I don't want to be known as “things by Cassandra”, but it seems that what she warned about in the article “If University Mobbing Exists, Does Someone Need It?” is coming true. In Russian science and higher education, processes are underway to optimize and centralize costs (http://www.newsru.com/russia/30may2015/ranrip.html) They will not only form the “new” crisis face of higher education and science, but will also strengthen the institutional vertical of power, identify new, or rather old, behavioral strategies in conditions when it will be profitable to lick and lick in the workplace, with the firm intention of getting closer to the body of a powerful and aggressive boar or “boar”.
Now not only filmmakers will “pitching” to get funding for their film, but also scientists. It's scary to imagine what will start at the research institute now. It is absolutely certain that “mobbing” and “bossing” will flourish there. How can you maintain self-esteem in this situation? Everyone must decide for themselves: either you are ready to go to the bitter end and fight, trying to maintain health and self-esteem, or you will immediately start looking for another job. The most important thing in this situation is not to allow yourself to become George Orwell's Animal Farm heroes. And don't be fooled by helping the boss deal with competitors. No Calydonian boar can save you when it comes to his personal interest. The places at the feeder are limited.
My colleagues ask me what to do when it's time to fight for the distribution of funds for research projects, or when it's time to sign a “revised” employment contract? We must be aware that the economic and institutional crisis will definitely benefit someone, and therefore this “someone” will implement the “divide and rule” policy. Knowing this, you can't relax and live in victim delirium, trying on victim status in advance. You need to meet to finally find out your rights and obligations, the content of your employment contract, the procedure for amending your employment contract, and the conditions for reducing teaching staff. I can only give a “prescription” based on what I've been through myself. We're all strong in hindsight. If someone had told me then how I should have behaved in a particular difficult situation at the workplace, it would be much easier for me to get away from under attack. Therefore, I will talk about what mistakes I made and immediately suggest ways to avoid them.
My bug story
As my grandmother used to say: “You go from behind and you'll pick everything up.” I noticed that the same processes are taking place in Russia that took over Latvia 5-6 years ago. When the economic crisis began in Latvia, we thought that it would mainly affect the manufacturing and trade sectors, and universities would pass by. It didn't pass. Working and living conditions deteriorated rapidly. We didn't even have time to “accept trouble as it comes” and didn't have time to analyze the situation we found ourselves in. The first time each of us was invited to the dean's office to sign an amended employment contract that set a reduced salary, the dean was very nervous. There was a comforting glass of cognac on the table. It was clear that it was difficult for her to negotiate with the employees. The main argument that was made at the time was: “Look at what is happening. Get into our position.” At that time, we entered both her office and university with extraordinary ease, reassuring ourselves that everyone's salary had been reduced by 20%.
What did you need to do?
Additional changes/agreements to the employment contract are possible only after organizational changes in working conditions. The list of these amended conditions is in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. An order should have been issued to change the working conditions, on the basis of which amendments to the employment contract are made. According to Article 74 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to notify the employee in writing no later than two months in advance about upcoming changes to the terms of the employment contract specified by the parties, as well as the reasons that made such changes necessary.
If there is a change in working hours, the employer must inform the employee about the new schedule at least a month in advance. In the event that the employer is an individual, he must notify him within a period of no later than 14 days (http://www.quickdoc.ru/kadry/_perevod-v-svyazi-s-izmeneniem-organizacionnyh-ili-tehnologicheskih-usloviy-truda/#PaidExport)
Why is it important to know these provisions of the Labor Code? Any violation of the procedure by the employer (whether it is a matter of reducing or amending an employment contract) is a basis for initiating legal proceedings.
It is necessary to require the employer to provide all university documents that made it possible to amend the employment contract.
You have the right not to sign the contract on the spot, but to take it home for review. I recommend showing it to a lawyer specializing in labor law.
You don't have to be in their position. No one will get into your position. Everyone will “die” alone at best, and at worst, to the hooting of colleagues.
We continue to learn from my mistakes
For the second and third time, we have already entered this office with a heavy heart and signed amendments to our main employment contract with a sad feeling. However, we already received the papers to sign in a businesslike manner quickly in complete silence and from the Deputy Dean. And we didn't have any more questions. A well-known case — the authorities know better. And our superiors looked anxious to tell us that “it's going to get even worse” and if we didn't unite under their caring wing and didn't “play by the rules”, we would disappear alone. We trusted our supervisor because back in our “fat years”, we easily gave him the right to deal with administrative issues related to our work, but we ourselves only taught and promoted science. Of course, we had to work hard on the eve of the elections, but even then, more often than not, we were told what documents should be submitted to whom and in what time frame in order to comply with the regulations. And we were glad that we found someone who removed this burden from us — to wander through the labyrinths of administrative and legal relations.
What should I do?
Don't take anyone's word for it. Kill your ancestral heritage. Stop following your “tribe” and its leader, as the leader most likely has a specific task and goal to “optimize” people and expenses. Therefore, consult with lawyers, ask uncomfortable questions, read documents that are given to you for signature not in your offices, but with a lawyer and interested like-minded colleagues.
We continue to learn from others' mistakes.
So this time, dismissing responsibility for the decision we had made, we stuck our heads in the sand, immediately setting up well-known places for trouble. At first, they signed it without bothering, and then, on the sidelines, they quietly complained about fate and the economic crisis. At that time, someone was listening, hitting their heads and... conveying our humble discontent to the management.
What should I do?
Most likely, in this situation, your team is already split into “equals” and “more equals”. You just don't know it yet. Therefore, one should not seek solace in collective prayer, let alone in sacrifice. Don't tell your colleagues about your intentions. Do something practical and useful for yourself first, and then bring it to the team's judgment. For example, get a legal assessment of the situation from a specialist, and then seek support from conscientious and principled colleagues. I think you know who's at your department.
I continue my story
It so happened that the last time I was accidentally, and most likely intentionally, they gave me someone else's employment contracts to sign. The first thing that caught my eye was the amount, which was not reduced. I was sure that absolutely all colleagues had suffered from the economic and institutional crises, as everyone was complaining about fate. It was only then that I realized how “equals” differ from those who are “even more equal”.
What did you need to do?
Immediately require verification of employment contracts from the university management. Ring all the bells. Let your colleagues know that not everyone has been equally affected by the crisis.
And experience, son of difficult mistakes..
I didn't say anything at the time. But that was just the beginning. Over time, the relevance of George Orwell's Animal Farm began to creep up. The gap between “equals” and those who are “more equal” has begun to grow. The centralized distribution of funds for research trips and internships under the Erasmus mundus project was in the hands of the management. And the story of the revision of treaties has begun to repeat itself. Some colleagues went “Erasmus” six times to get a good scholarship, while others managed to travel only once at the same time that was not far and not expensive. Soon, we could only receive travel money for one trip per semester, and we paid for either the hotel or the road. I do not rule out that there were people in our team who were not subject to these “forced” measures either. It all ended, or rather began, when a fellow docent, who was close to the manager's body, confidentially told me: “There are too many of you.” I only started fighting when I was bullied and persecuted. One of the successful steps I took during this difficult time was to insist on revising the supplement to my employment contract, which stated that my workload was 0.75 at a time when I was actually full time. The management needed these 0.75 to have a reason to justify the salary cut and prevent me, in particular, as I was approaching the elections, from running for full time. My watch has already been bequeathed to colleagues in need, who, after the odds were introduced, stayed at 0.35 bets. I sent a letter to the Vice-Rector, who confirmed that my workload was 1 am, although at the meeting it was stated that “no one has a full time”. This is where my long journey to creating this site began.
My main mistake
I missed all the convenient moments; I signed all the changes to the employment contract in silence, hoping that they would not go any further. At that time, I didn't know how far my superiors and my colleagues could go in their meanness and victimization. I thought it would never affect me if I didn't “show up” and come to terms with the fact that the rights and self-esteem of each of us are being violated under the guise of caring for our common, collective good.
Peter Paul Rubens painting “The Calydonian Boar Hunt”
This story from Greek mythology inspired Rubens to paint four paintings.
The Calydon boar, a huge, ferocious and terrible beast, was the son of a Crommian pig that ran rampant, destroying crops and killing ordinary people. Theseus came to the aid of the exhausted inhabitants and defeated her in a fierce battle. But she had a son who was no less ferocious and bloodthirsty. It was sent by the insulted goddess Artemis in response to the fact that King Oinei, having sacrificed to all the gods, refused to sacrifice her...
King Oinei and his beautiful wife Altea had a son, Meleager, a brave and strong young man. When the young man found out about all the horrors that a terrible animal was doing, he got the idea to defeat the Calydonian boar at all costs.
Knowing the full risk involved in this battle, Meleager called the bravest and most skillful wars from all over Greece. They were joined by the king's daughter, an amazingly beautiful girl named Atlanta, a brave hunter who lived in the wild forests.
For ten days, hunters hunted down the terrible boar. Finally, they all heard a noise and a crackle as a boar growling and snoring through the forest, breaking trees and bushes around it. And when the monster appeared before their eyes, they realized that it would not be just a hunt, but a real battle.
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