What is an APV?

A workplace assessment allows companies to work systematically and effectively with their working environment. In general, a APV is about mapping the company's working environment and identifying areas for improvement. Among other things, the survey can show why there may be a high level of sickness absence among employees. An APV can therefore be a good tool for strengthening well-being among employees - and in this way strengthen the company itself.

How does an APV take place?

An APV can be prepared in several ways. You can either conduct an interview with the employees, where the questions become the starting point for a dialog, or you can make a questionnaire for the employees. Furthermore, the survey can be carried out both internally and by external experts. However, when conducting a APV, it is important to be aware of the methodology used for the survey and its limitations. Therefore, it is also important to be open to the conclusions.

Once the data from the survey has been analyzed, an action plan is drawn up to improve the working environment. Once the action plan is implemented, it is important that the working environment is reviewed regularly to ensure that it remains at a satisfactory level. 

At Health Group, we have good experience in conducting APV surveys through a questionnaire. This method has several advantages. Firstly, it can be anonymous and everyone has the opportunity to give their opinion. Secondly, the results can be quantified. This means that instead of the most vocal and dominant employee determining the outcome of the survey, it is the opinion of the majority that counts.

What are the requirements for an APV?

APV is a statutory assessment of the working environment in a workplace. It aims to ensure that the working environment is safe and healthy for employees and that the workplace complies with current legislation.

APV must contain the following

APVIt must include a description of the workplace, the working methods used, the risks associated with the work and how these are managed. In addition, APV's must include a plan for how the working environment can be improved and how to keep it at a satisfactory level. There is freedom of method when it comes to how you want to approach APV the work, but there are a number of general requirements for the APVreport.

• It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that the company draws up an APV and that employees are involved.
• The APV must be in writing and be accessible to both management and workers.
• Management and employees must cooperate throughout the APV process. If the company has an occupational health and safety organization (AMO), they must be involved in the process. 
• It should be clear who is responsible for putting the company's action plan into practice.

In addition, the APV must contain forward specific phases:

1. identification and mapping of the company's overall working environment

The survey will identify the physical and psychological working environment in the company. This can be done, for example, through conversations and interviews with employees or electronic questionnaires. Health Group recommends the use of questionnaires to increase the confidentiality of the employees' responses and to ensure that the majority is heard and not just those who shout the loudest.

2. Description and assessment of the company's health and safety problems

If the first phase identifies health and safety problems, these must be described and the company must assess how they can be solved. In the description of the solutions, the company must, among other things, pay attention to preventing the problem from recurring and that the solution is directed at the source of the problem. 

3. Involvement of the company's sick leave

Problems in the working environment can contribute to sickness absence and therefore sickness absence must be included in theAPV. It is not the sickness absence itself that must be considered, but the company must assess whether there are any conditions in the working environment that may contribute to the overall sickness absence.

4. prioritizing solutions to OSH problems and drawing up an action plan

Solutions to the identified problems in the working environment must be prioritized and written down in an action plan. The action plan must include a prioritization of the problems identified, the order in which they are to be solved, when they are to be solved, and who is responsible for ensuring that they are solved. It may also be necessary to prioritize between different proposals for solving the individual problems. Be aware that the effect of the solutions must be measurable so that it is possible to follow up on whether the solutions have had the desired effect.

5. Guidelines for the follow-up of the Action Plan

Guidelines must be established for how the company will follow up on the action plan. These must state who is responsible for the action plan in question, when and how it is determined whether the solution has worked and whether the action plan needs to be revised. 

What is a good questionnaire?

A good questionnaire does not contain many questions, but the right questions. That is, questions that have been proven to have an impact on our well-being at work. It is important that the questions are relevant and current for the individual employee, and therefore the questions should also be adapted to the employee's role in the organization.

A good question should not be leading, but adding words such as 'sufficient' or 'appropriate' gives the answer a value that can help to draw a conclusion in the analysis phase.

For example, for many, 'clarity of goals at work' is important for motivation, while some may find that 'clarity of goals at work' is less important. If you write "sufficiently clear goals" instead, you can deduce from the result whether they are good enough.

In addition, it is necessary for the outcome of the results that the questions are validated. This means that there must be consistency between what is being asked and what the employee understands from the question. In other words, there should be no confusion about what is being asked.

Good analysis leads to results that actually show what is important to employees in the workplace and what can improve overall well-being.

A checklist for a good questionnaire

• Not many but the right questions.
• The questions must be relevant and topical.
• The questions should not be leading but should allow conclusions to be drawn in the analysis phase.
• The questions must be validated.

When to complete an APV?

APV must be carried out at least every 3 years and must be revised if there are changes in the working environment. It is important to conduct APV regularly to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for employees. 

Why benchmark?

A benchmark, which can advantageously be sector-specific, gives the company a basis for comparison and thus an indication of employee well-being in relation to other workplaces. The benchmark should not be regarded as a checklist, but the comparison is nevertheless an extremely useful tool when prioritizing areas for action.

Is it beneficial to get external help?

It can be advantageous to use external help for internal surveys in companies. When relatively sensitive topics such as sickness absence, social relations between colleagues and managers and possibly abusive behavior are mapped, anonymity is often required before the respondent will answer truthfully. Therefore, it is advantageous for the outcome of the survey to choose external experts who are used to working with APV and who ensure confidentiality towards the employer.

Ultimately, it is important that the results reflect reality as much as possible, and this requires the respondent to be confident in their answers.

Moreover, a good workplace well-being survey is a resource- and time-consuming process, and if there is no time or energy to do it thoroughly, it is better to leave it to professionals. Indeed, an APV is required by law to be carried out at least every three years.

To find out more about how your company can achieve a responsible business strategy with an APV, please contact us today.

Get help for your APV by Health Group

Health Group can help you implement an APV that complies with applicable legislation and ensures a safe and healthy working environment for employees. If you would like to learn more about how your company can achieve a responsible business strategy with an APV, please contact us today.