The TU in corona times

On this website you will find important current regulations and binding information. This website is updated on a regular basis.

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What is currently valid?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Masks no longer mandatory as of February 2

TU Darmstadt has lifted the mask requirement in its buildings and in the University and State Library on Thursday, February 2. We are thus aligning with the updated assessment of the danger situation by the state government of Hesse. Since many people come together in rapidly changing constellations every day at our university, there is still a risk of infection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you continue to wear medical masks indoors, even if this is no longer mandatory. So far, responsibility and consideration have gotten us through the pandemic well as a university – please continue to take care of yourself and the people around you!

What is currently valid?

As of 2 February, some things have changed in dealing with the pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance has expired, and due to a change in the Coronavirus Basic Protection Measures Ordinance – CoBaSchuV of the State of Hess (opens in new tab)e, masks are no longer compulsory in local and long-distance public transport. The change in legal regulations also affects the TU. The previous obligation to wear masks at the university has been dropped and replaced by the urgent recommendation to continue wearing medical masks indoors at the university. The regulations of the Hygiene and Infection Protection Concept of the TU Darmstadt 1.14 of 12.12.2022 and the Corona virus instructions for employees (as of 30.11.2022) have also been dropped as a result.

However, it is still valid:

1. you are infected with the coronavirus? Stay at home! This is how you protect other TU members from infection. The TU expects that members of the university who are infected with the coronavirus do not come to the TU. Those who are fit for duty despite being infected should work from home in a mobile capacity if possible. This applies to a corona infection as well as to all other illnesses and infections. Those who are ill should report to supervisors unfit for work or duty and seek medical treatment if necessary.

2. As the legal basis has changed, employees are no longer obliged to inform their superiors in the event of a proven infection with the coronavirus.

3. There is, of course, still a special duty of care towards employees with an increased individual risk of serious illness, as was the case before the pandemic.

4. Until 31.03.2023, mobile working (up to five working days a week) is possible without a request, in agreement with the respective superiors. We assume that the draft service agreement on mobile work at the Technische Universität Darmstadt will have been concluded by this date.

5. The TU Darmstadt currently continues to provide all employees with masks and self-tests according to availability. These are ordered via the deaneries or management of central institutions and departments at Department III and distributed in their area. 6.

6. The legal possibility of caring for relatives in need of care will, as in the past, be provided on the basis of §§ 2, 9 of the Nursing Time Act (PflegeZG), if applicable in conjunction with § 16 no. 2c of the HGB. § 16 No. 2c of the Hessian Holiday Ordinance (HUrlVO).

Updates archive

For all members and guests

On 2 February, the TU Darmstadt lifted the obligation to wear masks in its buildings and in the University and State Library. We are thus following the updated assessment of the risk situation by the state government. Since many people come together in rapidly changing constellations at our university every day, there is still a risk of infection. We therefore strongly recommend that medical masks continue to be worn indoors, even though this is no longer mandatory.

The following members belong to the crisis team of the TU Darmstadt:

  • President Professor Dr. Tanja Brühl (Head)
  • Vice President Dr. Manfred Efinger (Head)
  • Vice President Professor Dr. Heribert Warzecha
  • Gerhard Schmitt, Director of Directorate II
  • Heike Threin, Director of Directorate IV
  • Stefan Weisenseel, Director of Directorate VII
  • Jana Freihöfer, Director of Directorate VIII
  • Susanne Schienbein, Senior Manager for Work Safety, Directorate IV
  • Sandra Wiesner, Support-Team Gesundheit (Health), Directorate IV
  • Jörg Feuck, Head of Corporate Communications

Latest information about COVID-19 on the duration of quarantine and isolation can be found on the websites of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and Information portal of the State of Hesse (in German).

For regulations and decisions of the state government of Hesse, please go to the website of the Hessian State Chancellery. For decisions of the city of Darmstadt, please go to the website of the city of Darmstadt.

Students

Social Counselling (Studierendenwerk Darmstadt) offers students support and advice by phone, video or online regarding issues such as job loss and financing problems, right of residence, housing or social security and more. You can also get in touch with the ComeTOgether student team by phone, online or email. Should more personal worries trouble you, please feel free to contact the Psychological Counselling online.

The Financing section of Students Affairs (Studierendenwerk) continues to process all BAföG applications. The application can be submitted at www.bafoeg-digital.de or as a PDF by mail.

The Zentrale Studienberatung und -orientierung (ZSB) (Central Service for Student Advisory and Orientation) will continue to be available for advice on all questions that arise in the current situation regarding studies.

The Studying with Child Service , the Family Service and Social Counselling (Studierendenwerk Darmstadt) with their counselling and support services are still open and available for students with children.

International students can find counselling services and contact persons on the website of the Directorate of International Affairs.

If you need a workplace on the TU campus, you may use free central rooms at the TU for this purpose. You can find these with the application “TU Raum-Check”: www.tu-darmstadt.de/raum-check.

Employees and staff

TU Darmstadt continues to provide according to availability all employees with free self-tests and masks. These are ordered from Directorate III by the departmental offices or management of central facilities and directorates and distributed in the respective area.

Our everyday working life has changed profoundly due to the Corona crisis: Moving towards mobile work, while in parts having to take care of children at home as well, reducing face-to-face contacts to a minimum and so forth. A gradual partial return to on-campus work will be shaped by experiences from the home office phase with digital communication. New work structures have to be developed and designed. In these situations, feelings of insecurity and the desire for help and support can arise.

The TU’s Executive Board would like to explicitly point all employees and staff towards our proven support services provided by the Social Counselling & Conflict Management team. The team members will assist you competently by phone and, on request, by video conference as well.

The TU Darmstadt day-care centres guarantee regular care (under pandemic conditions) at the usual times. In addition, the TU Darmstadt offers employees and students the ad hoc care facility “Fluggis Abenteuer Land”. Further information can be found on the website of the Family Service.

POE (Department of Human Resources and Organisational Development) offers employees and staff virtual course formats and face-to-face events for in-house training, professional development and further education. The whole course programme is published on the website of POE . POE offers customised counselling for senior managers on the subjects of (virtual/hybrid) leadership, management and cooperation including possibly arising challenges due to the current situation.

Our company doctors at the mas are available to assist both employees and managers with offers and advice. There is also a Corona hotline.

For more information about mobile work, please visit the webpage on working mobile from home on a longer-term basis .

In most cases, mobile work is possible with a university-provided mobile device. We have set up secure remote access to private mobile devices for a small number of employees and staff who do not have access to a university-provided mobile phone, tablet or laptop. Please take all necessary precautions and use your private devices responsibly to ensure that the IT systems of TU Darmstadt are not exposed to additional risks. Make sure to have the latest anti-virus software installed and updated regularly on your private devices. Be aware of the risks to TU Darmstadt when working with private devices. The Chief Information Security Officer has compiled the requirements to be met for using private devices on a webpage.

Please note as a TU member with staff management responsibilities, that your employees and staff members must indicate their consent to using their private devices for university work. Please inform them about the importance of data protection. Hence, data may only be stored and saved on Hessenbox and/or TU drives, but not on private devices of any kind. For staff in central administration, access to the central administration drives and to various databases (such as SAP ERP and HCM) is currently only permitted by using university-provided devices. Please contact the respective system administrators to clarify authorisations.

An extended accident insurance cover for employees and staff working mobile from home came into force on 18 June 2021. Employees and staff on mobile work are covered by the statutory accident insurance when working from home. Lately, insurance cover is provided for mobile work to the same extend as for working on site at the university. There is no fully equipped home office with PC and telephone connection necessary. However, the tasks and work performed from home must be directly related to the insured job at the university. Hence, the accident insurance covers the full scope of activities directly linked to the job as if performed at the university. With the amendment of the law, this now also includes walks within one’s own household, for example to fetch a drink or something to eat or to go to the toilet.

The insurance cover, however, does neither apply to activities which require leaving one’s domestic work area nor to any activities which can be attributed to one’s private/personal life (such as running errands, grocery shopping, exercising etc.).

For more information (in German only), please visit the website of the Unfallkasse Hessen (Hessian accident insurance company under public law).

For more information about the organisation of mobile work, please visit the webpages of the Directorate VII.

ZOOM campus licence for students, employees and staff: More information, How-to-use handout and the statement of the Data Security Officer.

In case of sickness, employees and staff need to notify their superior as usual on the first day of sickness. For more information, please visit the website of Directorate VII.

Should employees or staff be unable to work for more than three calendar days, they need to submit a medical certificate of incapacity to work including a likely duration of illness by the next working day at the latest. This complies with the general rule that was in place before the coronavirus pandemic. Detailed information can be found on the Directorate VII website.

The Directorate VII – Human Resources and Legal Affairs continues to recommend using electronic communication methods as much as possible. This also applies to applications for continued employment and recruitment. Please return the completed regular forms electronically via the official channels (putting someone on CC does not suffice, you need to pass on the explicit agreement of the respective person/office responsible).

Please submit applications to increase or reduce working hours, for parental leave, notifications of pregnancy and other matters (such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, change of name, bank details and/or postal address) that are not linked to forms, as necessary, by email. There is no need for any specific form; however, to observe the official channels, please direct your email to the respective person in charge at the Directorate VII .

For more information, please visit the websites of Directorate VII – Human Resources & Legal Affairs.

For more information regarding the amendment to this law (ceiling on fixed-term employment contracts with academic employees in qualifying positions) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the amendment at TU Darmstadt, refer to the website of directorate VII (in German).