Social Safety
Social Safety at Leiden Observatory
On this website you can find information related to social safety at our institute, including details about activities connected to our Social Safety Action Plan
We aim to provide a stimulating environment where people from diverse backgrounds and cultures feel welcome and can work to the best of their abilities. To maximise the collection of new ideas and insights, it is crucial to attract, support, and retain people from every possible background. We believe it is important that we are all given the same opportunities to succeed regardless of gender identity, sexuality, cultural background, socio-economic background, age, disability, career level, or other minority status. Hence, we continually aim to make Leiden Observatory a more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming workplace. We are proud to host nearly 50 different nationalities as employees and registered guests. Information on our EDI committee can be found here.
Code of Conduct: we are in the process to develop a Code of Conduct that is worded in such way that it is more practically useful to create awareness. In the meantime, official (legal) documents from the University can be found here.
Observatory Allies and Confidentiality Persons: if you experience a potential problem related to social safety (e.g. aggression, bullying, sexual harassment, abuse of power, misogyny, discrimination, other) you can choose to talk confidentially to an Observatory colleague (Ally) or a confidentiality person outside the institute. See the specific website for more information. They are specially trained to listen to you confidentially, without judgment, to discuss possible steps you could take.
If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorders, please visit the Wellbeing Committee website . There, you'll find resources to support your mental well-being and guidance on where to seek professional assistance.
Our action plan to improve social safety has four main goals. Please follow the links below for an overview of the activities and latest updates. The Social-Safety Calendar can be found here.