Aarhus University is conducting a physical WPA in autumn 2015. In week 38, all employees will receive an email with an electronic questionnaire.

2015.08.25 | Signe Opstrup

The purpose of conducting a joint WPA at AU is to ensure that all significant issues in relation to the work environment are identified - allowing for both local and joint follow-ups on the results. A WPA is an assessment of the work environment at a company or institution in which the work environment is described and assessed, and action plans are developed and prioritised. In other words, the WPA may reveal whether some of the physical surroundings need to be changed to improve the work environment. The physical WPA is not anonymous, in contrast to the psychological WPA.  A WPA must be conducted once every three years.

You will receive a questionnaire in your mailbox

The assessment of the physical work environment will be based on an electronic questionnaire which will be emailed to all employees in week 38 (the week beginning Monday 14 September). It’s important that employees who do not have daily access to a PC are given access to a PC with an internet connection so that they can fill out the questionnaire.

Follow-up on physical WPA

As a follow-up on the physical WPA, a theme meeting and a mini course on the action plan system, Rambøll WPA, will be arranged. Members of the Occupational Health and Safety Organisation at AU have received separate information on this.

Psychological WPA - under preparation

On 22 June 2015, the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee (HAMU) and the Main Liaison Committee (HSU) held a joint meeting on the psychological WPA where the following was decided:

• It must be possible to include 5-8 questions addressing work environment at department/administration level.
• HSU and HAMU discussed different scenarios for handling comments in the questionnaire with due regard for issues of confidentiality and collegiality. They decided against the inclusion of comment fields in the 2016 WPA. The reports and the quantitative results of the WPA must subsequently be supplemented qualitatively through focus group and dialogue meetings.
• Hearings on the questionnaire will be held at all faculties and in the administration in week 44. On 17 December, the questionnaire will be discussed and approved at a joint meeting between HAMU and HSU.
• The survey will be carried out in weeks 9, 10 and 11 (Monday 29 February to Friday 18 March) of 2016.

Read more about the WPAs on the websites

• Physical WPA
• Psychological WPA