The Internal Audit Office has been commissioned by the University Board to conduct a review of the University's preventive work against threats and violence. In March, employees were given the opportunity to respond to a survey about threats and violence. Four measures are now being planned and implemented to prevent threats and violence at Umeå University.
Survey responses and Internal Audit Office recommendations
The survey was answered by 2,361 people, which corresponds to a response rate of 54 per cent of all employees. Of the respondents, 429 stated that they had at some time been subjected to some form of threat or violence related to their professional activities at the University. 286 stated that they had been subjected at some time in the last five years, and of these, 132 stated that they had not reported the incident.
87 people stated that they had considered resigning and 28 people said they had left a particular area or field because of the risk or concern of being subjected to threats or violence. 59 people said they had changed work duties and 166 people said they had considered changing work duties. 153 people said they had refrained from speaking out in the media because of the risk or concern of being subjected to threats or violence.
The Internal Audit Office supplemented the survey with documentary studies and in-depth interviews with people from various departments and units, managers, and representatives of trade unions. The overall recommendation of the Internal Audit Office is that preventive work against threats and violence should become an integral part of the systematic work environment management, and that the University should systematically follow up and analyse the occurrence of threats and violence in its future work, such as by integrating questions on threats and violence in future employee surveys.
Measures planned and to be implemented to prevent threats and violence
The Board's position is to take measures and continue the work to prevent threats and violence. The measures that are planned or have already been implemented by the University are:
- To integrate preventive work against threats and violence into the systematic work environment management. The preventive work is central, and it is therefore important that managers and others involved have the right skills and support in the process.
- To develop and implement training in the prevention of threats and violence to managers, HR support, work environment representatives and specific professional groups. It is important to clarify roles and responsibilities as to who will be responsible for ensuring that this is carried out.
- Continue the ongoing work of reviewing the possibility of using support systems to be able to systematically follow up and analyse the occurrence of threats and violence. Follow-up of how routines for threats and violence and other safety incidents are to be prevented and handled at an institution or unit is generally followed today when assigning work environment tasks.
- Questions on the prevalence of threats and violence will be integrated into the University's upcoming employee surveys and the Student Barometer for students.
In addition to these measures, the Human Resources Office, Building Office, Planning Office, and the Communications Office have developed the information on Threats and Violence on the staff web.