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Coronavirus - Update: Information for Employees

TU Wien fully supports the strategy being implemented by the authorities and is taking additional measures to protect its staff.

COVID-19: Current Information

Dear Colleagues,

TU Wien fully supports the strategy being implemented by the authorities and is taking additional measures to protect its staff. In line with the guidelines issued by the Austrian government and the WHO, measures will be introduced, with immediate effect and until the Rectorate advises otherwise, to significantly reduce the number of people present on the university premises.

Home working will be introduced wherever possible and there will be no internal events. Since this is an exceptional and urgent situation, supervisors and staff may agree home working arrangements directly with each other in writing. The Rectorate has identified the following key areas where staff are needed on site in order to keep the university running:

  • Security
  • Occupational health
  • Cleaning
  • Certain sections of IT, finance, HR administration and technical operations management
  • Communications
  • Distance learning and examination services

Teaching, research and administrative staff should follow the guidelines below:

Teaching:

  • Distance learning will be supported wherever possible.
  • If staff wish to run any examinations or lab sessions (as per the list on CoLab) or use any teaching rooms, they must register this in advance with central management for teaching and learning spaces (distancelearning@tuwien.ac.at), so that any necessary safety precautions, such as disinfecting rooms before and after examinations, can be put in place.
  • Teaching staff must remain available for students to contact them.
  • There will be no excursions or other teaching events outside the university.

Research:

  • Staff must organise their research so that time spent on the TU Wien premises is kept to a minimum. Long-term experiments can be reported to the Buildings and Technology team who can be trusted to monitor them reliably.
  • Staff must remain available for supervisors to contact them.
  • Meetings should be avoided wherever possible or conducted using digital channels.

Administration:

  • Staff must organise their work so that time spent on the TU Wien premises is kept to a minimum.
  • Staff must remain available for supervisors to contact them.
  • Meetings should be avoided wherever possible or conducted using digital channels.

General information:

  • Parents of children up to school year 9 (age 15) may take time off to look after their child(ren) until schools and childcare facilities re-open, provided that they cannot make alternative arrangements – same conditions as ‘erweiterte Pflegefreistellung’ (extended parental leave). Supervisors and the responsible HR Administration team must be informed of the situation in writing.
  • Please also consider the option of using any accrued overtime or taking annual leave. The arrangements for taking annual leave and using accrued overtime are the same as usual.
  • Updates on coronavirus will be published here: www.tuwien.at/en/corona

best regards,
the Rectorate