We welcome Anna Lorenz as the new equal opportunity coordinator (EOC) at SLU Aqua.
How does it feel to take on the role as the new EOC coordinator?
It feels both important and exciting to have the opportunity to work on these issues. It's important that we collectively reflect on how we behave and act and how it, in turn, affects our own and our colleagues' work environment. I also know that there is already a strong willingness within the department and from the management team to learn more and improve our work on equality, discrimination, and equal opportunities.
Tell us more about your assignment and how you can assist?
I function in a similar way to a safety representative. I will both support and act as a channel for you as an employee. You can turn to me if you experience or discover issues related to equality, discrimination and equal opportunities. I can then guide you and help find the right channel to address your concerns.
What will be your next step as our new EOC coordinator?
The first step is to conduct a survey to assess the current situation at SLU Aqua regarding these issues. What is working well and what needs improvement? What challenges do we face? Based on the results, we can then move forward and determine what areas we need to focus on. I also want to organize a workshop for the entire SLU Aqua, where we can learn more about how to respond when we witness discrimination in our workplace.
What are you looking forward to the most in your role?
I look forward to shedding even more light on this topic and inspiring and encouraging the entire department to consider it in their daily lives. I also look forward to to visit the units, meet all colleagues, and learn more about their experiences.
Last but not least let's take the opportunity to ask our head of department, Noél Holmgren, about his thoughts on Anna's role as the EOC coordinator:
With Anna taking on the role as SLU Aqua's EOC coordinator, we will achieve better systematic work on these important issues. These particular issues can sometimes be challenging simply because the problem is not always evident or visible. That's why we need help in identifying inequalities in our workplace, which will, in turn, contribute to making SLU Aqua an even better workplace.
