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11 August 2021 | Story Dr Cindé Greyling | Photo Supplied
Leading a happy and productive workplace - Susan van Jaarsveld

Susan van Jaarsveld is the Senior Director: Human Resources at the University of the Free State. Since the HR department is the ‘go-to person’ for all employee-related matters, her duties involve managing activities such as recruitment and selection, employee relations, performance management, training and development, and talent management. “As the employees are the most important asset, we have to ensure a happy and productive workplace,” she explains. 

What is the best thing about your job?
You always move between what is good for the UFS and what is good for the employees, and you have to build that bridge and find a good balance. The best part is that you can really make a difference – for an employee or a team – by helping them to let their (hidden) talents come to life and helping them realise their dreams.

What is the best and worst decision you have ever made?
Two of the best decisions I ever made were to have my two amazing children. They have enriched my life and I cannot imagine a world without them in it. I made many bad decisions, but I choose not to dwell on those. In hindsight, many of these bad decisions taught me valuable life lessons and also led me to wonderful new opportunities.

What was/is the biggest challenge of your career?
The biggest challenge throughout my career was to balance my work and home life. This is certainly a challenge that many people, especially women, can relate to. It means constantly feeling guilty. When I was at work, I felt guilty that I’m missing out on important parts of my children’s lives, and I felt guilty when I was spending time with my family and not working. My children are both grown-up now and maintaining a balance between my home and work life has become easier.

What does the word woman mean to you?
Being a woman is complicated, multi-faceted, and often unfair. Womanhood is about strength, love, and compassion; a human being who can be powerful and assertive and kind at the same time.

Which woman inspires you, and why?
I am inspired by South African women, the single mothers who raise their children in difficult circumstances, the ones who make ends meet every day, the CEOs who manage big companies successfully, the ones who are battered and bruised by life and other people but still keep going, the health workers who are carrying us through this COVID-19 pandemic, the ones who stand up against injustice and say, ‘when you strike a woman, you strike a rock’.

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?
You are enough! Relax and enjoy life to the fullest.

What is the one self-care thing that you do? 
I exercise regularly, it helps me to stay healthy in body and mind.

What makes you a woman of quality, impact, and care?
I choose to be positive, fair, and caring in everything I do. It is a privilege to be part of the UFS, where I strive to continuously improve the institutional culture, together with a very supporting and competent team. Care (commitment, attraction, retention, excellence) is the acronym that best describes the vision of the HR team; we care and incorporate this into every initiative we undertake. 

News Archive

UFS awards centenary bonuses to staff
2004-11-25

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award a special Centenary bonus of R3000 (three thousand rand) to all qualifying staff in December 2004 .

As far as general salary increases for 2005 are concerned, plus an inflation- based linked salary increase adjustment of 1,4 percent and a further 4,6 percent salary increase as a final dividend from the financial turn-around strategy that began in 2000, will be instituted .

  • The final percentage salary increase is dependent on whether the expected government subsidy, of which the UFS must still receive notification from the Department of Education, is received.
  • , if the expected government subsidy realizes .
  • In addition, the salaries of service workers in low remuneration groups, as well as full professors have been adjusted retroactively to 1 January 2004. This restructuring was agreed upon to address market-related backlogs for these two groups , who display the biggest backlog relative to comparable institutions . A similar professional bench-marking exercise for support service staff has not been finalised.

This agreement was signed on Wednesday 24 November 2004 between the UFS Council and the UVPERSU-NEHAWU Joint Forum regarding salary negotiations for 2005.

“With this Centenary bonus and the significant above-inflation salary increase payment the UFS wants to pay recogni se tion to the sterling role that staff

have played in a difficult period of transition and fast growth and the contributions that they made to promote excellence at the UFS to a

university of excellence,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-

Chancellor of the UFS.

He said that the extra payment of this final 4,6 percent increase due to benefit from the financial turn-around strategy means that in real terms average salaries at the UFS had increased over the past 3 to 4 years by well over more that the 15 percent target that was set initially.

According to Prof Fourie all staff members who were in the employ of the UFS on UFS conditions of service on 15 November 2004 and who assumed duties before 1 October 2004, will qualify for the bonus. The same criteria will apply as for the 2004 bonuses.

However, there are some exceptions who do not qualify for the bonus eg learning facilitators, professors extraordinary, affiliated lecturers, departmental assistants, laboratory assistants, student help, all staff appointed for less than 20 hours per week, persons who are paid on a claims basis etc.

“Although the UFS’s actual subsidy amount is not yet known, an increase of 6,6 % in the total remuneration costs was budgeted for in the budget serving before the Executive Management and Council. It was further agreed with the UVPERSU-NEHAWU Joint Forum that the first 6 % increase will be used as general pensionable salary adjustment with implementation date 1 January 2005,” said Prof Fourie.

According to Prof Fourie the agreement also applies to all staff members of the Qwaqwa and Vista campuses whose conditions of service are already aligned with those of the main campus.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
25 November 2004

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