Work Environment Organization at AAU

Aalborg University’s work environment organization must be established in accordance with occupational health and safety legislation applicable to companies with more than 35 employees.

Organization of Work Environment Efforts at AAU

The document "Work Environment Organization at AAU" outlines how these regulations and the university’s work environment policy are to be implemented.

This document serves as a set of rules applicable to the entire work environment organization at the university. These rules have been presented to HAMiU.

A Well-Functioning Work Environment Organization

It is essential that AAU’s Work Environment Organization (AMO) is capable of implementing necessary measures to improve the work environment. For AMO to successfully carry out its tasks, certain conditions must be met. For example, work environment groups must have sufficient time and space to perform their duties.

In September 2022, AAU’s management sent an email to all university leaders emphasizing these aspects. Based on this, the Work Environment Section has developed a guide with useful advice for leaders and work environment representatives in the university’s work environment groups.

Read these recommendations by following the link below:

• Good Advice: A Well-Functioning Work Environment Organization

Do You Need to Find a Work Environment Representative or Supervisor?

The list of members in AAU’s Work Environment Organization (AMO) is continuously updated.

• Members of AMO – November 2024

If you have any changes, please contact the Work Environment Section at arbejdsmiljoesektion@adm.aau.dk.

Election of Work Environment Representatives at AAU

AAU’s overall work environment organization (AMO) is primarily based on a large number (around 100) of work environment groups, which together cover all employees at the university. Each group consists of 2 individuals – an appointed supervisor (AL) and an elected work environment representative (AMR).

The employees within a group’s coverage area elect their AMR. Elections for all groups are held simultaneously across all university units. The election is initiated centrally by the Work Environment Section but conducted locally within each unit.

The voting process, eligibility, election period, etc., follows the applicable regulations. After a decision by the Main Work Environment Committee (HAMiU) on September 14, 2023, the election period for AMRs is now 3 years.

Here you can read more about the election of AMRs at AAU, find examples to help inform employees, find answers to various questions, and read more about how the election process works.

Guidelines for the Election

Here, you can find step-by-step guidelines for the election process:

• Election to the work environment organization (AMO) 

Examples of Information for Employees

If you need examples/templates for election letters to employees, you can find them via the links below. You’ll find both a letter example for nominating candidates and a letter example for electing candidates – both in Danish and English.

• Information about Nominations for Election (Danish and English)
• Information about Election of Candidates (Danish and English)

What does an AMR do?

Curious about what an AMR does?
Here is a short description:

• What does a work environment representative do?
• What does a health and safety representative do?

Definition of Work Groups

See an example of how work groups are defined. (in Danish)

Questions

You are always welcome to contact the Work Environment Section if you have any questions or need guidance.

The Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee (HAMiU) establishes policies, frameworks, and strategies for work environment efforts at Aalborg University and sets the ambition level for the university's work environment.

HAMiU is responsible for:

• Policies within HAMiU's area of responsibility
• Overall organization and planning of AAU's workplace assessment (APV) in collaboration with HSU
• An annual work environment seminar for the entire AAU work environment organization
• The annual work environment report and its evaluation in a work environment discussion for the entire AAU
• Annual evaluation and, if necessary, revision of: AAU's work environment policy, work environment training at AAU, and the work environment organization at AAU, including the information structure.

You can see the committee structure of HAMiU and read HAMiU's agendas and meeting minutes on staff.aau.dk.

Aalborg University's work environment policy is the overarching description of the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act at Aalborg University.

The work environment policy was revised in 2021 and subsequently adopted at the HAMiU meeting on October 11, 2021. The original work environment policy was adopted at the HAMiU meeting on February 15, 2018.

• You can read about AAU's work environment policy here.

Who Does What?

In short, the work environment committee (or cooperation and work environment committee) in each unit handles the overall and strategic work environment tasks, while the work environment groups in each unit take care of the daily and operational work environment tasks.

In this overview, you can see what the key tasks are for the work environment committee, the cooperation committees, and the work environment groups.

See Overview of Task Distribution (in Danish)

• The work environment and cooperation committees mainly carry out their tasks in meetings.
• On the other hand, the work environment groups handle their tasks in everyday operations—parallel to other tasks within the departments they cover. The members of the work environment groups are therefore often referred to as the work environment's "frontline soldiers."

• FSU (Fælles Samarbejdsudvalg) refers to the Joint Cooperation Committee.
• Institutes' AMO refers to the Work Environment Organization within individual institutes at AAU.

Two Annual Meetings

Twice a year, the Faculty Cooperation Committees (FSU) meet with the work environment organization in the underlying institutes (at least the vice-chairpersons of the AMO).

What is the purpose of the meetings?

1. To act as a liaison/speaker – To elevate common issues and good initiatives from institutes/secretariats for joint discussion and potential action at the faculty level.
2. To share knowledge with each other – To inspire through experience exchange and thereby contribute to creating better processes around work environment efforts.

FSU Meetings with Work Environment Representatives - Where does this come from?

HAMiU minutes, February 21, 2017, point 2: The Rector concluded that the Faculty Cooperation Committees (FSU) will be tasked with discussing the work environment in the faculty twice a year, and that work environment representatives (e.g., all vice-chairpersons in the institutes' AMiUs) should attend these meetings. The mandate and rules of procedure for the FSUs should be adapted accordingly.

When should the two meetings be held, and with which agenda items?

To ensure that the information shared is current and relevant, the meetings should take place as follows:

• 1st Half of the Year: In early April. After the well-being survey results have been addressed in the work environment committees. The Dean receives the well-being survey results for the faculty. It may also be relevant to include absenteeism statistics in this discussion.
  Of course, other current work environment topics can be discussed—be sure to consult with the Dean or the work environment organization.
  
  
• 2nd Half of the Year: In early October. After local work environment discussions, which are held by the end of August. You will receive a summary of the local work environment discussions, so please inform the Work Environment Section at arbejdsmiljoesektion@adm.aau.dk regarding any deadlines.

Who should attend?

At a minimum, the FSU and vice-chairpersons of the respective work environment committees (AMiU) or cooperation and work environment committees (SAMiU) should be invited. You may of course invite more members of the work environment organization.
The Work Environment Section is available to participate in meetings, help shape content, facilitate parts of the meetings, etc. Please feel free to send us a meeting invitation.

Time Commitment

We recommend allocating approximately two hours for these meetings.