Work environment, gender equality and equal treatment

A good work environment is a prerequisite for high quality in education and research, and this is achieved through thorough and systematic undertaking towards a healthy and safe work environment.

The University of Gothenburg does not accept that any employee or student is subjected to abusive discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. Sexual harassment includes elements of a sexual nature, such as jokes, touch, comments, and the like.

Discrimination refers to special treatment due to one of the grounds of discrimination in the Discrimination Act. Retaliation means that the person who reports an incident will be punished.

Important to act

If you or someone around you is subjected to abusive discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, it is important to act. There are various ways to get help and to report an incident.

It is important to choose an approach that you are comfortable with. Get help from someone you trust. This can be, for example, your immediate manager, work environment representative, student work environment representative, University of Gothenburg student unions (GUS), HR specialists at the personnel unit, Occupational Health, Student Health, or your trade union.

Employer obliged to investigate

There are also registration forms on University of Gothenburg web pages where you can report what has happened. When a report has been made, the employer is obliged to investigate the incident.

Your division manager is responsible for your work environment, and at the next level, the Head of Department and the Dean are responsible. There are also appointed safety representatives, work environment representatives (AMO) and student work environment representatives (SAMO).