Offensive behaviour

The Executive Board has adopted a sub-policy on offensive behaviour, which has been discussed by the Cooperation and Joint Consultation Committee.

As an employer, DTU is obliged to ensure a healthy and safe working environment and is responsible for establishing initiatives that support a sustainable study and working environment.

Handling

As a workplace, DTU takes all incidents where an employee feels they have been offended, seriously.

What is acceptable collegial behaviour for one person may be perceived as offensive by another. Offensive behaviour can take different forms, depending on the culture, situation, and context.

Talk to someone about it

Anyone who experiences offensive behaviour, either directed at themselves or others, is encouraged to talk to someone about it.

DTU recommends that you talk to someone you trust, e.g. a union or occupational health and safety representative, a colleague, or a fellow student. The first step is to talk to someone about the experience and discuss your options together. 

There are various contact points at DTU

To ensure that everybody at DTU feel comfortable when making an enquiry, DTU offers various contact points where you can talk to someone about the offensive behaviour you have experienced. 

Are you a student?

• Student.dtu.dk—offensive behaviour

Are you an employee(including PhDs)?

• Manager or manager’s manager
• Union representative
• Occupational health and safety representative
• DTU’s psychological counselling
• HR partner

Do you feel that your experience has not been adequately addressed?

• If you have discussed your contact and action options with either your local occupational health and safety or union representative, or your immediate manager, and you feel that your experience has not been adequately addressed, you can contact Corporate HR.
• You can do this by going to DTU Inside Offensive behaviour
• You will be asked to provide information about who you have already been in contact with (e.g., AMR, TR, or your own manager) and to briefly describe the background for your enquiry.

Do you wish to be anonymous?

• If your experience has already been dealt with, or if you just want to let us know about your experience, you can do so by sending an email to psykolog.dtu.dk.
• Telling us about your experience does not in itself trigger any action, as psychologists are subject to a special statutory duty of confidentiality. 

Concepts related to offensive behaviour

All of the concepts below relate to behaviour that poses a risk to the well-being, safety, and health of the individual employee. Ordinary management and collegial feedback do not in themselves constitute offensive behaviour. (section 23 of the Danish executive order on psychological working environment) )

At DTU, we focus on how we can promote dialogue about the working environment challenges each of us faces, through increased awareness and early intervention.

AT psychological working environment you can find links to useful knowledge about the concepts mentioned below. 

Sexist behaviour: Any action, gesture, spoken, or written word based on the idea that a person or group of people is inferior because of their gender.

Sexual harassment: Any form of unwanted verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct having sexual undertones with the purpose of violating a person’s dignity, particularly by creating a hostile, humiliating, or uncomfortable environment.

Offensive behaviour and bullying: When one or more persons regularly and for prolonged period of time, or repeatedly in a severe manner subject(s) one or more other persons to offensive acts.

Threats and violence: When a person directly threatens another person or that person’s life, or threatens another person’s family, property, etc. Psychological violence is also considered offensive behaviour and can manifest itself as, e.g., sexual harassment.

Mediation

Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party helps two or more parties find a solution to a dispute. The mediator does not take sides in the dispute, but supports the parties in communicating with each other. DTU collaborates with several external mediators. HR partner can help establish contact (the mediator is paid for by the unit).

Mediation can help the parties involved feel comfortable with the solution they have agreed to

Mediation can be used to handle situations where one person feels offended. Mediation is the obvious choice as in most situations involving offensive behaviour, the parties involved continue to work at DTU.

Dialogue tools

DTU offers several tools (for questions about processes, ask HR) that support an inclusive culture.

Effective date

The guideline on handling offensive behaviour was approved by the Executive Board and discussed by the Cooperation and Joint Consultation Committee in October 2018. The policy becomes effective when published on DTU Inside.

Amendment

The guideline may be amended at three months’ notice following a review by the Cooperation and Joint Consultation Committee. Amendments are communicated via DTU Inside. The guideline has been updatet May 2025.