Greetings from everyday life. The bike rattles, and there’s a new plant for the garden and a tool to buy at the DIY store. And actually, your back hurts and you would like tips and tricks on how to improve your mindset and develop successful strategies for doing so. In all these areas if you work at TU Graz, you have a clear advantage. Not only does our university offer various sports and continuing education programmes at a discount or even free of charge to strengthen body and mind, but TU Graz employees also enjoy discounts in many shops. The range of these “extras” is huge, so read on to discover the benefits for you as an employee of TU Graz on the following pages – because let’s be honest, we all love benefits, don’t we?
First of all, this article provides an overview of the various offers, but does not claim to be exhaustive. So it would be best to visit the TU Graz website or TU4U to find out for yourself the numerous programmes on offer.
Continuing education
Are you active in teaching or research, do you work in administration or as a manager? As colourful and diverse as TU Graz and its employees are, the range of continuing education courses on offer at our university is just as broad and varied. The service department Languages, Key Competencies and In-House Training offers a needs-oriented and diverse in-house programme for all TU Graz employees. Offers, which you can access in TUGRAZonline via the desktop tile In-House Training, includes topics such as Working at TU Graz, Workplace Health Promotion, Research, Foreign Languages, Management Tasks, Health Promotion, IT and Finance.
Another area is the In-House Training programme for teachers, which is provided by the Teaching Academy. In addition to basic didactic training, it offers the opportunity to specialise in a particular subject and gain higher qualifications depending on your interests. Teaching staff at TU Graz can use the Teaching Academy free of charge.
Log into TUGRAZonline and browse through the current in-house training programme in TUGRAZonline.
International further education
Fancy furthering your education abroad? As a TU Graz employee, you can take part in Erasmus+ staff training programmes (STT) in companies or institutions operating in the public or private sector – regardless of size, type of company or business area. There are also funding opportunities for further education programmes outside Europe. Further information can be found at TU4U or you can contact the International Office – Welcome Centre at personalmobilitaet@tugraz.at
Human resources development
The Human Resource Development OU offers target group-specific training programmes and individual measures. At TU Graz Mentoring, experienced TU Graz scientists pass on their expertise to junior scientists and newly appointed professors. In general, the promotion of career paths is a key issue, and there are numerous initiatives in this area.
Do you feel professionally or personally challenged or overwhelmed? If you do, Human Resources Development organises individual coaching sessions (primarily for managers) with experienced and specialised external coaches. Possible topics include stress management, conflicts and strategic issues.
Or would you like to acquire skills that will be of great benefit in the rapidly changing world of work? Then find out more on the “Future Skills to go” platform. Here you will find small learning bites in the form of videos, factsheets, MOOCs and podcasts that you can watch or listen to regardless of time and place. The topics range from resilience, creativity and innovation to digital expertise. Take a look and stay fit for the work of the future.
Further offers can be found at TU4U: https://tu4u.tugraz/go/personalentwicklung
Health
Body and mind are equally important, which is why TU Graz offers a wide range of courses and workshops that promote mental and physical health of employees and have a positive impact on their personal well-being. Workplace Health Management (BGM) offers TU Graz employees around 70 different programmes per year.
Stay fit
The TU Graz Fit with Philipp programme is your 15-minute workout right at your workplace. You will train online via Webex every Wednesday at 10 a.m. with sports trainer Philipp Reiner. “This offer has been very well received,” says Karin Steiner-Krottmayer from Workplace Health Management, “we know from some OUs that they see this short training session as a communal office workout.” Exciting and varied exercises, which await TU Graz employees every week, can be carried out comfortably and without special equipment in the office or when you are working from home. Registrations are possible at any time.
Another permanent offer is psychosocial counselling, which TU Graz employees can take advantage of free of charge. Either in person (up to three sessions) with one of the selected psychologists and psychotherapists, or online via Instahelp (up to four sessions). This counselling is completely anonymous, “TU Graz employees select the therapist of their choice on our TU4U page, contact them independently and show them their TU Graz card. At the end of the month, we only receive an invoice from the respective therapists for the TU Graz units used, we don’t receive any information about the individuals,” emphasises Carmen Schrotter-Stadlauer from Workplace Health Management.
Throughout the year, the BGM team also organises so-called special offer months, in which a specific topic is dealt with over several weeks. The burnout prevention programme is the current top priority in this context.
In June, your skin will be scrutinised in the truest sense of the word. The free-of-charge skin protection consultations will take place again on 6 and 13 June (both from 14:00 to 17:00). In addition to numerous tips and information on sun protection and medical skin care, samples to suit your skin type will also be made available.
Registrations are welcome at bgm@tugraz.at. Subscribe to the Workplace Health Management newsletter to be regularly informed about current offers and promotions.
“It is immensely important to us to offer a diverse range of activities for all our target groups,” says Karin Steiner-Krottmayer, “and we welcome feedback on which sports courses and topics we can include in our programme. Feedback is always welcome!” Simply contact Workplace Health Management at bgm@tugraz.at
Vaccinations for TU Graz employees
Spring is here and so are the ticks. The two works councils of TU Graz regularly organise discounted tick protection and (in autumn/winter) influenza vaccinations for all TU Graz employees. You will be informed about the next vaccination campaign by email.
Mobility
Mobility has been a top priority at TU Graz for years. TU Graz’s mobility concept, which has won several awards, has been in place since 2006, and as part of this, new activities are constantly being organised for TU Graz employees, which also help to save money.
The clear frontrunner here is the commuter subsidy. TU Graz supports employees who use public transport to get to work and do without a car. Last year, 740 TU Graz employees took advantage of this initiative, a new record, and were reimbursed 150 euros for their public transport ticket in the form of Graz vouchers.
The TU Graz bicycle is a success story par excellence. For around 14 years, TU Graz employees have been able to purchase at favourable conditions a high-quality white and red bike with the TU Graz logo and lettering. And the TU Graz bicycle family is growing steadily – to date, over 1,900 bicycles in the TU Graz design have been sold. With the TU Graz bicycle voucher TU Graz also supports the purchase of e-bikes, cargo bikes and folding bikes. If you are entitled to a TU Graz bike, but prefer an e-bike, cargo bike or folding bike, you can be issued with a voucher worth 150 euros, which can be redeemed in selected shops.
If it is not possible to switch to bicycles or public transport, around 700 TU Graz employees have access to discounted parking spaces on campus or in rented underground car parks. Currently, new parking permits can only be issued for Campus Inffeldgasse and for the Plüddemanngasse 39 underground car park, provided that the requirements of TU Graz parking regulations are met. For electric car owners, 30 charging stations with their own employee tariff are available at all three TU Graz locations. Speaking of electric cars, in cooperation with “FAMILY OF POWER”, six Renault Zoe electric cars are available for staff at the three TU Graz sites. These electric cars can be booked and used for a fee after you have registered as a private individual. In addition to this e-car sharing service, you can also use “tim”– Holding Graz’s car sharing service, at Campus Inffeld. Two Seat Cupra Born electric cars and a charging station are available. tim members can book these e-cars for private use.
Find out from TU4U whether you are entitled to the mobility benefits mentioned above.
Compatibility of career and family
The compatibility of family and career is a major concern at TU Graz. To ensure a successful start in life, employees can look forward to a TU Graz-branded welcome pack for new parents.
And as offspring grow and thrive, the question of childcare arises. TU Graz offers various childcare options here, such as crèche, day or summer childcare or flexible childcare (Feki). TU Graz nanoversity is a public childcare centre on the grounds of our university, run by Volkshilfe Steiermark and maintained by TU Graz. Children of TU Graz members are given preferential admission. Claudia Wessely, our university’s work/studies-life balance representative provides TU Graz members with information on all childcare issues, advises on paternity leave and gives an insight into the various parental leave models. It also offers family carers an extensive range of advice and information. Simply contact the work/studies-life balance representative at TU Graz: claudia.wessely@tugraz.at
Discounts and benefits
The mobile phone is an ever-present companion in the trouser pocket or handbag, so it is a good thing that the well-known network operators offer TU Graz employees discounted tariffs for private mobile phone use. You can find more information on mobile phone tariffs at TU4U.
Bargain hunters among us should also check out the TU4U page of the Works Council for Administrative Personnel. Numerous corporate cooperation agreements negotiated by the Works Council for Administrative Personnel enable you as an employee of TU Graz to make purchases at reduced rates. The wealth of benefits is wide-ranging. Fans of Italian cuisine can enjoy pizza, pasta & co. ten per cent cheaper at two Italian restaurants in Graz and the surrounding area, you can buy at reduced prices in many pharmacies and there is also a discounted offer for summer childcare. It is always worth taking a look at the many different bargain sectors.
Always new special offers
The cooperation agreements with companies are not limited to the Graz area. “Please keep checking our TU4U page or our Instagram channel, where we announce our latest agreements!” says Herbert Penker from the Works Council for Administrative Personnel. Tanja Köck plays a key role in initiating such cooperation agreements, tirelessly conducting talks with companies with a great deal of passion, coupled with persistence and patience. What is your special bargain treat? “For house builders and the like, there is a 25 per cent discount at a tile company in Klagenfurt, where TU Graz employees can save a lot of money. And we offer many discounted conditions for leisure activities: whether it’s a visit to the zoo with the kids or splashing around in hot thermal water,” says Köck, pointing out a range of possibilities.
Instagramkanal: https://www.instagram.com/tugraz_br/
You can take advantage of the discounts with your TU Graz Card – simply show it when you pay. In addition to these benefits, there are also two cooperation platforms for TU Graz employees (https://tugraz.mitarbeiterangebote.at, https://brtugraz.corplife.at), where TU Graz employees can register themselves and search for bargains. There are also vouchers for TU Graz employees from the Spar and Müller companies, where you can save four per cent (Spar) or ten per cent (Müller) immediately. This means that you only pay 96 euros for a 100-euro savings voucher and 90 euros for a 100-euro Müller voucher. For these vouchers, please contact the Works Council Office for Administrative Personnel directly. “We are always endeavouring to negotiate further favourable conditions for TU Graz employees, but unfortunately we also have our financial limits,” clarifies Works Council Chair Penker. “Compared to other large companies, we don’t have a works council levy with which these companies can finance discounted purchases of car motorway toll stickers or similar, for example.” But many other things are possible – see for yourself and simply click through the various benefits and conditions at TU4U!
