{"id":113897,"date":"2020-05-25T11:25:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T09:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=113897"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:56","slug":"this-woman-started-in-a-new-job-at-eur-in-the-middle-of-the-coronavirus-crisis-so-far-ive-only-met-four-of-my-colleagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/05\/25\/this-woman-started-in-a-new-job-at-eur-in-the-middle-of-the-coronavirus-crisis-so-far-ive-only-met-four-of-my-colleagues\/","title":{"rendered":"This employee started in a new job at EUR in the middle of the coronavirus crisis: \u2018So far I\u2019ve only met four of my colleagues\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laur\u00e8l Manden serves as the personal assistant to Roelien Ritsema van Eck, one of the three members of EUR\u2019s Executive Board. She started in her new position on 1 April. During her first three days on the job, she worked at the office, but after that, the coronavirus crisis forced her to start working from home. \u201cSo far, I\u2019ve only met four of my colleagues in person.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Laur\u00e8l Manden's home office <\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

When Manden entered the Erasmus Building on her first day on the job, the campus had been closed for two weeks. \u201cI\u2019d arranged with Ren\u00e9 Karens (Head of Executive Affairs \u2013 ed.) and the HR department that I\u2019d be allowed to visit the office on my first few days to arrange all sorts of things,\u201d she tells us. For instance, she explored the workspaces and picked up a PC allowing her to work from home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went through a regular job application procedure,\u201d Manden says, looking back. She met Ritsema van Eck during her job interviews in February. She also met her direct colleagues \u2013 Bibi van der Hijde and Marlou Deckers \u2013 and the Head of the Executive Affairs department, Ren\u00e9 Karens. But two weeks before she was due to start in her new job, the university closed its doors. \u201cSo since that time, I haven\u2019t met anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Extraordinary time<\/h2>

By now she has installed a desk in her bedroom, thus allowing the room to be turned into a home office during the day. Working remotely isn\u2019t always easy, she admits, particularly when you\u2019re getting started in a new job. \u201cIt means there are no colleagues around whom you can tap on the shoulder if you have any questions or have got stuck on something,\u201d she goes on to say. \u201cFortunately, Bibi and Marlou, in particular, are helping me find my way.\u201d Every day at the same time they have a video meeting to discuss their work agenda\u2019s. In addition, if Manden has any questions, she can ask them in a WhatsApp group.<\/p>\n

It is obvious to Manden that she switched jobs at an extraordinary time. \u201cMost of the decisions that need to be made are coronavirus-related. Of course, regular affairs have to be dealt with as well, but many meetings are being postponed or rescheduled, such as important meetings between the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board. Generally, such meetings are scheduled during the summer months, but now we\u2019re arranging for them to take place soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Home away from home<\/h2>

From her bedroom office, Manden will start each day with an online Teams-meeting with her colleagues at Executive Affairs. These meetings aren\u2019t just about work-related matters, but about people\u2019s private lives as well. \u201cEveryone is given the chance to share his or her story,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of weird, really, because I\u2019ve only met Ren\u00e9, Bibi and Marlou in person, but thanks to our calls, I feel like I really know the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Manden, the team is very understanding of tricky working-from-home situations. \u201cI have a baby boy who is nine months old, and at first I felt pretty uneasy about having to divide my attention between my work and my child during work hours,\u201d she tells us. However, her colleagues are very understanding. \u201cFor instance, when my partner and I both have online meetings at the same time, they don\u2019t mind when I have my son in my lap every once in a while.\u201d She likes working at EUR. \u201cThe team felt like my home away from home in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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