Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear HHU employees,
 
First of all, we would like to wish you a happy, successful and healthy new year –hopefully, it will also be a more peaceful one.

Following our circular e-mails of 20 September 2022 and 21 March 2023, we would like to inform you in good time again this year about the continuation of our energy saving measures and the planned restricted operation mode period at the end of 2024/start of 2025 to ensure that everyone affected has sufficient planning time.
 
As you know, one key energy saving measure is the setting of all technical systems in the buildings to so-called restricted operation mode (i.e. a further lowering of the room temperature beyond the already reduced operating temperature of 20 degrees and reduced operation or complete shutdown of ventilation systems). This will affect the period from
 
Saturday, 21 December 2024 to Sunday, 5 January 2025
 
and thus all working days from Monday, 23 December 2024 to Friday, 3 January 2025. As in the previous year, on-site operations will be suspended during this period and then again during the corresponding defined periods in the future. Essential on-site work forms an exception to this. For laboratory areas, the special regulations implemented last year will once again apply. Please ask your functional supervisors about any special regulations that may be relevant.
 
Irrespective of the specific suspension of on-site operations, the Rectorate would like to see the restricted operation mode period used as a Christmas break as a matter of course. As such, apart from necessary exceptions, holiday and/or hours built up in the flexible working time system should be used to cover this short period.
 
Accordingly, we would today like to ask all managers and employees to observe the following points and take responsibility for planning and implementing them in their own areas in good time:
 
1.  Holiday or hours built up in the flexible working time system should be used to cover the stated period, in particular where sufficient hours are available, insofar as this does not significantly impact personnel planning. Please make efforts to reach mutually acceptable solutions in a spirit of trust in individual cases. As virtually the entire year is available for planning, it should be possible to organise this without any cases of conflict. Managers are requested to ensure this measure can be implemented appropriately and in good time in consultation with employees.

2.  Where employees and supervisors agree that certain important work should be performed during this period, the existing opportunities for working from home pursuant to the service agreement on alternating mobile work (AMA), which applies for the Centre for Information and Media Technology, the University and State Library and the Central University Administration, and the arrangements for working from home implemented in all other areas should be utilised. On-site work that is not subject to the limitations of restricted operation mode – and which is therefore permitted and possible – remains unaffected by this.

In order to achieve the objective of a Christmas break at HHU, it is expected that supervisors and employees realise the described steps to cover the restricted operation mode period in a responsible way across the board and that holiday or hours built up in the flexible working time system are used to ensure that exceptions, as stated under point 2, are reduced to the absolute minimum.
 
We kindly ask you to actively support this measure again and work together with us to realise this important contribution to overcoming the energy crisis and achieving long-term sustainability.

Professor Dr Anja Steinbeck, President          Dr Martin Goch, Chancellor