“Going beyond regulatory requirements by identifying areas that promote quality of life at work”
With its new program, “Improving Quality of Life at Work and Preventing Psychosocial Risks” (2025–2026), the University of Montpellier reviews the action plan implemented within the institution for the 2023–2024 period and outlines its plans for the next two years. Julie Boiché, Vice President for Social Responsibility, explains.
Why was this program designed to improve workplace well-being and prevent psychosocial risks (PSRs)?
This approach dates back to the establishment’s founding, as initiatives in this direction were already underway as early as 2016. The philosophy behind these plans is to go beyond regulatory requirements by identifying areas that can improve the quality of life at work within the institution and prevent psychosocial risks as much as possible. This approach involves reflecting on the priorities and specific needs of the university’s staff.
Our approach today is to build on previous plans to ensure consistency in our core initiatives, while adapting them based on our evaluations, and to identify new areas for improvement based on the needs, concerns, or challenges we have identified among our staff.
This 2025–2026 program is organized around five key areas, the first of which is risk analysis. How did you go about conducting this analysis, and what indicators did you examine or establish?
Today, we are able to track common indicators over a period of 5 to 6 years, such as staff absenteeism. These figures actually change very little, which is rather reassuring because it reflects stability within the institution. Discussions within the steering committee are encouraging us to go further by not only looking at these fundamental indicators but also by trying to expand on them and cross-reference information sources.
For example, we rely on the EVRP (Occupational Risk Assessment) software, which provides information on psychosocial risks. The growing expertise of prevention officers who have received specialized training ensures that information on this type of risk is better documented.
While all this quantitative data is valuable, the expertise and day-to-day work of the support staff also played a significant role in developing the plan. They are all represented on the steering committee and help shed light on realities that indicators do not always capture.
The second focus area is titled “Promoting Quality of Life at Work Across the Entire Organization,” with a particular challenge regarding remote locations: how can initiatives related to quality of life at work be implemented everywhere?
We aim, as much as possible, to provide remote locations with the same level of information and services as we do in Montpellier. Currently—and this was already part of the previous plan—we systematically consider all initiatives related to workplace well-being, regardless of format (whether in-person, in Montpellier or elsewhere, or remote), in order to reach a wider audience.
We will also be developing a toolkit that will, for example, allow users to access recordings of webinars and materials used during events that some staff members were unable to attend. This toolkit will be available to all staff members; it will also be specifically designed for researchers, faculty members, and Professors we sometimes have difficulty engaging in certain types of initiatives.
Finally, following several successful initiatives of this kind, which have received very positive feedback, we plan to establish a presence for certain support professionals at various remote locations. This local presence is important for disseminating information and effectively referring staff to the appropriate services.
Another aspect of this program focuses on training and communication. What measures has the institution implemented to incorporate these aspects?
When it comes to training, Professors often Professors less Professors existing programs; we will therefore step up our communication efforts so that they can become more familiar with what is available and take advantage of these opportunities.
Another initiative focuses on raising awareness about the support hotline and the reporting system. While many staff members view this system as useful and satisfactory, it appears to be known primarily as a resource for cases of gender-based and sexual violence (VSS). We therefore plan to roll out specific communication materials so that the system is also used in cases where staff members consider themselves victims or witnesses of violence, harassment, or discrimination—whether it be racist, homophobic, or otherwise.
Priority Area 4 is titled “Prevent, Detect, Support.” It involves a wide range of initiatives. Could you explain in detail what this program entails to achieve these goals?
We have implemented several initiatives to improve the onboarding process for staff, including the creation of a guide that lists all the main services and resources available within the UM. Going forward, we will ensure that this guide is distributed to all staff members, including those who join mid-year, and that an English version is made available. Another project involves preparing a memo for supervisors, summarizing what needs to be anticipated to properly welcome someone joining a team.
We are also working on the return of staff members who have been absent for an extended period, particularly due to a serious health issue, which requires our close attention. What should be done in these cases, as a manager or team? How should we approach this? Can we maintain contact beforehand during the absence? How can we prepare for their return and best welcome them back when they resume work? The goal is to formalize possible answers to these questions to help teams navigate these types of situations.
For faculty members, including lecturers, research lecturers, and Professors may not always be aware of certain policies that directly affect their careers, the Human Resources Department plans to provide “fact sheets”
Finally, regarding prevention, we are building on the previous plan by continuing our efforts to address addiction and sedentary lifestyles. While we will continue to raise awareness about these issues, we will also take further steps to provide staff with the tools they need to take concrete action in their work environment.
Finally, the program includes a component focused on formalizing procedures. Why is this important, and how will it be implemented?
These procedures cover two very different situations. The first, which is very rare, concerns employees who have not been heard from and have not submitted a leave request. A flowchart has been developed to determine who should take action and in what order; it has been distributed to the network of HR liaisons. The other, more common procedure concerns the steps to take in the event of an accident or medical emergency, particularly in intermediate situations that do not require intervention by the fire department. Since this procedure is likely to be used more frequently, it is intended for wider distribution.