By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo and graphics: Alberte Spork, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

The general well-being of AAU's staff members has improved, and progress can be seen on almost all parameters and in all the university's main areas. This is according to the results of AAU's just published Staff Well-being Barometer 2025.

Rector Per Michael Johansen and Thomas Quaade, Deputy Chair of AAU's Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee are both pleased with the trend and a significantly higher participation rate where 75 percent of staff members took part in the survey, compared to 66 percent in 2023. 

"This means that we can say with greater confidence that staff members feel the working environment has improved," says the rector.

Progress on engagement and job satisfaction

Several of the parameters that are traditionally said to have a major impact on overall well-being appear: meaningfulness, commitment, influence and job satisfaction.

"Meaningfulness, commitment and influence on one's own work tasks are valued very highly, and I see this as an expression of job satisfaction and professional pride," says the rector.

He and Thomas Quaade agree that the good results in the Staff Well-being Barometer testify to the fact that many departments and AAU units have worked seriously and purposefully to improve the working environment in recent years. Nevertheless, they also see in the figures several challenges that continue to call for action.

Stress is still one of the biggest challenges

Although stress levels have slightly improved, 21 percent of staff members often or very often experience symptoms of stress. This worries both the rector and Thomas Quaade. Especially because the stress is often long-lasting, and because 63 percent of those affected by stress do not tell anyone that they are stressed.

"As an occupational health and safety representative, it is my experience that for many staff members, it can still be a bit taboo to be affected by stress, because it makes them feel that they are not able to cope. And it can be a difficult feeling to approach your manager, especially in the times of change the university is in," explains Thomas Quaade.

Nevertheless, he believes that openness is the way forward, and the rector agrees.

"Management is there precisely to be able to help staff members prioritize their tasks. Stress is not a sign of weakness. It can affect us all," says the rector, adding that early dialogue can prevent long-term stress.

Staff members want to be more involved

Staff members generally feel better involved in changes in the workplace than in 2023. Still, the issue of involvement is the area where staff members are least satisfied. Twenty-one percent express that they feel involved to a low or very low degree.

Thomas Quaade sees this as a cultural challenge that should be addressed at the management level. He finds that staff members are involved too late, often because the processes are close to holiday periods or are under legislative pressure.

The rector links the challenge closely to the organization's many changes:

"We are in a situation of constant change, and this places great demands on the management in terms of information and staff involvement," says the rector.

Bullying, harassment and abusive tone: A growing problem

Although the incidence of physical violence, threats and sexual harassment remains low, the Staff Well-being Barometer shows that more staff members experience bullying and unacceptable behaviour. In the Staff Well-being Barometer, 279 staff members indicate that they have experienced 'bullying, harassment (other than sexual), discriminatory or unacceptable behaviour' in the past year. Often by their immediate superior or colleagues. Both the rector and Thomas Quaade take this very seriously.

"Any kind of offensive or abusive behaviour is unacceptable, and this is clearly something we should address in terms of prevention and open dialogue. We all have a shared responsibility to ensure a safe and inclusive working environment," says the rector.

Next steps

The overall trends in the Staff Well-being Barometer serve as a basis for a broad discussion at both the local and central level. Today, all departments and AAU units have received their own results by email which will be processed by the local consultation and occupational health and safety committees where there will be a dialogue on how to best follow up on the specific challenges and strengths. 

At the same time, the results are discussed by the Executive Management, the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee and the Main Joint Consultation Committee where the focus is on identifying cross-cutting themes that require joint efforts and prioritizing. The aim is for the process to result in both local and joint decisions on initiatives that can strengthen well-being, psychological safety and a constructive tone throughout the university.

A shared responsibility

In relation to the further work, the rector and Thomas Quaade agree that a good working environment is a shared responsibility, and that it is created in the interaction between management, culture and collegial community:

"Well-being is something we create together. Management has a responsibility, but the lived experience of the working environment is in the units and the departments. Management can facilitate, but the everyday culture is created by colleagues and local communities," says Thomas Quaade.