I write this editorial onboard my flight to Vienna. There we have Allgemeine Krankenhaus, the hospital where Ignaz Semmelweis demonstrated the connection between doctors and midwives’ lack of hand hygiene and the prevalence of puerperal fever. Our class at medical school visited the hospital and were able to follow an excellent round from an undoubtedly important professor with a looooong tail of people behind….. Good memories! Maybe I will have time to stop by again, although my mission is now to focus on genetics and not the environment by giving a lecture on monogenic diabetes at the annual meeting of the European Study Group for Pediatric Endocrinology.

These types of congresses provide important academic replenishment. The funding of travel and accommodation changed drastically many years ago to maintain clearer lines between university and health care professionals and for-profit businesses, which I think was right in terms of potential competition as well as individual loyalty. That brings me to side line jobs, and our duty to update them twice a year.

By side line jobs is meant job placement, job acquisition, assignments and assignments that an employee at UiB has outside his / her position at UiB, regardless of whether the work or job is paid or not. Work carried out for an enterprise or company wholly or partly owned by the employee is also regarded as a side line job.

The principles for side line jobs can be found in UiB’s Regelsamling (Norwegian only) and apply to all UiB employees, irrespective of the category of job and the number of positions. They must protect our reputation and the trust and integrity of the employees. There should be openness about side line jobs that may have an impact on the work of the university. Everyone must report on their own side assignment on their own initiative.

The following need not be registered: Membership in external review committees, referee for professional journals, assignments as external examiner, professional assignments that accompany main position or individual minor assignments in teaching or dissemination at other institutions, or unpaid appointments of limited scope for non-profit institutions.

The following must be reported: Side line jobs that may be in competition with the University’s activities, are of a long or extensive nature, and may cast doubt on the employee’s loyalty, willingness or ability to carry out his work at the University in the manner indicated by the position and the University’s purpose, and persistently use of the university’s resources and infrastructure.

Applications for side line jobs are evaluated according to the University’s principles for side line jobs, see above. Both registration of page tasks that require approval, and those that are only to be registered, are done in Pagaweb. Information about the side line jobs is stored there and will be made publicly available.

The Department Head approves or rejects applications. Rejection of an application can be appealed to the Faculty Board or the University Director. Violation of the principles of side-tasks can lead to personnel consequences under the Civil Service Act and other reactions under the rules of default in the civil service.

This may seem negative? No, side assignments are positive as long as it does not hamper or slow down our regular work, can damage the university’s reputation, or mix its own and the university’s resources.

Have a great weekend!