The Working Group for Equal Opportunities is a body established by the Senate of the MedUni Vienna. Its term of office is 3 years. The Working Group is composed of 12 members and 12 substitute members, representing the professors, the academic staff, the general staff and the students. It is elected by the respective professional groups or delegated by the Student Union.
The Working Group for Equal Opportunities advises and supports all university members in equality issues and in cases of discrimination, (sexual) harassment or bullying. It is independent and not bound by any external instructions.
If you have been affected by discrimination, (sexual) harassment or bullying, you may report such incidents, also anonymously, either to the Working Group’s office or directly to any of the Working Group’s members. Each case will be treated confidentially. No intervention will be made without your prior consent. For more detailed information, click here.
Discrimination occurs when comments are made about an individual on the basis of their gender, ethnicity, religion or belief, age or sexual orientation, and when actions in that context or any other actions that put an individual at a disadvantage are taken based on non-objective differentiation.
Direct discrimination occurs when an individual is treated less favourably because of any of the above characteristics.
Indirect discrimination occurs when apparently neutral rules, criteria or procedures adversely affect individuals on the basis of the above-mentioned characteristics, unless there are special grounds of justification.
Sexual harassment means any behaviour of a sexual nature which undermines the dignity of another individual and is deemed unwelcome by the person affected.
This includes physical, verbal and non-verbal assault. Sexualized images or gestures may also constitute sexual harassment.
Further information can be found at intranet.meduniwien.ac.at/antidiscrimination.
Bullying refers to any conflict-laden communication among colleagues or between superiors and employees, or among students or between students and teaching staff, which persists over a longer period of time and leaves the affected individual in an inferior position. This includes, for instance, refusal of contact or systematic isolation, exertion of pressure through insults or threats, systematic deterioration in the quality of work tasks assigned, attacks on the social reputation of the person concerned, or violence or threats of violence.
The tasks of the University’s Arbitration Committee include (cf. University Act UG § 43)
- Mediating in disputes between university members
- Ruling on complaints by the Working Group for Equal Opportunities with regard to discrimination or violation of the duty of career advancement for women or the University’s Career Advancement Plan for Women and Equal Opportunities Plan as the result of a decision taken by a university governing body
- Deciding on objections claiming an incorrect composition of the Working Group for Equal Opportunities or on objections claiming that the election proposal of the Working Group for Equal Opportunities is inadequate.
Complaints to the Arbitration Committee have a suspensive effect! (e.g. on the appointment of staff members)