UCundinamarca will implement the EFR model

With the aim of becoming the first public university in the country to implement the Family-Friendly Company Model – EFR, UCundinamarca, from the area of University Social Responsibility – RSU, of the Directorate of Social Interaction – ISU, its goal for the second half of 2021 to direct all actions towards achieving this goal.

The initiative, which has been under evaluation since the second half of 2020, aims to raise awareness and institutionally integrate the importance of work-life balance. According to the European foundation Másfamilia, “work-life balance is now a strategic issue for organizations, as it significantly impacts their results through numerous variables such as reputation, social responsibility and sustainability, commitment, compensation efficiency, diversity, equal opportunities, and the well-being and health of the organization.”.

“This model is consistent with the Digital and Transmodern Educational Model – MEDIT and is oriented towards deploying its family dimension with the distinctive seal of the university community combined with the best international practices,” said Víctor Hugo Londoño, director of University Social Interaction.

It is worth highlighting that the EFR model is advancing internationally to provide answers regarding balance, responsibility and respect for the reconciliation of family and work life with the purpose of reversing or changing the socio-labor model that exists in some countries, that is, in addition to improving the conditions within organizations, one of its purposes is that quality time with families is a priority for everyone.

For its part, the Másfamilia Foundation states that there are currently 66 active certified entities in Colombia under the EFR program, five of which are universities, and two of which have already achieved excellence. There are four certified public entities and five entities of a mixed nature.

“Implementing the efr 3000-1 edition 2 standard, a model for managing work-life balance in educational institutions, will contribute to strengthening Social Responsibility as an Institutional Management System. It is a people-centered management model,” explained Patricia Gil, head of University Social Responsibility (USR).

The role of technology

While it is true that companies certified as EFR promoted technology-mediated work even before the COVID-19 health emergency, it has now gained more strength as a safe and responsible practice.

In our context, translocality allows us to work or study from anywhere. This year, UCundinamarca has demonstrated that technology-mediated work has not hindered the excellent results of institutional management, a fact that aligns with the intentions of this new management model.

A job with responsibility

University Social Responsibility refers to the way in which companies manage the impacts that derive from their mission functions, as well as from their operation as an organization.

During the first academic period of 2021, at UCundinamarca, University Social Responsibility (USR) has developed actions focused on maintaining institutional recognitions, promoting the institutional volunteer program, supporting the approval and deployment of USR guidelines, as well as accompanying, developing or making visible initiatives or projects with a positive social impact for the university community and its stakeholders.

“Although all these actions are part of the machinery of Social Responsibility, there is still a long way to go and work to be done, in which all community actors and institutional bodies have a place,” Gil pointed out.

More news at the News Agency