Dear Sir/Madam,
Dear members of HHU,

We already informed you about initial steps to save energy in our mail of 20 September 2022. Today we would like to report on further measures we are taking to meet our obligation to save energy. They relate to the period around the turn of the year, namely from

Saturday, 24 December 2022 to Sunday, 1 January 2023.

With the exception of essential technical work, on-site operations are to be suspended during this period. All technical systems in the buildings will be set to restricted operation mode, resulting in a further lowering of the room temperature beyond the already reduced operating temperature of 19 degrees and reduced operation or complete shutdown of technical systems. During the restricted operation mode period, it will not generally be possible to use the affected facilities or work on-site due to the temperature and/or ventilation situation. We are currently defining special rules that will apply for laboratory areas during this period.

Against this background, we 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.   Where possible, 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 individual cases. 

2.   If holiday or hours cannot be used or work must be performed during this period for other reasons, the available options for working from home should be utilised. Any 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.

Restricted operation mode does not equate to a ban on entering the premises. Employees may organise brief visits to the campus (e.g. to perform essential activities that only take a short time) independently and on their own responsibility to support the work they perform from home.

Employees at the Centre for Information and Media Technology, the University and State Library and the Central University Administration may work from home within the framework of the regular agreements on alternating mobile work (AMA). Where it is necessary for employees to work from home on further days to cover the restricted operation mode period, the specially created “AMA Absenkbetrieb” booking option should be selected in the flexible working time system; this will result in the individual daily target working time being credited. This booking option should be used for additional days beyond the already planned regular or situational AMA days. In all areas where the AMA regulations do not apply, working arrangements should be agreed between supervisors and employees in a spirit of trust.
 
3.   In the event that the restricted operation mode period cannot be covered by the measures described under points 1 and 2 in individual cases, supervisors and employees should discuss topics in which employees can undertake training from home e.g. by way of self-study. Please reach pragmatic and mutually acceptable solutions in such individual cases, as the priority here is to avoid the need for on-site work.

Normal operations will be possible again in the lecture-free week from

Monday, 2 January 2023 to Sunday, 8 January 2023.

All University and State Library sites will be open and technical systems will operate normally. However, we call upon you to exploit all potential for saving energy in your working groups and departments during this period, which has proven significantly quieter in the past. This includes taking care to ensure that empty rooms are not being heated unnecessarily. Technical systems that are not in use should also be switched off or run in reduced operation mode. To facilitate this, the additional opportunities for working from home stated under point 2, incl. use of the “AMA Absenkbetrieb” booking option, may be utilised in this week.

Please give these measures your active support and work together with us to realise this important contribution to overcoming the energy crisis.

Professor Dr Anja Steinbeck, President                         Dr Martin Goch, Chancellor