Working hours for teaching staff

Content on this page:

• Working hours agreement for teaching staff
• Annual working hours for teaching staff
• Overtime and additional hours
• Distribution of duties 

Working hours agreement for teaching staff

The annual working hours for teaching staff are regulated in the working hours agreement for teaching staff.

Teaching staff refers to the following categories, as defined in Lund University’s Appointment Rules:

• Professors and visiting professors.
• Adjunct professors.
• Senior lecturers.
• Adjunct senior lecturers.
• Associate senior lecturers.
• Postdocs.
• Lecturers.
• Adjunct lecturers.

Annual working hours for teaching staff

Total annual working hours for teaching staff are:

• 1 756 hours for employees with 28 days of annual leave
  (until the year you turn 29).
• 1 732 hours for employees with 31 days of annual leave
  (from the year you turn 30)
• 1 700 hours for employees with 35 days of annual leave
  (from the year you turn 40)

All your duties should be encompassed in your annual working hours. Time spent on duties as a head of department, director of studies and similar roles is regulated separately in the individual agreement for the role.

In case of approved leave, illness, unused annual leave, etc., the total annual working hours are to be adjusted accordingly.

The total annual working hours for teaching staff also apply to doctoral students, teaching assistants and clinical assistants.

Overtime and additional hours

Overtime and additional hours should not normally occur. When they do occur, they are to be ordered or approved retroactively by the head of department or equivalent.

If a need arises to carry out specific unplanned duties, the first step should be to redistribute tasks.

During a calendar year, you may work no more than 175 hours of additional hours and no more than 150 hours of overtime. You may work no more than 200 hours of additional hours and overtime combined. 

Overtime is hours in excess of ordinary full-time hours. Additional hours are hours in excess of ordinary part-time hours and on-call hours.

You are not obliged to work overtime if you are on part-time sick leave or statutory leave of absence. If you have taken partial retirement, you may work no more than 25 hours of additional hours and 25 hours of overtime in a calendar year.

If you are a doctoral student, teaching assistant or clinical assistant, you cannot be ordered to work overtime.

Evening and weekend teaching

For teaching after 18:00 and teaching on Saturdays and Sundays, salary supplements are paid in accordance with the applicable local agreement on fees for hourly-paid teaching and for evening and weekend teaching.

Distribution of duties

There is to be a balance between the various normally occurring duties of a member of teaching staff and the distribution of annual working hours over the calendar year. The distribution of duties (the duties plan) can take the form of a documented plan stretching over a maximum of three years. The distribution of your duties depends on your post. Time spent on assignments like director of studies or to be a board member is not included in the duties plan.

Professors, visiting professors, adjunct professors

Professors should normally spend the major part of their annual working hours, allocated in the duties plan,, on research, and on the teaching and supervision of research students. You should also participate in teaching of undergraduate and Master’s students.

Senior professors

The duties of a senior professor are regulated in the individual agreement for the role. You should normally spend the majority of your annual working hours on research.

You can also participate in teaching of undergraduate and Master’s students and in the teaching and supervision of research students.

Senior lecturers

Senior lecturers and adjunct senior lecturers should normally spend time on both teaching and research. The part of your working hours used for education should normally amount to a maximum of 70 per cent on average for the period of the duties plan.

Other duties should normally amount to at least 30 per cent of working hours, with at least 20 per cent being research and professional development.

Postdocs, associate senior lecturers, research fellows

Postdocs, associate senior lecturers and research fellows are to spend the major part of their annual working hours allocated in the duties plan on research.

You are to have the opportunity to undertake training in higher education teaching and learning and to participate in teaching of undergraduate and Master’s students in order to gain the experience necessary for future promotion to senior lecturer and professor.

Lecturers

Lecturers and adjunct lecturers should normally spend the major part of their annual working hours allocated in their duties plan on teaching. The part of annual teaching hours in the duties plan spent on teaching activities should normally amount to a maximum of 80 per cent on average for the period of the duties plan.

Other duties should normally amount to at least 20 per cent of working hours, with at least 10 per cent being professional development. Research studies may be included where relevant.

Duties plans for teaching staff

Your annual working hours should be planned for each calendar year and result in a duties plan. The planning should take place in consultation with you and your manager, and the plan is to be approved by the head of department or equivalent.