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Logo Stabsstelle Chancengleichheit, Familie und Vielfalt
Multiple children playing in the snow in front of a rainbow, next to adults with a wheelchair, walker, and stroller on a sidewalk beside a high-rise building with reindeer decoration. © Familien-Service​/​TU Dortmund

Organization of working hours

Family life — especially caring for children or other relatives — requires time and flexibility. Individual needs vary greatly, as they depend on the situation of all family members. A flexible organization of working hours that takes these needs into account is therefore essential for a family‑friendly university. When work and family responsibilities are compatible, employees tend to be more satisfied and more productive. It is particularly important to coordinate working hours and childcare times as flexibly as possible, since (spontaneous) changes are part of everyday family life and must be manageable.

At TU Dortmund University, various forms of working time arrangements enable employees to meet both their professional and family responsibilities:

Employees of TU Dortmund University (with the exception of trainees and participants in the “Framework Agreement on Alternating Home-Based Teleworking at TU Dortmund University” for the duration of their individually agreed teleworking period) may apply for and use regular mobile working. Separate service agreements exist for academic and artistic staff as well as for employees in technology and administration. In addition, situational mobile working is possible following prior consultation with the supervisor.

Regulations in technology & administration:

  • Regular mobile working within the meaning of Section 2 (1a) of the service agreement is applied for electronically in FIORI. The link and the service agreement can be found in the Service Portal under Access to Fiori .
  • Applications for situational mobile working within the meaning of Section 2 (1b) are submitted directly to the immediate supervisor.

Regulations in science and art:

  • Regular mobile working in accordance with Section 2 (1a) of the service agreement is applied for informally by email to the function email address listed in the Service Portal and to the line manager, stating the period and the number of hours per week. The application must also be submitted to the Human Resources Department at least four weeks before the planned start.
  • Applications for situational mobile working within the meaning of Section 2 (1b) must be submitted directly to the immediate line manager.

If the demands of caring for children or other close relatives exceed the time available outside of work, reducing working hours may be an option.

The legal basis for the right to part‑time work for employees who have been employed for more than six months is Section 8 of the the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act (TzBfG). YYou must notify your employer of your wish to reduce your working hours at least eight weeks in advance. The employer must agree; however, the request may be rejected for operational reasons (up to one month before the planned start). To support a good work‑life balance, TU Dortmund University also allows part‑time employment in management positions. The form for applying to reduce weekly working hours can be found in the Service Portal.

There are various options for taking leave — with or without continued payment of salary. Further information on special leave can be found in the service portal.