“It’s dreadful! We’ve heard quite enough from you. Just sit down, you lazy lump of fat, and let rest fall upon you.”
The scene is from the Danish book “Det forsømte forår”, where the malt-candy-eating teacher Blomme speaks to the student Thygesen - whom he mockingly calls “Tykkesen” (translates to Fatty). Even though Hans Scherfig’s book was published nearly 90 years ago, and the harsh, authoritarian school system is long gone, most people can probably recognize the feeling of not being respected, of being talked down to, and perhaps even humiliated.
Agnete Larsen, vice-chair of the Faculty Liaison Committee (FSU), says:
“In a workplace like ours, where we have both permanent staff and colleagues with more loosely defined affiliations, and where both formal and informal hierarchies exist, we must be mindful of how we ensure psychological safety and foster the ability to disagree without losing respect for one another.
For that reason, the Faculty Liaison Committee is very pleased that we, at Health, are working on concrete initiatives that can make all of us – regardless of position – more aware of what we say and how it is received. An offensive tone and inappropriate behaviour should not be part of our workplace, and I am convinced that the focus we now have on this issue will make a difference for us all.”
"From the Dean’s Desk" – a column in Inside Health
Shortly after a meeting in the Academic Council at which we talked about involvement, I received an email from one of the members of the council. She had thought about our discussions and suggested that I write directly to employees at Health in the faculty's newsletter. She suggested that I could write about some of the initiatives currently on my desk, so that all employees can keep abreast of some of the things we’re working on at the faculty.
I think it's a brilliant idea - thank you! I intend to continue this column once a month from now on.
We must also acknowledge that unacceptable language, often triggered by power or a sense of powerlessness, exists in modern workplaces, including at our own faculty. According to the latest workplace assessment (APV) from 2025, 12% of employees at Health reported having been subjected to “coarse, offensive, or condescending language” in the past year. Although this is neither better nor worse than at the other faculties at Aarhus University, it still requires both attention and action.
The ambition is clear: No one should experience being talked down to or verbally attacked, and no one should go home from work feeling that it is pointless to talk about it.
That said, we are also human beings who occasionally make mistakes. We can have a bad day when something slips out, or we may momentarily forget that results and performance do not take precedence over good tone and decency. We may also be at a point in life where we are particularly vulnerable and perhaps less receptive to criticism and minor conflicts.
What matters is that we talk about it, set boundaries, and learn from our mistakes. Dialogue, precisely, is our safeguard against a harsh or demeaning tone. And it is a shared responsibility.
In collaboration with our Faculty Liaison Committee (FSU) and the faculty’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee (FAMU), the Faculty Management Team is therefore launching an initiative with two tracks:
- An opportunity for research groups and departments to participate in a half-day workshop facilitated by the consulting firm Human House during 2026.
- A series of articles, throughout the year, focusing on the issue and providing concrete guidance on what employees can do if they experience coarse, offensive, or condescending language.
My experience is that we fundamentally have a healthy culture at Health – and we must preserve it. We must take care of it and remain in ongoing dialogue about how we can make the culture even better. We will therefore also continuously follow up on the initiative.