In order to provide information related to the model change at Semmelweis University we will continuously update this page. Below you can read the most frequently asked questions and the answers to them.
General information
Why is the model change necessary?
Semmelweis University is an internationally renowned and recognized higher education institution. However, the operating framework that determines its day-to-day operations significantly limits a proactive adaptation to the global higher education market, participation in world-class international research activities, and the modernization of clinical patient care. Due to the present environmental limitations, the university has reached the limit of its development. The model change can provide a new direction for its future and creates an opportunity to put the university on a new, dynamic development path.
What benefits will the model change have for the university?
The change in the structural model brings along with it the opportunity for several new, positive changes. Based on a more calculable, longer-term strategy, the action plans and work processes that serve the university’s goals will become more predictable. The administrative burden can decrease, procurement and decisionmaking processes can be simplified, and a more flexible internal structure can be established with more efficient use of the gradually increasing funds flowing into higher education. The new type of employment relationship and the long-term outlook also opens up wider opportunities for human resources strategy, in terms of worker motivation and incentives.
Who will own the properties used by Semmelweis University?
In the course of the model change the buildings currently owned by the state, which the university is currently only the asset manager of, will transfer to the ownership of the university. As a result, the process of renting properties will also be more flexible after August 1.
Who will lead the university?
Dr. Béla Merkely will continue to be the rector of Semmelweis University after the model change; he will continue to lead the institution and the Senate.
What kind of foundation will this be?
It will be a public-interest trust foundation.
What will be the term of the appointment for members of the board of trustees?
The law allows the mandate of the members of the board of trustees to be either for a definite or indefinite term. The minister exercising founder’s rights will decide on this in the founding document of the foundation. Thus the members of the board of trustees will be appointed by the founder – the Minister for Innovation and Technology -, taking into consideration professional criteria as well as the proposals of the university’s leaders and rector.
Who will select the members of the Board of Trustees, and based on what criteria?
The members of the Board of Trustees will be appointed by the founder, i.e. the Minister for Innovation and Technology, based on professional criteria and taking into account the proposals of the university’s leadership and the rector.
Who will be the members of the board of trustees?
The chairman of the board of trustees of the Foundation for National Health Care and Medical Education will be Dr. Gábor Orbán, CEO of pharmaceutical firm Richter Gedeon Nyrt., a member of the Consistory of Semmelweis University, and a former state secretary of the Ministry for National Economy. The other members of the five-person body will be rector Dr. Béla Merkely; Dr. Miklós Szócska, dean of the Faculty of Health and Public Administration and former state secretary for health care; Dr. Péter Gloviczki, Professor and Chair Emeritus of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the US Mayo Clinic; and Dr. Róbert Bedros, chief medical officer of the Szent Imre Hospital and senior advisor to the prime minister.
What rights will the board of trustees have?
The scope of the rights of the board of trustees will be determined by the Civil Code, Acts XIII of 2019 and CVI of 2020 on asset management foundations, and the foundation’s founding document.
What is the guarantee that the university will maintain its autonomy?
The university’s main decisionmaking body after the model change will continue to be the Senate, which intends to exercise its authority with undiminished rights following the model change.
What will the foundation be called?
Foundation for National Health Care and Medical Education
Will some institutions be merged with ones at other universities?
There will not be any mergers with other institutions prior to, or because of the model change.
EMPLOYMENT, legal relationship
A technician co-worker will be a student at the university from September. Can they be employed in their status as technician on a half-time basis?
If the manager exercising employer rights supports it, there is no obstacle to part-time employment.
Does the university plan any changes in the minimum requirements and terms for scientific qualifications within the university (adjunct professor, associate lecturer)?
No such changes are planned.
There are some professionals with non-academic status in clinical education. How will the changes affect them, will they receive added compensation for performing education tasks?
The next salary hikes for medical doctors will be in January 2022 and January 2023. Those health care workers who are not in another legal relationship as instructor or researcher, but who take part in education, are expected to receive added compensation for their work already this year, based on their performance reviews. The Senate has already set aside the required funds in the executive budget for this.
Will instructors working in clinical care also be eligible for the 25 days of added leave?
Those in a health care service legal relationship who also perform instructor duties in another legal relationship are eligible for 25 days of added leave a year, of which the employer can assign for education-related work up to a maximum of 15 days.
If someone did not perform enough research or training to be eligible for the 15 days of added holiday, how can the remaining amount be administrated at the end of the year?
Semmelweis University rounds up the amount of added holiday provided by law to 25, which can be used for further education related to research or education activity or attending conferences. These days cannot be accumulated and are lost at the end of the year if unused.
The SAP system cannot handle instructors’ holidays, how can this be solved?
The SAP system is able to handle this, the holidays for instructors are being kept track of separatly in the system.
What changes will the new system bring for health care professionals?
The public employee status of health care professionals already changed on March 1, 2021 to a health care service legal relationship, so they are not directly affected by the model change.
Unrelated to the model change, the salary hike plan for health care professionals agreed in 2016 will continue: they last saw a 14% rise in their base salary as of January 2020, followed by another 20% increase in November 2020, and a further 30% is planned in January 2022. As a result, their average gross wages are expected to exceed HUF 500,000.
When will those on maternity leave at the time of the salary increases receive their wage hikes?
Those maternity leave will be eligible for the differentiated wage hike once they return to work to the university following their unpaid time off.
Will performance reviews be conducted monthly or every six months?
Performance reviews are planned to take place annually following the model change.
When will workers receive the two 15% salary increases?
Those employees affected by the change in legal relationship will see their total combined salary budget increase by two times 15%, but in a differentiated manner, based on performance. The first step will be on September 1, 2021, meaning it will arrive on their bank accounts in the first days of October. As a one-off event related to the model change, the July salary will be transferred already in the last days of July.
No one’s salary can be less than it was before the model change, although its composition may be different.
Will it be the competence of managers exercising employer rights to decide on how the 15% wage increase is distributed?
Yes, these managers will also take part in the performance evaluation that will determine the extent of the individual’s salary increase.
Who will be my employer?
Semmelweis University will be the employer, while the entity within the university exercising employer rights will remain unchanged.
What will be my legal relationship, what kind of contract will I have?
The length of the public employee legal relationship spent at Semmelweis University has to be included in the new kind of employment relationship established with the model change. The employment of every worker employed either as a public or a health care service employee will continue, as follows:
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The legal relationship status of health care workers will remain unchanged.
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Public employee appointments for an indefinite term will be transformed into fixed-term employment contracts following the signature of the employee.
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Public employee appointments for a fixed term – in line with the term contained in the contract – will be transformed into fixed-term employment contracts following the signature of the employee.
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Probationary periods that have been set but not yet ended will remain in place until the original deadline under the new employment contract.
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Full-time public employee appointments will change to full-time employee contracts, and part-time public employee appointments will change to part-time employee contracts containing the respective work hours.
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PhD and resident employment contracts, as well as contracts for volunteer work – as these were entered into based on the Labor Code even before the model change – will remain in effect unchanged.
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The public education career model – in line with relevant legislation – will remain unchanged.
As a main rule, the place of employment will remain unchanged.
When will employees’ status as public employees end?
The change in employment status resulting from the model change is expected to take place as of August 1, 2021.
Will work hours change due to the model change?
No, work hours will not change as a result of the model change.
Will the place of work change? Will we move to a new building or offices?
No one’s place of work will change with relation to the model change.
As a result of the change in employer and its tax number following the model change, may those on maternity leave at the time of the model change lose their benefits if they have another child before returning to work?
The employer will not change due to the model change. Although the institution’s tax number will change as of August 1, 2021, this is just a technical modification that will not have any detrimental effects on those on maternity leave.
Will the date salaries are paid change?
No, the day when salaries are paid will not change after the model change.
Will working from home be supported following the model change?
In line with Hungary’s Fundamental Law and the Act on the Protection of Families, as well as the intention of university leaders, the university’s Senate unanimously supported the Family-Friendly University Program, of which flexible employment options are an important pillar (in addition to worker benefits and family support). These may include among others part-time working hours, working from home, flexible hours or no set working hours. As the introduction and applicability of these options largely depends on the operating order of the individual organizational unit and the type of work it does, these types of employment will be decided by the person that exercises the employer rights of the given area.
Will the foundation model lead to any changes in worker salaries and benefits?
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The laws guarantee certain types of salaries that will remain in place for employees, i.e. current public employees, despite the change in legal status. These are the following:
Parts of the indefinite-term salary as contained in the appointment document:
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Guaranteed salary (according to the salary table)
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The part of the salary based on the employer’s decision, provided for an indefinite term, included in the appointment document.
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In addition to the items listed in point 1., the university as employer wishes to secure, on its own initiative, that the fixed-term benefits listed below be included as part of the base salary, or remain at the current public employees:
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Semmelweis career model – include as part of base salary
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Benefit related to specific tasks – remain in place until the task is completed
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Allowances – the allowances not included in the Labor Code will form a part of the base salary.
According to Section 2, Paragraph 25/B. of the Act on Public Employees, the salary of the employee (sum total of the base salary, salary allowances and other salary elements determined by law) based on the employment contract cannot be lower than the combined total of the salary before the model change and the salary allowances provided by law or the collective agreement, except if the circumstances forming the basis of a public employee salary allowance no longer apply following signing of the employment contract.
Furthermore, after the model change a complex, performance-based remuneration system will be implemented, in which recognizing worker excellence will be a key aspect.
Will the 15%+15% salary increase apply to every worker after the loss of public-employee status?
The university will receive the funds earmarked for salary increases in a way that it will be able to use it in a differentiated manner, in line with its own human resource development strategy, in order to incentivize workers employed in positions that are now filled by public employees that will be affected by the model change.
Will the termination of public employee status mean we will have fewer holidays?
The number of base holidays and compensatory leave days determined by law will remain unchanged. With regard to the number of compensatory leave days not determined by law, the leadership of the university has agreed to the following in talks with interest organizations:
- Educators will continue to receive 25 educator compensatory leave days per year that can be used to attend conferences or other professional work directly related to education-research activities, but which cannot be rolled over to the following year.
- With regard to compensatory leave days of workers employed as teachers, the provisions for public-sector employees shall apply.
- In addition, each person will start with the number of other compensatory leave days (e.g. for management positions) they were eligible for at the time of the model change.
According to the public medical service contracts introduced as of March 1, 2021, vacation days cannot be accumulated, will this be different after the model change? What options will young mothers with children under the public medical service contract have to use the vacation days they accumulate during their maternity leave?
Our health care workers will remain under the public medical service contracts after the model change as well. Thus the change to a foundation model will not result in any change in how their vacation days are processed, meaning that in their case, the days accumulated prior to March 1, 2021 can be used until the end of 2023. For mothers returning to work from maternity leave, they have to be granted the unused vacation days they accumulated in the previous years within 60 days after they return to work.
Will the system of fringe benefits (“cafeteria”) remain after the model change?
Yes. In addition, according to the agreement between the leadership of the university and interest organizations, the monthly cafeteria amount will increase from net HUF 10,000 to HUF 20,000 as of August 1, 2021.
Will the start-of-school support remain following the model change?
Yes, employees with children starting or continuing their education in public schools will continue to receive the same amount of start-of-school support following the model change as well.
Will the Hungarian Railways (MÁV) discount be eliminated due to the model change?
No, university workers will continue to be eligible for the discount even after August 1.
Does the model change mean I may lose my eligibility for jubilee benefits?
In the first 5 years following the change in legal status, the rules on jubilee benefits laid down in the law on public employees must be applied. After that period, the “Semmelweis Loyalty Reward” will be created, under which workers with 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of continuous service at Semmelweis University will receive a one-time reward equalling one, two, three and four month’s pay, respectively.
For those that would get their jubilee bonus on August 1, 2026, which system will apply? Will they get the jubilee bonus or fall under the new loyalty program?
In the first five years following the model change, i.e. between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2026, workers will be eligible for the jubilee bonus in line with the law on public employees, and this will be replaced as of August 1, 2026 by the “Semmelweis Loyalty Bonus”. According to the loyalty program, workers with 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of continuous employment at Semmelweis University will receive a bonus equal to one, two, three and four months’ pay. The exact details of the program will be worked out in the next five years, taking into consideration that no worker should at a disadvantage compared to the current system, meaning that special temporary rules will also be considered.
How will the onboarding process for new workers change from August 1?
The model change will not bring any fundamental change in the onboarding of new workers.
Can a job opening be posted on the site for public employees (kozigallas.hu) before August 1, the date of the model change, which will be filled after August 1? Do applicants have to be informed that their legal status will change?
As only the currently open positions can be posted on the site, this means only those can be posted that are to be filled before August 1. The employer has to inform employees 30 days prior to the change in their legal status.
Will the period of probation for new workers remain 4 months after the model change?
The Labor Code (Mt.) and the Act on the Status of Health Care Professionals (Eszjtv.) both allow for the probationary period being 4 months. This is not expected to change after August 1, 2021.
What causes for termination will be possible after August 1? Can this be a unilateral process initiated by the employer? In this case, what is the notice period and what remuneration will the employee receive for this period?
In the year following the model change – that is, until August 1, 2022 – the rules of the Act on Public Employees will apply to the termination of employees. After that, the rules of the Labor Code will apply.
As the Act on Public Employees, the Labor Code also allows for termination to be a unilateral process initiated by the employer.
The notice period according to the Labor Code is 30 days. If the process is initiated by the employer, the notice period can be longer, depending the number of years the worker was employed at the university:
- after 3 years, an additional 5 days
- after 5 years, an additional 15 days
- after 8 years, an additional 20 days
- after 10 years, an additional 25 days
- after 15 years, an additional 30 days
- after 18 years, an additional 40 days
- after 20 years, an additional 60 days
The parties can also agree to a longer notice period of maximum 6 months.
If the termination is initiated by the employer, it is required that they exempt the worker from performing their duties for at least half of the notice period. The exemption must be made according to the wishes of the employee, in no more than two parts.
During the notice period the employee is eligible for a payment for the period of absence, except if they would not otherwise be eligible to receive a salary.
Will it continue to be mandatory to suspend my pension if I am employed by the university, even after the model change?
No, according to the current rules the requirement to suspend pension payment if a person is employed by Semmelweis University will cease as of August 1, 2021. The retirement application must be submitted in every case to the university’s human resources department (EGFI), in order to make the necessary changes in contribution deductions.
Will the procedure for retirement change, and if so, how?
The procedure will change in that after August 1, 2021 it will no longer be mandatory to suspend pensions while being employed. As before, the retirement application will have to be submitted to the university’s human resources department (EGFI).
Under what conditions will I be able to request the early retirement offered for women after 40 years of service (including work and child rearing) following August 1, 2021?
The conditions for the early retirement of women will not change due to the model change, the basic condition will remain having 40 years of service on the labor market (including child-rearing years), with at least 32 years of employment (work). Further details about the retirement process relating to your personal situation can be requested from the university’s human resources department (EGFI).
Will there be layoffs due to the model change?
There will not be any group or individual layoffs at the university related to the model change.
Will the university outsource security, maintenance and cleaning tasks to external contractors after the model change?
The model change will not bring any changes in the service tasks mentioned. Security and safety services, including on-site security, is currently handled completely in-house, and will remain so after the model change as well. Maintenance and janitorial services are currently partly handled in-house and partly by outside contractors and partners at the university. The extent to which outside partners will be involved will not increase due to the model change.
Who will represent the interests of workers after the model change?
The Public Employee Council based on the Act on Public Employees will cease operating, and a Works Council will be formed instead, in line with the provisions of the Labor Code. Trade union interest organizations will continue to represent the interests of workers in the same form.
Are there any plans to modernize our work environment as well? Will health prevention programs be continued?
One of the main goals of the model change is to create an opportunity for the complex development of the outdated infrastructure background and limited community spaces. The change could open up new avenues for modernization and the expansion of necessary background capacities. According to long-term plans, green technologies, natural and durable materials, and green areas will be a priority, and increasing the latter is also a strategic goal. There are however already some projects that have started and that will reach their full potential after the model change, such as among others the soon-to-be-started Green University Project.
Will the amount of remuneration for Professor Emeritus titles change following the model change?
No, the model change will not affect the remuneration for Professor Emeritus titles.
Education
Will the state-financed student places in education be eliminated?
No. The change in the operating model will not affect the type, composition, or size of state-financed training programs.
For what time horizon will the state guarantee the number of students it finances?
Legislative guarantees and long-term framework agreements ensure that state-financed education and health care social security financing related to the clinical departments will be sustainable on the long-term, across government cycles.
The state will sign a 15-20-year framework agreement with the university, which will lay down the main direction of developments and which will include financing agreements for 3-5-year cycles, allowing the university to plan for the long term. In this agreement, the state will detail its so-called orders, including the trainings it will finance by field, and the number of students. Furthermore, the university will also have the option to launch additional fee-paying programs.
What will the model change mean for those who have already started their studies?
Ongoing studies will continue in line with the earlier defined training plans and accredited study programs. The purpose of the model change is primarily aimed at optimizing the university’s operating framework and making it more flexible.
Will scholarships, stipends change because of the model change?
The benefits provided to students, such as scholarships, stipends or dormitory placement, will remain unchanged after August 1.
Will the size of tuition fees in the case of paid training programs change due to the model change?
In the case of ongoing studies, the tuition fee will not change. The change in the university’s operator will not affect existing student relationships either in their content or from the financing side of the training. However, determining the size of the tuition will fall within the university’s own competence in the future.
With regard to foreign currency and Hungarian for-fee training, the size of the tuition will continue to be determined by the quality of the programs, the value of the Semmelweis brand, tuition fees changed by international competitors, and the labor demand of the Hungarian health sciences sector.
Will the model change affect the tuition fees paid by international students?
In the case of ongoing studies, the tuition fee will not change. The change in the university’s operator will not affect existing student relationships either in their content or from the financing side of the training. However, determining the size of the tuition will fall within the university’s own competence in the future.
Will the model change affect the acceptance, the recognition process of diplomas within or outside the EU?
The recognition of the diplomas received from the university will not be affected by the model change.
Semmelweis University will continue to provide quality training programs resulting in internationally equivalent diplomas that meet the conditions of the WHO and the European Communities, and which also meet the Hungarian system of requirements and reflect the international recognition that the faculties have gained over several hundred years.
Will doctorates acquired abroad be automatically accepted following the model change, or will it still be required to recognize the equivalency of these diplomas?
The model change will not affect the process of recognizing foreign diplomas.
Will the public education institutions, such as kindergartens, belonging to the university be allowed to conduct business activity after the model change, i.e. can they have their own revenues?
There will be no change in this respect compared to the current rules following the model change.
Research
How will the model change affect ongoing or planned National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), European Research Council (ERC), or other grants?
The change in maintainer resulting from the model change will not affect ongoing grant programs; in these cases, there will only be an administrative reporting requirement toward the managing authorities after August 1, 2021. Guidance on this should be requested from the financial officers of the organizational units. The grant contracts relating to the applications, and thus the feasibility of the program objectives, are not endangered by the model change. Semmelweis University will remain the applicant for all new and ongoing grant applications.
All institutions will enjoy equal opportunities when applying for Hungarian or EU grants, regardless of whether they are operated by the state or by asset management foundations. In certain cases, there may be differences in the proportion of the required contribution provided by the institution for EU grant applications.
Under the new model, is it possible that the procurement of certain chemicals, equipment, etc. needed for research will be simpler?
The university’s leadership expects some administrative and procurement processes to become simpler due to the model change. Several current process limitations will cease to exist, thus the efficiency of economic and administrative processes related to research, education, health care and general operations will be able to increase.
Patient care
Will social security-financed patient care be discontinued in the foundation model?
No. The university’s social security-financed patient care activity will remain unchanged.
For what time horizon will the state guarantee social security financing for health care operations?
Legislative guarantees and long-term framework agreements ensure that health care social security financing related to the clinical departments will be sustainable on the long-term, across government cycles.
The state will sign a 15–20-year framework agreement with the university, which will lay down the main direction of developments and which will include financing agreements for 3–5-year cycles, allowing the university to plan for the long term.