Work environment and equal opportunities policy for Uppsala University

Uppsala University is to have a healthy and sustainable work environment [1] for all coworkers and students. The University’s activities must be characterised by equal opportunities. [2] This helps ensure that the University is an institution with a safe, stimulating and challenging learning and research environment. It also creates the conditions for successful activities and helps make Uppsala University an attractive employer and education provider.

The policy is based on the Work Environment Act (1977:1160), the provisions on systematic work environment management (AFS 2001:1), the provisions on organisational and social work environment (AFS 2008:567) and the Discrimination Act (2008:567).

Aim – characteristics that define the work environment

Uppsala University is to strive for a work environment characterised by job satisfaction, trust, respect, opportunities for development, participation and security.

Furthermore, the University must strive to create a work environment characterised by:

• equal opportunities for all coworkers and students in their work and studies. Uppsala University does not tolerate victimisation, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment or reprisals.
• a healthy workload, i.e. a balance between requirements and resources for work and studies
• a positive interaction and good communication between employer/education provider, employees and students
• the possibility to reconcile work life/studies with private life
• that premises, equipment, technical systems and information meet established requirements for accessibility, inclusion and a good working environment

Responsibility for the work environment

The Vice-Chancellor bears ultimate responsibility for the work environment at Uppsala University. [3] This responsibility entails leading and following up on the University’s work environment and equal opportunities management at an overall level. The ViceChancellor allocates work environment management tasks [4] and equal opportunities management tasks to managers in accordance with the University’s order of delegation.

In their capacity as employers and/or education providers, managers are responsible for planning, organising, implementing measures where necessary, documenting, following up and evaluating work environment and equal opportunities management. This must be carried out in accordance with the University's division of responsibilities within systematic work environment management, the University’s order of delegation and the requirements that apply to systematic work environment and equal opportunities management.

All coworkers and students have a responsibility to collectively contribute to a healthy and sustainable work environment on equal terms. This is achieved by participating in work environment and equal opportunities management, complying with the existing guidelines, reporting any risks and incidents and striving together to continuously improve and develop the work environment.

All coworkers and students are to help prevent and counteract victimisation, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and reprisals.

Focus and implementation of work environment and equal opportunities management

Work environment and equal opportunities management should be undertaken systematically, with a focus on prevention and promotion. This should include all aspects of the work environment, i.e. the physical, organisational, social and digital work environment. [5] All efforts should be carried out collaboratively. Safety representatives, student safety representatives and equal opportunities representatives play a vital role in these efforts, as do the work environment and equal opportunities groups.

Work environment and equal opportunities management must be carried out in accordance with the requirements that apply to systematic work environment and equal opportunities management. This entails the following:

Integrated working methods and collaboration

• Work environment and equal opportunities management should be integrated into the day-to-day work and the development of activities. This involves investigating and considering the consequences that various decisions could have on the work environment and on different individuals and groups.
• Work environment and equal opportunities management should be conducted collaboratively with the employer/education provider, employee, student, trade unions, safety representatives, student safety representatives, equal opportunities representatives and students’ unions.

Investigate, risk assess/analyse risks and obstacles, remedy, follow up and evaluate

• Work environment and equal opportunities management should be undertaken systematically. This entails investigating, risk assessing/analysing risks and obstacles, remedying, following up and evaluating. This should be carried out regularly and in connection with any changes, and include all aspects of the work environment. When there is need for measures and they cannot be implemented immediately, an action plan should be drawn up. The purpose of such efforts is to prevent ill-health, accidents, victimisation, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and reprisals.
• Incidents and accidents are to be investigated promptly so that appropriate measures can be taken to manage the situation and to prevent ill-health and accidents. [6] Incidents could be linked to the physical, organisational, social as well as digital work environment.
• Rehabilitation measures for coworkers [7] must be initiated early and in a structured way so that initiatives and measures can facilitate the return to work.
• Work environment and equal opportunities management are to be documented, followed up and evaluated annually to enable continuous development and improvement of the work environment.

Knowledge, resources, authority, adaptations

• Managers, in the capacity of employer and/or education provider, must have adequate knowledge, resources and authority to undertake systematic work environment and equal opportunities management. Both managers and coworkers with managerial functions must have adequate knowledge about how to prevent and manage an unhealthy workload and victimisation. [8] They must also have adequate knowledge about how to prevent and manage discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and reprisals.
• Safety representatives, student safety representatives and equal opportunities representatives must have adequate knowledge to actively participate in and contribute to systematic work environment and equal opportunities management.
• Coworkers and students must receive the introduction and information they need to work and study in a safe and healthy way on equal terms.
• The work and study conditions must be adapted as far as possible to all coworkers’ and students’ prerequisites. It should be possible to influence the work and study situation. As far as reasonably possible, the work should be organised and studies designed on equal terms and in a way, that promotes health.

Factors for health

The statutory requirements mainly entail limiting risks in the work environment, preventing ill-health and accidents and working to ensure equal rights and opportunities regardless of grounds of discrimination. To achieve a health-promoting and sustainable work environment on equal terms, Uppsala University must strive to ensure that work environment and equal opportunities management also include systematic work that maintains and develops the positive factors – factors for health – in the work environment. Factors for health are conditions that influence the work environment in a way that promotes health and that helps coworkers maintain their well-being, ability to work and ability to fulfil their personal and work-related goals over time. [9] Favourable conditions for leadership, development opportunities and learning as well as participation and communication are examples of important factors for health. Uppsala University strives to ensure equal conditions and prerequisites for students.

Footnotes

[1] The term ‘work environment’ also covers the study environment. In the Work Environment Act (1977:1160) persons undergoing education or training are treated as employees (Chapter 1, Section 3).

[2] The Discrimination Act (2008:567) contains seven grounds of discrimination: gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation and age. Uppsala University’s equal opportunities management also encompasses social background in accordance with Uppsala University: Mission, Goals and Strategies, UFV 2018/641.

[3] Chapter 2, Sections 2 and 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100) and Chapters 4 and 5 of Uppsala University’s rules of procedure, UFV 2017/95.

[4] Uppgiftsfördelning i det systematiska arbetsmiljöarbetet vid Uppsala universitet, UFV 2010/323. Only available in Swedish.

[5] Digital arbetsmiljö: ”Den arbetsmiljö, med dess problem och möjligheter av såväl fysisk, psykosocial som kognitiv art, som blir resultatet av att arbetets stödsystem och verktyg digitaliseras”. Digital arbetsmiljö, Arbetsmiljöverket, Rapport 2015:17. Only available in Swedish.

[6] Regarding victimisation, harassment, sexual harassment and reprisals, see Riktlinjer för åtgärder mot kränkande särbehandling (only available in Swedish) and Guidelines for Dealing with Cases of Harassment under the Discrimination Act.

[7] Higher education institutions do not have a responsibility to rehabilitate students.

[8] Swedish Work Environment Authority’s Organisational and social work environment provisions (AFS 2015:4 Eng).

[9] The definition has been taken from the World Health Organisation’s general definition of health, which has been integrated with reasoning about work-related health and factors for health in working life in Sweden: Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise (Report 2021:1) and the Swedish Work Environment Authority (Report 2021:2).