WPA 2025 – Q&A

Here can you find answers to a wide range of questions about WPA 2025.  The questions are categorized in these topics: The questionnaire ◾ Access to answer ◾ Anonymity and data ◾ Reports ◾ Action plans


The questionnaire

When will the WPA be conducted?

Answer: The WPA will be conducted between 25 February and 12 March 2025 

Can I complete the WPA questionnaire during my working hours?

Answer: Yes 

Is it compulsory to complete the questionnaire?

Answer: No, but your answers are important for developing a good work environment, both in your unit and across AU. We therefore recommend that you spend 10-15 minutes filling out the questionnaire.

Where does the definition of bullying in the WPA come from?

Answer: The definition comes from the Danish Working Environment Authority’s guide 4.3.1-1 (in Danish)

Where do the definitions of discrimination in the WPA come from?

Answer: They come from the Act on Equal Treatment (in Danish) - the Discrimination Act (in Danish)  - and Guide to the Discrimination Act (in Danish)
 

I am experiencing workplace issues that are so difficult that it is insufficient to simply record them in the WPA.

We recommend that you talk to your manager, your occupational health and safety representative or your union representative.
You can also use AU’s psychological counselling. See more on the AU website.

Who has helped create the questionnaire?

The 2025 WPA questionnaire is based on the 2022 WPA questionnaire. Some changes have been made based on discussions in the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee, the Main Liaison Committee and the WPA advisory group. The senior management team has approved the questionnaire.

Access to answer

How do I access the WPA questionnaire?

Answer: On the day the survey starts, you will receive an email from Rambøll with a personalised link to the questionnaire.

Who can complete the questionnaire?

Answer: Employees hired before 1 February 2025 and who work at least15 hours per week can complete the questionnaire. 

However, individual units can decide whether employees who work fewer hours should also be allowed to fill out the questionnaire.

Why haven't I received an email with a link to the questionnaire?

Answer: If you started working at AU after January 2025, your name will not be on the list of employees given to Rambøll, as this list is based on the data available in January 2025.  
Contact your manager/head of department/centre director if you think you should have access to the questionnaire. 
If this is the case, your manager should send an email to apv@au.dk to request access on your behalf.

Do all employees automatically have access to the WPA questionnaire?

Answer: All employees hired before 1 February 2025 (and who work at least 15 hours a week) should automatically have access to the WPA questionnaire.

I have more than one position at AU. Which position should I use when filling out the questionnaire?

Answer: The questionnaire will indicate which unit your response will be recorded under.

Can I change my answers after filling out the questionnaire?

Answer: Yes, you can access and revise your response throughout the data collection period. Use the link that was sent to you when the questionnaire was first sent out.

Anonymity and data

Are my answers to the WPA anonymous?

Answer: Your answers to questions about the psychological work environment are anonymous. Your answers to questions about the physical work environment are not anonymous.

What is the anonymity limit?

Answer: The anonymity limit is 5 responses for the general questions and 40 responses for the questions about offensive behaviour.

Where and for how long is my data stored?

Answer: Rambøll is the data processor and will delete all names and AU IDs in their system one month after the questionnaire is completed. This ensures that WPA responses can’t be linked to individual people.

Reports

When will the WPA reports be published?

Answer: The WPA reports will be published on 7 April 2025.

How do I get access to the WPA reports?

Answer: The complete WPA report can be found on AU’s WPA website.

Other reports can be found on the WPA portal.

You must be signed in to your PC as an AU employee to access the WPA portal on the WPA website. If you can’t access the WPA portal, send an email to apv@au.dk.

As a manager, where can I get help to facilitate a dialogue about my unit’s responses.

Answer: Contact your HR partner. He/she can look into which options are right for you depending on the issues you have in the unit.

Why can’t we see the WPA history for our unit?

Answer: If your unit is not identical to the unit in the 2022 WPA, it is not possible to match data sets and to create a unit history.

Do my manager’s responses count as part of my unit’s WPA report?

Answer: Yes. We don’t yet have the system capacity across the university to separate managers’ responses, so they count as part of the unit’s WPA report along with the employees’ responses.

How are the administrative centres categorised for the purposes of the WPA?

Answer: The administrative centres are part of the administration for the purposes of the WPA. 

Can I see the comments reports relating to the physical work environment?

Answer: Managers and members of the occupational health and safety organisation can read the comments reports from the physical WPA for their own department/school/centre/administrative division and units under these. Comments reports can be found on the WPA portal in the same place as the other reports.

How is the VIP position group divided in the APV report?

Answer: This is how the position group VIP is divided in the APV report, as well as which group the different position types belong to: 

Junior VIP 
131 Assistant Professor 
137 Postdoc 
138 Researcher 
 
Senior VIP 
111 Professor 
114 Professor MSO 
116 State-appointed forensic pathologist
121 Associate Professor 
124 Senior Researcher 
126 Deputy state-appointed forensic pathologist 
128 Senior Advisor 
130 Tenure Track Researcher 
132 Tenure Track Assistant Professor 
311 Clinical Professor 
321 Clinical Associate Professor 
 
Other VIP 
125 Teaching associate professor 
135 Teaching assistant professor
136 Teaching assistant professor
154 Research assistant
163 Further education position
711 Senior Professor of Engineering 
713 Associate Professor (Engr. etc.) 
715 Assistant Professor (Engr. etc.) 

PH.D.
212 Paid PhD Fellow

Action plans

How do I get permission to create WPA action plans?

Answer: Managers and members of the occupational health and safety organisation have permission to create and revise action plans.
If you need permission even though you do not fall into either of these categories, you can email apv@au.dk.

Which WPA action plans do I have access to as an employee?

Answer: As an employee, you have access to the WPA action plans for your own department/school/centre/administrative division and the units that are part of your department/school.

Is it compulsory to perform a risk assessment?

Answer: Yes, as of this WPA, it is compulsory to perform a risk assessment of the work environment problems identified by the unit.

Is there an IT system available for interim assessments in my unit?

Answer: Yes. you can use Rambøll’s system PeopleXact.
Your unit will have to pay for the interim assessment according to the price model that AU HR and Rambøll have agreed on.