For the optimal integration of new employees from all faculties and units, regular university onboarding training has been introduced, and a Handbook for Employees of CU has been created. Based on a survey of employee satisfaction as a part of the gender audit, measures were implemented to enhance workplace flexibility. These include flexible working hours, remote working, and clear guidelines for personal leave and development days.

Additionally, a range of new activities and programmes in the area of well-being have been introduced, offering events and workshops to improve physical and mental health and support social interaction at the workplace. Yoga courses, counselling days focusing on prevention and measuring selected blood parameters, regular trips, psychological and legal counselling are highly popular. Employees can also take advantage of free coaching that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

In 2023, the Centre for the Care of the Soul was established, which integrates spiritual guidance, counselling, and therapy.

Staff Welcome Centre (SWC) and the Bilingual Environment

Shortly after receiving the HR Award, the Charles University Staff Welcome Centre (SWC) was established in 2020 as a centre for international employees. This centre offers comprehensive assistance on the mobility of researchers, minimizing the bureaucracy associated with arriving in the Czech Republic and also assisting their family members throughout their stay.

Visa requirements and mandatory contributions abroad are the main areas of the centre’s expertise, and anyone at CU who is unsure of procedures will find methodological support here. The SWC also coordinates Czech language courses for newcomers in collaboration with the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies, to help them acclimate to the Czech Republic as quickly as possible. This has significantly streamlined the onboarding process for foreign researchers at CU, with the SWC serving as a central support hub. An integral part of its activities is also the creation of methodologies to unify HR processes in this area. Additionally, the SWC coordinates language education for employees. Under the guidance of the Language Centre of the Faculty of Arts, CU employees improve their skills in English, Spanish, German, and French. Language education has been complemented by a specifically targeted semester-long course, “Professional Skills in English.“

Since 2020, documents and web pages at CU have been systematically translated. The demand for translation services is increasing and the university is making strides to ensure that every text, relevant to Czech and international colleagues, is communicated in both languages (Czech and English). Thus, English is gradually becoming the second language of the university, and the international community of researchers and students has equal access to information. This trend is ongoing and must continue, hence this activity has also been included in the new action plan for 2024–2026.