Expectations and Obligations
The Welcome Buddy program is an initiative of the non-profit association the Neuchatel Expat Welcome committee located at Faubourg de l’hôpital 6 in Neuchatel whose purpose is to contribute to a warm welcome to expatriates in region Neuchâtel.
The Welcome Buddy team does its best to introduce Newcomers to suitable Welcomers but is not obliged to do so. Neither Welcomer nor Newcomer is obliged to accept or to follow up any such introduction.
When participating in the Welcome buddy program, the advice and assistance given by a Welcomer is for the purpose of helping a Newcomer to settle into the region of Neuchâtel and to navigate some of the usual relocation challenges. The help and advice will not be comprehensive and is not guaranteed to be the best available and will by nature, be personal, potentially biased by own experience and believes.
The Welcomer/Newcomer relationship is a limited resource to discuss issues confronted by the Newcomer. The Welcomers role is to give relevant advice and suggestions within the limits of their knowledge and availability. The relationship does not imply permanent or regular availability of either party nor any obligation to resolve any issue that may arise.
Newcomers should not take Welcomer advice as legal or administrative recommendations, and neither should Welcomer advice be a substitute for professional advice or the Newcomer’s own personal judgement.
Communications between Welcomers and Newcomers are confidential. Personal or sensitive information should never be disclosed to third parties unless legally required.
Participation in the Welcome Buddy programme is voluntary and can be stopped by either party at any time without the need for a reason to be stated.
The Welcomer/Newcomer relationship within the scope of the Welcome Buddy programme will be for a maximum period of six months, called the welcome period.
At the end of the Welcome period, the newcomer is requested to complete a feedback survey. The feedback will be kept in the strictest confidence and will be used to refine and improve this service
The role of the Welcome Buddy initiative is to facilitate introductions between Welcomers and Newcomers to contact each other. The association, the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome committee has no further role in the Welcomer/Newcomer relationship except where there is potential misconduct or cause for complaint. Any complaint or grievance issues should be referred immediately to the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome committee by email (welcome.neuchatel@ne.ch)
General agreement and waiver relating to all parties.
You understand and agree that the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome programme is not intended for solicitation purposes, i.e. Welcomers should not request payment for any advice rendered nor refer Newcomers to providers of paid services unless specifically requested by the Newcomer and understanding that the welcomer does not have any financial interest in the referral.
You agree that in no event will you file suit or otherwise attempt to hold liable for damages, the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome committee, the Welcome Buddy team, any Welcomer, Newcomer, volunteer or affiliate as a result of your participation in the Welcome Buddy program. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome Committee and its volunteers and staff from any and all claims, suits, actions or proceedings of any kind arising out of, or in connection with your participation in the Welcome Buddy program.
You understand that any party may terminate their involvement in the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome programme at any time without notice or liability.
Data Protection
The Neuchâtel Expat Welcome programme will not record or store any personal or sensitive data relating to Welcomers or Newcomers other than the ones you provide in the onboarding questionnaire for the purpose of making introductions. Such data will be destroyed, deleted, or anonymised as soon as it is no longer required for that purpose and in any case within one month after the completion of the feedback questionnaire at the end of the Welcome period.
Personal and sensitive data may be shared between Welcomers and Newcomers by mutual private agreement. This is not a requirement of the Neuchâtel Expat Welcome committee and only engage the newcomer and the welcomer.