About the WPA at AU

At Aarhus University, we conduct a questionnaire-based workplace assessment every three years, as well as at shorter intervals if there are significant changes in working conditions, or if a unit wishes to follow up. 

WPA is an abbreviation for ‘Workplace Assessment’. In the WPA process, we evaluate the working environment, engage in dialogue about the results of the survey, prioritise initiatives in an action plan and regularly follow up on the plan.

A WPA is an important tool that allows us to work to improve our physical and psychological workplace environment systematically and with focus on prevention. Employees and managers at AU should be able to enjoy a healthy, positive work environment that is conducive to well-being and job satisfaction. A good work environment is a prerequisite for our ability to perform the university’s core tasks as well as to attract and retain qualified talented employees.

The WPA process has several phases: 

• Prepare and motivate: agree on who does what, when and why 
• Assess the work environment, including absence due to illness 
• Interpret the results in three ways to arrive at more options for action 
• Discuss the results to determine which issues are most important to address 
• Prioritise the actions to be taken in a WPA action plan and make it available to staff 
• Implement the action plan and follow up regularly in order to gain the greatest possible benefit from your WPA process
   

Responsibility for the work environment is shared between AU managers and employees. For this reason, it’s important that we work together to define the challenges and identify the resources needed to tackle them. The WPA process involves everyone, and by coordinating our efforts, we make sure we’re all rowing in the same direction.

• Initially, the individual staff members contribute by taking the survey; subsequently, they participate in the process of prioritising actions to be taken and improving the work environment.
• Managers have the overall responsibility for ensuring that a WPA is conducted and that the results are followed up on. The manager is obligated to involve the occupational health and safety and liaison committee organisation in this work.
• Departments/schools/centres/administrative divisions/units discuss the results of the WPA survey and any occupational health and safety problems at the local level, and one or more action plans are drawn up to address the problems.
• At the same time, the results of the WPA survey are discussed at AU and faculty level. University or faculty-wide focus areas may be identified at these levels if considered appropriate. All levels must update their action plans to keep track of their progress on a regular basis.
• The senior management team is responsible for the WPA process. The Main Liaison Committee (HSU) and the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee (HAMU) are involved in all phases of the process.