but if you’re interested and qualified, anyone can apply for these positions—even if you’re on a permanent contract! Taking on temporary employment in a project does not mean you lose your current position or your “permanent” status; rather, you are reassigned for the duration of the project, and if necessary, a temporary replacement is hired for your “old” position.

Positions are posted regularly (almost every week) on the career portal . Unfortunately, the university’s internal job postings receive little attention; sometimes they’re only noticed after no applications have been received from within the university, at which point the positions are then advertised publicly.

2021 Wage Negotiations
Here you’ll find the latest information and web links.

Vacation Entitlement Carried Over from the Previous Year
Annual leave should be taken in the year in which it is earned. In practice, this is sometimes not possible, and vacation days from the previous year may remain unused. Any remaining vacation days from 2019 must be compensated by September 30, 2020, at the latest! This is regulated in TV-L § 40, para. 7, and applies to employees covered by collective bargaining agreements at universities and research institutions. The employer is obligated to provide timely notice regarding the possible expiration of prior-year vacation days.

Time Off in Lieu and Illness – Please Note!!!
Anyone who wants to take a full day of time off in lieu can enter this in the time-tracking system as early as when leaving work on the last working day before the day off. However, if you become ill on a day designated for time off in lieu, the HR department is no longer permitted to change the “time off in lieu” status to “sick.” In such a case, the overtime hours expire. A corresponding directive from the Ministry of Finance, which cites the case law of the Federal Labor Court (BAG), has been sent to all state agencies.
Our tip: If you plan to take a full day of time off in lieu, you must discuss this in advance with your department or supervisor. However, you should not enter this into the time tracking system until after the fact. If you become ill, you can report sick. The Human Resources department will record this accordingly— and you’ll retain the time credit you’ve earned!

2019 Collective Bargaining:
Information

Dates of the next staff council meetings:
Generally every Thursday in October, November, and December 2021

Staff Council Information Series: Key Points on...
In this series, we’ll provide brief information on various topics.
Key Points on... Educational Leave

General

• Lower Saxony State Office for Salaries and Benefits (NLBV) (Payroll Division)
• NLBV: Child Allowance
• NLBV: Allowances

For Employees Covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements

• TV-L (Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Public Sector—Federal States)
• TVÜ-L (Transitional Collective Bargaining Agreement)
• Pay scales effective as of December 1, 2022
• Salary Calculator ( to see how a change in working hours affects gross and net salary amounts)
  NLBV Guidelines for Using the Salary Calculator
• Pay Regulations —Appendix A toTV-L (Contains the job descriptions used to determine pay grade classification.)
• VBL – Federal and State Insurance Institution
  (NLBV guidelines on the VBL)
• verdi – current collective bargaining information
• Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL)

For Civil Servants

• Lower Saxony Civil Service Compensation Act
• Lower Saxony Civil Service Act
• Salary Schedule
• Salary Calculator
  (NLBV Notes on the Salary Calculator)
• Offer from Private Health Insurance Companies