This page is for staff and managers at Aarhus University. Here you will find guidelines for dealing with offensive behaviour.
We do not accept offensive behaviour at AU. In other words, we do not accept any form of bullying, sexual harassment, violence or discrimination (see WEA guideline 4.3-1 from February 2019). Everyone at the university is responsible for ensuring that offensive behaviour does not occur.
We all have a duty to:
The parties involved are entitled to support and guidance throughout the entire process. Contact HR regarding support and advice for staff, and directors of studies or student counsellors regarding support and advice for students.
As an employer, AU has an obligation to ensure a safe and healthy work environment and this includes intervening in the event of suspected or reported offensive behaviour (section 15 of the Danish Working Environment Act). Managers, supervisors, teaching staff and others in a mentor role or similar role have a particular responsibility to act professionally and objectively in situations in which they are part of an asymmetrical (unequal) collaboration and relationship.
Managers and employees at the university are jointly responsible for actively and clearly preventing, identifying and dealing with bullying, harassment, threats and discrimination (sections 26-28 of the Danish Working Environment Act).
As a manager, in collaboration with staff, you also have a particular responsibility to promote well-being and ensure a healthy work/study environment.
Through active and clear daily management, you prevent offensive behaviour by:
As an employer, AU has an obligation to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, and this includes intervening in the event of suspected or reported bullying, harassment, violence or discrimination.
If, as a member of staff, you are subjected to offensive behaviour, depending on the gravity of the matter, you should first attempt to resolve the situation yourself by objecting and informing the other person that you feel offended. If this does not resolve the situation, or if the violation is serious, contact your immediate manager immediately. If you experience offensive behaviour from your own manager, you should contact the manager's supervisor.
It is recommended that you write down what you experience, including what the other party says and does that makes you feel offended. Please save relevant emails and messages, etc. in case there is need for this information at some later point.
Your manager is responsible for helping you and dealing with the situation with you. You can speak with your manager in confidence. However, note that confidentiality can limit your manager's ability to take matters further. Your manager is obligated to take action in particularly serious cases.
You can also contact your union representative or your occupational health and safety representative. Both will treat the matter confidentially and they can advise you with regard to the next step. If you experience serious incidents of bullying or harrasment, you can also report it to the whistleblower scheme at AU - read more here.
If you need advice from a third party, please contact the Danish Working Environment Authority's bullying and harassment hotline. If you need professional psychological help, contact the Psychological Counselling Service.
As an employee, you are obligated to help a colleague who has experienced offensive behaviour. Listen, care for and help the person to find the right help and support. Take any contact seriously but without drawing hasty conclusions, and exercise respect and discretion. If your colleague is very affected by an incident, it is recommended that you immediately refer the person to an immediate manager or to the Psychological Counselling Service.
The person having experienced offensive behaviour can always contact a colleague in confidence. You can offer to help your colleague if your colleague wants you to.
The person reporting offensive behaviour should initially involve his/her immediate manager (or manager’s manager), see section: If you experience offensive behaviour as a member of staff. The manager is responsible for dealing actively and clearly with incidents, or suspected incidents, of bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination in accordance with the AU staff policy and guidelines for dealing with offensive behaviour.
The person who has been exposed to offensive behaviour can also seek help from his/her union representative, occupational health and safety representative, the Psychological Counselling Service or Danish Working Environment Authority's hotline on sexual harassment and bullying.
If, as an employee, you are contacted about bullying, harassment, violence or discrimination and need advice on how to handle the situation, contact your immediate manager.
As an employee, you are obligated to help a student who has experienced offensive behaviour. Listen, take care of them, and help them find the right help and support. Take any contact seriously but without drawing hasty conclusions. Exercise respect and discretion.
The faculty director of studies/degree programme director is responsible for dealing actively and clearly with incidents, or suspected incidents, of offensive behaviour in accordance with the AU guide on dealing with offensive behaviour, and with respect for any request for confidentiality.
The student can always contact an employee in confidence. However, you can only help if a student gives their consent.
The student can be referred to the student counsellor if the event entails study-related difficulties, and a new study plan or application for an exemption can be made. The student counsellor cannot help process the experience itself.
If a student is very affected by the incident, it is a good idea to refer them to their own doctor, who can then refer them to a psychologist and, if necessary, issue them with a doctor's certificate for a dispensation application. If the student needs to talk to someone, refer to the student helpline and the university chaplain.
If, as an employee, you are contacted about offensive behaviour and need advice on how to handle the situation, contact your immediate manager.
As student counsellor, you are in close contact with the students. For this reason, AU encourages students to contact you if they are subjected to bullying, harassment, violence or discrimination. You have a duty to take care of the student, listen and help.
With the student's consent, you are responsible for helping the student forward, see the section above "If you are contacted by a student".
As a student counsellor, you are not responsible for resolving the issue. This responsibility lies with the faculty director of studies/degree programme director.