Help & Support

The confidentiality of contacts with the bodies mentioned in this chapter and of information provided by the person contacting them is safeguarded as far as possible. However, confidentiality is excluded in cases where the disclosure of information is mandatory by virtue of legal or regulatory provisions, legal proceedings or when it is necessary to preserve the overriding interests of EPFL or the public. The identity of the person making the report is also disclosed to those mandated to carry out the procedure.

The EPFL Trust and Support Network brings together internal and external EPFL bodies whose task is to provide listening, guidance and initial support. These bodies are available to members of the EPFL community and provide targeted support at all times, according to needs, with a mandate to provide initial support in situations of harassment, discrimination, and any other inappropriate behavior or psychosocial risks.

The TSN manager is responsible for coordinating the various bodies described above and can be called upon for advice or guidance.

• The Student Affairs (SAE): The SAE offers a listening ear, information and confidential advice¹ to the PhD Students through the social and psychotherapeutic consultation. The person in charge of the SAE can take the necessary measures to try to resolve a problematic situation.
• Doctoral school (EDOC): The EDOC offers listening, information and confidential advice¹ to PhD Students. It can take the necessary measures to try to resolve a problematic situation. It ensures that the person who has requested it receives the necessary support and assistance.
• Equal Opportunity Office (EGA): The Equal Opportunity Officer offers a listening ear, information and confidential advice¹ to the entire EPFL community.
• Human Resources Managers (HR managers): HR managers are at the service of staff members (PhD students, employees, professors, managers) to support and accompany them in the management of their work relationships. This includes conflict prevention and the identification of solutions according to needs and in compliance with the legal framework. HR managers are responsible for ensuring confidentiality¹.
• Health Point: Consultations, listening and advice in complete confidentiality. The Health Point: is composed of two entities: Health at work, which offers consultations for EPFL employees and PhD Students as well as for faculty members in the context of specific occupational health risks, and nursing consultations, open to all EPFL members. The nurses, medical assistants and doctors of these services are subject to professional secrecy.
• Spiritual care service: Discussion, sharing, individual or group meetings, learning. Spiritual care service is a place to meet and support anyone who is going through difficult personal, family or spiritual times. Chaplains are available to offer a listening ear, advice and practical help to people in difficulty in complete confidentiality. Spiritual care service is a place of welcome and respect where each person is considered unique and valuable, regardless of his or her beliefs or spiritual, sexual or other orientation.

1. In certain circumstances, the person consulted may be required to act and to share information with the persons concerned or with third parties. As a general rule, the student will be asked for permission to share confidential information with third parties.

2. Confidentiality is guaranteed, except in cases involving criminal law.

Person of Trust: The Person of Trust is a professional in conflict management and law. He or she listens, advises and, if necessary, refers to the right people for any type of problem encountered in the workplace (demotivation, malaise, burnout, work overload, communication problems, tensions, disagreements, conflicts, violence, moral and sexual harassment, etc.). He or she can also propose mediation. The Person of Trust can also be called upon by EPFL students. She deals with requests submitted to her by staff members, PhD Students or the students, in the best interests of the consultants, in a totally independent manner and with a guarantee of complete confidentiality and anonymity.

All these internal and external services and bodies may, with the agreement of the person concerned, transfer a situation to another body in the network or to the Respect Compliance Office for a Formal Complaint, depending on the person’s needs.

If possible, clarify the situation and state what you consider to be inappropriate behaviour. In cases of conflict, it is recommended that this initial contact be made with the person concerned. The Trust and Support Network can help you prepare for this discussion if you wish.

Do not hesitate to note what happened, where, when and in what context the event took place and who may have witnessed it. These notes will be important in substantiating the facts.

It is always a good idea to speak quickly to someone you trust in your immediate circle: family, friends, classmates, The Student Affairs (SAE), the Student Services Desk or your doctor.

However, do not wait to ask for help.

In addition, if you feel that your health or personality has been affected, you can contact one of the Trust and Support Network offices, as you wish.

• The Student Affairs Service (SAE) for: listening, advice, relay and intervention, through the social consultation [email protected] and the psychotherapeutic consultation. [email protected]
• The Equal Opportunity Office (EGA) for: listening, counseling and relay, [email protected]
• The Health Point: (nursing consultations) for: consultations, listening and advice in complete confidentiality, [email protected]
• The person in charge of the Trust and Support Network for: listening, advice, relay [email protected]
• Spiritual care service for listening, advice and relay, [email protected]
• The Person of Trust (external and independent authority): mediation, listening, advice and relay, [email protected]

• Your thesis director/mentor for: listening, advice and intervention ;
• The program director for: listening and intervention ;
• The Student Affairs (SAE) for: listening, advice, relay and intervention, through the social consultation [email protected] and psychotherapeutic consultation. [email protected]
• Assistant to the VP Postgraduate Education: listening and intervention ;
• Your HR Manager for: listening, advice and intervention ;
• Occupational health ;
  • The Health Point: (nursing consultations) for: consultations, listening and advice in complete confidentiality, [email protected] ;
  • Occupational medicine for: consultations, listening and advice in complete confidentiality, [email protected] ;
• Spiritual care service for listening, counseling and relay, [email protected] ;
• The person in charge of the Trust and Support Network for: listening, advice, relay [email protected] ;
• The Person of Trust (external and independent body): mediation, listening, advice and relay, [email protected] ;

• Your direct hierarchy, superior or above for: listening and intervention ;
• Your HR Manager for: listening, advice and intervention ;
• The Equal Opportunity Office (EGA) for: listening, counseling and relay, [email protected]
• The Health Point: (nursing consultations) for: consultations, listening and advice in complete confidentiality, [email protected]
• The person in charge of the Trust and Support Network for: listening, advice, relay [email protected]
• Spiritual care service for listening, advice and relay, [email protected]
• The person in charge of the Trust and Support Network for: listening, advice, relay [email protected] ;
• The Person of Trust (external and independent authority): mediation, listening, advice and relay, [email protected]

• Your Dean or Director of the college, for listening and intervention ;
• The Person of Trust (external and independent authority): mediation, listening, advice and relay, [email protected]
• Your HR Manager for: listening, advice and intervention ;
• The Equal Opportunity Office (EGA) for: listening, counseling and relay, [email protected]
• The Health Point: (nursing consultations) for: consultations, listening and advice in complete confidentiality, [email protected]
• The person in charge of the Trust and Support Network for: listening, advice, relay [email protected]
• Spiritual care service for listening, advice and relay, [email protected]
• The person in charge of the Trust and Support Network for: listening, advice, relay [email protected] ;

It is important to note that breaches of scientific misconduct must be reported to the EPFL Scientific Ombudsperson (see sub-chapter “Scientific misconduct” below).

Any employee, student or teacher who feels that his or her health or personality has been violated in the context of his or her activities or studies at EPFL may file a complaint. To initiate a formal complaint, a written complaint must be addressed to the Respect Compliance Office (RCO). The Respect Compliance Office is composed of a Respect Compliance Officer and other representative members of the EPFL community. This body acts in complete independence. All its members are subject to official secrecy.

The Respect Compliance Office advises on resolution solutions such as mediation, HR follow-up or any other action or form of support deemed appropriate. These solutions require the support of both parties: the complainant and the respondent.

You can send your Formal Complaints or contact the Respect Compliance Office ([email protected]).

If a situation cannot be dealt with by consensus or through the Respect Compliance Office, the latter, with the assistance of the Direction of Legal Affairs, will draw up a report for the attention of the EPFL President in order to explain the situation and propose additional investigation measures (audit, administrative or disciplinary investigation). When such investigations are ordered, they are entrusted to independent external experts. However, when the complaint concerns a student, the investigations are conducted by the bodies designated in the Ordinance of the EPFL on disciplinary measures.

On the basis of the facts established following a formal investigation, the EPFL President takes appropriate measures, including sanctions, when individuals are found responsible for unlawful acts. Sanctions are decided in particular according to the seriousness of the facts established and the degree of negligence or intention of the person responsible, as well as the risk of recidivism. They may range from a warning to dismissal or, for students, from a reprimand to exclusion from EPFL.

The person who has lodged a complaint with the Respect Compliance Office or the Ombudsperson may request assistance from the RCO in the form of five sessions of psychological support given by an approved therapist (by the professional body concerned). In case of justified need, this number of sessions may be increased to ten.

The person implicated by a complaint (filed with the Respect Compliance Office or the Ombudsperson) may also request psychological support under the same conditions as in the previous paragraph. However, EPFL will not pay for such support if, at the end of the procedure, the respondent is judged to be responsible for an attack on his/her personality or health.

If the complaint is made in good faith, EPFL will do its utmost to ensure that the person making the complaint will not suffer any professional or academic prejudice as a result of his or her action and will be able to do so without fear of intimidation, reprisals or discrimination. It is therefore prohibited to dismiss an employee for this reason.

If you witness such a situation, which does not directly affect your own health or personality, you can first contact the Trust and Support Network. You can also file a formal report with one of the following whistleblowing bodies (not with the Respect Compliance Office, which deals with complaints filed by people who are victims of such behavior):

• EPFL Ombudsperson for the reporting of harassment or psychosocial risks
  The Ombudsperson is an external body, independent of EPFL. Its task is to examine reports of misconduct on the part of EPFL members that are submitted to it and to examine – from a legal point of view – their admissibility. If the alleged facts justify an investigation, the Ombudsperson then forwards the file to the EPFL President. It is important to specify that the Ombudsperson for reports related to harassment or psychosocial risks is a different body from the EPFL Scientific Ombudsperson (see below “Scientific misconduct”).
  

  Contact :
  Me Isabelle Salomé Daïna, BMG Avocats
  [email protected]

• Conciliation Commission according to the Law on Equality for the ETH Domain personnel
  This commission informs and advises the parties (employer, employees) in the event of disputes falling within the scope of the Equality Act and concerning the employment relationship within the ETH Domain. Its objective is to reach an amicable settlement of the dispute in an oral procedure in order to avoid legal action. The Conciliation Commission does not pass judgement. It deals with cases confidentially, but not anonymously.
• ETH Board Ombuds Office
  An independent office of the ETH Board registers complaints about ethically incorrect behavior.
  The ETH Board Ombuds Office (E-Mail: [email protected]) is an independent body. The office is responsible for receiving, on a subsidiary basis, reports from members of the ETH Domain about unlawful or unethical behavior that they have experienced in the course of their work within the ETH Domain. The subsidiary nature of the ombudsman service means that improper conduct must be reported, first and foremost within the ETH or research institution concerned, to the higher authorities or, if this is deemed preferable, to the competent department of the institution in question.
• Whistleblowing Unit of the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO)
  If you are a person employed by the Confederation, you cannot be harmed in your professional position and are protected against dismissal. You can report this type of offence or inappropriate behaviour to the Swiss Federal Audit Office, internet link.).

All that is required is a valid suspicion of a criminal act or other irregularities. You do not need any proof. The Swiss Federal Audit Office treats reports confidentially. You can also contact them anonymously.

In accordance with Article 22a of the Loi sur le personnel de la Confédération (LPers), employees are obliged to report all crimes and misdemeanours of which they have knowledge or which have been brought to their attention in the course of their duties to the criminal prosecution authorities, to their superiors or to the Swiss Federal Audit Office.