Work organisation

Each university unit or department has its own methods of organisation, and generally there are tacit rules governing how things work. The circulation of information among newly recruited assistants is often informal and based on the goodwill of established employees and the fact that the members of a unit are acquainted with these rules and adhere to them greatly influences the working atmosphere. Indeed, generally respect for each individual’s rights and obligations is based on mutual trust and if a member of the unit does not fulfil their obligations, this creates additional work for the others.

 It is advisable for assistants to:

• tell others which days of the week they are working outside the university ;
• clearly indicate reception hours and adhere to them ;
• adapt their holidays to the academic calendar ;
• ask questions and attend the unit’s formal and informal meetings.

Institutes and professors responsible for recruitment can also help to improve the way in which work is organised by:

• ensuring that information circulates as transparently as possible ;
• adopting the fairest possible distribution of tasks among assistants.

You will find some advice on this site concerning the organisation of personal work and how to balance professional activity and private life.