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- Bjärntoft, Sofie, et al.
(författare)
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A participatory approach to identify key areas for sustainable work environment and health in employees with flexible work arrangements
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 13:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flexible work arrangements are common worldwide, but knowledge on how to achieve a sustainable work environment is sparse. The aim of this study was to use a participatory approach to identify concrete suggestions and key areas for improvement that were considered relevant, effective, and feasible for promoting good work environment and health at organizational, work group and individual level (O-G-I), among office employees with flexible work arrangements. Eight focus group interviews (including 45 employees) were conducted in a large Swedish government agency in 2017. By using a Tree diagram approach, employees made a total of 279 suggestions for improvements, which were sorted into O-G-I levels and mapped into 18 key areas. We found that 13 key areas addressed organizational level (e.g., improving leadership, policy, job demands, and work efficiency), two key areas addressed group level (create common rules of availability and activity-based working), and three key areas addressed individual level (e.g., individuals’ responsibility to clearly communicate their availability). The participatory process was effective in obtaining concrete suggestions and key areas in need of improvement, which may provide an action plan that can guide organizations in developing interventions to promote good work environment and health in flexible work.
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| 2. |
- Mixter, Susanna, Doktorand, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Fatigue, Stress, and Performance during Alternating Physical and Cognitive Tasks - Effects of the Temporal Pattern of Alternations
- 2021
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Ingår i: Annals of Work Exposures and Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2398-7308 .- 2398-7316. ; 65:9, s. 1107-1122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In occupational life, performing cognitive work tasks in between fatiguing physical work tasks may allow recovery and reduce stress without losing productive working time. The temporal pattern of such alternations is likely a determinant of the recovery effect, influencing both stress and fatigue; the difficulty of the cognitive task (CT) would also be a likely determinant. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent the temporal pattern of alternations between a repetitive physical task and a CT of different difficulties influenced perceived fatigability, performance fatigability, stress-related outcomes, and performance. Fifteen women performed four work sessions comprising 110 min of repeated bouts of a repetitive physical task (pipetting), alternating with a CT (n-back). Sessions differed in bout cycle time (short: 7 + 3 min versus long: 14 + 6 min) and CT difficulty (CTdiff; easy versus difficult). Fatigue was assessed from recordings of maximal voluntary contraction force in shoulder elevations and handgrip pre- and post-work, electromyography (EMG) from the right trapezius and right forearm extensors during work, and repeated self-ratings of fatigue and pain throughout the session. Stress was assessed using electrocardiography (heart rate variability), salivary alpha-amylase, and self-reports. Perceived fatigue increased significantly over time for all protocols and more in long-cycle than short-cycle conditions. EMG activity did not increase markedly over time in any condition. Neither objective nor subjective indicators suggested that stress increased over time, regardless of the temporal pattern. Pipetting performance remained stable in all conditions. Cognitive performance, measured by the proportions of correct positive and false positive answers, differed between CTdiff levels but remained stable over time, with no significant difference between temporal patterns. In summary, temporal patterns of alternating tasks influenced fatigue to some extent but had no obvious influence on stress indicators or performance. Thus, designing job rotation with alternating physical and cognitive work should consider the temporal patterns of alternations to minimize fatigue.
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