From January 2021 Charlotte (who is currently chair of LAMU and Daily Work Environment Leader at the department) will send out newsletters about work environment, safety and health issues to all staff and students. The newsletter will be published 4 times a year, after LAMU meetings.

The newsletter will contain different types of information which is relevant to all. E.g. info regarding workplace risk assessments and their action plans, or new rules.

Information from the local work environment committee (LAMU) and the department rules and regulations can be found at the website for work environment. (Requires AU-network, use the VPN client from external locations).

The department safety-videos are located on YouTube.

Agendas and minutes are located on the O-drive:

O:\Nat-Tech_Geo-Faelles\Referater fra udvalg\LAMU

The work environment organisation is constituted for a period of 3 years. The new work environment organisation becomes effective from 1 March 2021.

Related to the new organisation we will send out separate e-mails about candidacy and (if necessary) the election process. The latest status is that we have the same number of candidates as we have open positions, if that is the final situation we do not need to have an election.

From March we have 3 work environment groups:

• Laboratories
• Field work/workshops
• Researchers/administrative staff

All staff members officially belong to one work environment group only, contact Charlotte if in doubt.

Furthermore a student is invited to participate in LAMU's work environment tasks as an observer, this also starts from 1 March 2021.

Current members of the work environment organisation can be found on the website.

Guidelines are often updated regarding travelling to or from high-risk areas:

• Information for international staff at AU
• Information from authorities regarding travelling to Denmark

AU has decided that everyone should work actively with the subject workplace culture at the entire university. Not only related to offensive behaviour (e.g. bullying and sexisme), but also in general on how we cooperate and create a more appreciative culture at the departments.

At Geoscience we expect to start a process on this subject in a collaboration between LAMU and LSU during 2021. If you have suggestions or wishes related to how we can address this more directly, contact Charlotte, or a representative from LAMU or LSU.

Remember that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to creating a nice work environment. No types of offensive behaviour is accepted. If you experience behaviour that feels offensive you can say no and contact a local manager, work environment representative, union representative, HR or a colleague.

We refer to the following:

For staff:

• Staff policy at the university
• Handling offensive behaviour at AU
• The department policy and action plan related to offensive behaviour
• Tools to prevent offensive behaviour

For students:

• The campaign "Zero tolerance"
• The student councils legal aid

Dansk Krisekorps provides professionel psychological counselling service for all staff at Aarhus University.

A counselling process can be initiated by your manager (5 hours) or anonymously (up to 3 hours). It is possible to receive psychological counselling in English.

Contact Dansk Krisekorps: 70 22 76 12 (9-15 on week days) or 70 22 76 10 (acute), alternatively at info@danskkrisekorps.dk.

Read more background and information about psychological counselling at the department website. We also recommend speaking with your union representative, work environment representative or the daily work environment leader at the department (Charlotte).

Registration

Always report sickness absence by yourself to the secretariat and your manager, no later than the start of the working hours on the first sick day.

Additionally, for employed PhD students the Graduate School must be notified if absence extends beyond 20 days.

Note that correctly registered absence allows HR to apply for reimbursement from the municipality to the department. This can happen after 30 days from the first sick day.

Follow-up

In order to help the employee get back to work, we have a duty to follow up on sick leave that extends over a longer period. This also applies if there are short periods of sick leave that occur frequently.

When:

In connection with long-term illness (more than 21 days), AU is obliged to call the employee to a sick leave interview no later than 4 weeks after the first day of absence. The interview must be convened with reasonable notice. It will normally be the immediate manager who conducts the interview. The immediate manager can choose to bring an HR partner. The employee is always welcome to bring a companion, for example a colleague or a union representative.

AU HR recommends that the sick leave interview be held around the 10th to 14th day of sick leave. If the absence continues, an interview must be held every 2 to 4 weeks. If the employee has had several periods of absence, a sick leave interview will also be called.

How:

The purpose of the interviews is to ensure that the workplace has done enough to support and help the employee return to work. The interview must contain a status on the absence and expected return. The manager may never inquire into the reason for the absence, however, the employee may wish to tell it.

If the work is to blame for the sick leave, the interview will also reveal whether there is a need for aids, or changes in working conditions / tasks, perhaps adjustment of working hours. It must be agreed whether the changes are temporary or permanent.

Documentation

It is required to take notes when conducting interviews, i.e. minutes must be made in which any agreements are noted. The document is confidential. It must be send directly to Krishna in our secretariat, who makes sure it is journalized in WorkZone. 

The university may require that absence is documented with a medical certificate. The department pays for the medical certificate.

Returning to work

Sometimes it is difficult to return to work, e.g. if you have been on sick leave for a long time. Here, in collaboration with the immediate manager, a plan must be made. It may be a gradual return over a period of time, eg in the form of "partial recovery".

Further information

Read more about sickness absence at the AU website, especially the guide to follow up on absence due to sickness.

If you have questions you can always ask the secretariat, the PhD partner or Charlotte.

LAMU and LSU are looking for people who will actively work as ambassadors on department level with the UN climate goals and sustainable behaviour. We need a workgroup that can provide hands-on ideas to be implemented in everyday life at the department.

More information:

• The Global Goals
• #AUSustainability (Facebook-group)

Contact Thomas Lund Hansen, if you want to participate.

Geo-nyhedsbrevene på web
Læs alle udsendte nyhedsbreve på Geoscience medarbejdersiden: http://geo.medarbejdere.au.dk.

Geoscience nyheder til studerende
http://studerende.au.dk/studier/fagportaler/geoscience/intern/nyheder-til-studerende/ 

Andre nyhedsbreve
NAT: https://scitech.medarbejdere.au.dk/aktuelt/nyhedsbreve/nat-medarbejdernyt/
AU: https://medarbejdere.au.dk/info-og-nyheder/nyhedsbreve/