The Faculty of Arts, Charles University, operates a platform for submitting anonymous and non-anonymous suggestions for improving the work environment and psychological well-being of the staff, academics, and students and reporting inappropriate behaviour or threatening events.
In 2022, the Management has also implemented Rules on Bullying, Sexual Harassment, and Abuse of Authority which express zero tolerance for all inappropriate behaviour of any member of the academia.
Every member of the faculty may submit a complaint or suggestion: staff, teachers, researchers, students, or graduates and former employees.
What happens next with the complaint or suggestion?
Complaints and suggestions will be dealt with according to their content.
- Specific complaints and suggestions dealing with, for example, a particular person’s behaviour will be examined, and we will try to resolve the situation. If all parties agree, it is possible to proceed with debate with the person, against which the complaint was reported, or by mediation (the author’s approval of the complaint is necessary prior to this step). The role of this system is not to carry out an investigation nor collect evidence on the scale of formal legal proceedings. However, it will be necessary to examine the standpoints of all interested parties and verify the circumstances that the notifier considered severe.
- General complaints and suggestions related to, for example, the work environment at the faculty will be examined as much as possible while considering their general nature. They also may be used to make system measures.
Steps leading to resolving the situation and protecting the victim, if needed, will be taken in both cases.
All suggestions and complaints are processed on the grounds of the following principles:
- Trust. We aim to set up a system where people are not afraid to write about their problems.
- Openness. Anyone can submit a complaint or suggestion anonymously and non-anonymously (based on the author’s decision).
- Speed. We will try to resolve it as soon as possible and inform you about its progress.
- Discreetness. The whole system is based on strict confidentiality, which does not apply only with the explicit consent of its author.
- Assistance. All persons processing the suggestions and complaints are trained in crisis intervention and are supported by psychological and consultation supervision by the Department of Psychology at CU FA. They aim to offer assistance to those who need it.
- Presumption of innocence. We follow the principle of presumption of innocence which, on the other hand, does not mean that we do not want to know what truly happened. We will do everything we can to resolve the suggestion or complaint.
Who has access to the content of the suggestions and complaints in the application?
CU FA administers the FaceUp system, and the provider has no access to the data. It can be accessed only by a person, to whom is the suggestion or complaint addressed. If the one, who submitted the complaint or suggestion, consents, the content can be handed over to other persons (e.g., the Dean, when it requires passing of new measures).
- Anonymous complaints and suggestions. We respect that the notifiers may be concerned about stating their name. Sometimes, the anonymous form of the complaint or request may complicate its verification or even make it impossible. We reserve the right to verify that the notifier is from our faculty by asking some questions.
- After the complaint or suggestion is submitted, its addressee will receive a notification email. They will begin addressing the complaint, communicate with the notifier, and proceed in accordance with the nature of the complaint. All addressees are bound by confidentiality, all suggestions are archived and their quantity and nature are regularly evaluated to improve the faculty’s working and learning environment.
