Aarhus city hall staff face immediate health risks from extreme workload

Workers in a financial unit under Aarhus Mayor Anders Winnerskjold are under such severe pressure that Denmark’s Work Environment Authority has issued an emergency order, warning of acute health risks, DR reports.

The authority’s most serious intervention—demanding immediate action—follows reports of staff suffering physical and psychological symptoms, including chronic headaches, exhaustion, memory lapses, insomnia, and digestive issues. Some employees describe working 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. shifts, skipping breaks and vacations, and eating meals at their desks.

Aarhus Municipality’s economic director, Eddie Dydensborg, acknowledged the crisis in an interview with P1 Morgen, calling the situation “highly regrettable” and pledging to implement a corrective plan. The five-person unit handles budgeting, accounting, and financial forecasts critical to both the city council and the mayor’s office.

Inspectors found that repeated warnings from staff—some dating back to September 2025—were dismissed or met with unfulfilled promises of improvement. One employee told authorities they had alerted management weekly about unsustainable workloads. The authority’s report also cited “inadequate managerial support” and crippling IT failures, including a system (TARGET) so dysfunctional that staff manually re-enter data between Excel and the main platform.

Dydensborg attributed the breakdown to miscalculations in rolling out the new system but insisted the problem was isolated. “Our broader employee surveys show no widespread issue,” he said, noting the mayor’s office employs roughly 500 people. He ruled out disciplinary action against managers, stating that HR consultants would instead provide additional support.

The authority’s ruling explicitly warned of “significant risk” that staff could “acutely become seriously ill” due to prolonged exposure to extreme workloads and time pressure.