Implementing New Working Practices Through a Structured Support Model for Systematic Work Environment Management: A Qualitative Study From Swedish Municipalities

A Quantitative Study on Employees' Experiences of a Support Model for Systematic Work Environment Management in Swedish Municipalities

Today's working life is constantly changing, and work environmental risk factors can alter swiftly. Besides the traditional physical work environment risk factors, somewhat more abstract organizational and social work environment factors also play an ever-increasing role, both in preventing and causing work-related illness. This requires a preventive work environment management that can respond to rapid changes, and where the assessment and remedies rely more on employee participation than on predetermined threshold limits. This study aimed to investigate if the use of a support model (the Stamina model) for workplace improvements could render the same positive effects in quantitative measures that have previously been shown in qualitative studies. Employees from six municipalities used the model for 12 months. They answered a questionnaire at baseline and after six and 12 months, to detect any changes in how they characterized their current work situation and perceived their influence, productivity, short-term recovery, and organizational justice. The results showed that employees felt more influential in work situations related to communication/collaboration and roles/tasks at the follow-up compared to the baseline. These results are consistent with previous qualitative studies. We found no significant changes in the other endpoints. The results strengthen previous conclusions, namely that the Stamina model can be used as part of inclusive, modern, and systematic work environment management.

Barriers and facilitators for participation in workplace health promotion programs: results from peer-to-peer interviews among employees

OBJECTIVE

Workplace health promotion programs (WHPPs) have shown to be effective in improving lifestyle behaviors of employees. Despite potential benefits for employees, participation rates are generally low. The aim of this study was to gain deeper insight into barriers and facilitators for participation in WHPPs prior to implementation according to employees.

METHODS

Peer-to-peer interviewing, a method derived from citizen science, was used to actively involve employees in the data collection. Employees working in the cleaning-, ICT- and facility-sector were trained to interview their co-workers. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), complemented with the constructs 'interpersonal factors' and 'intrapersonal factors' from the social ecological model. Data were coded deductively and inductively, and rated by two researchers independently.

RESULTS

Fourteen peer-interviewers conducted 62 peer-to-peer interviews. Main barriers for participation in WHPPs were an unsupportive organizational culture where lifestyle is not a common topic and programs that are not tailored to their needs. Support from peers and supervisors were facilitators. The availability of organizational resources, such as facilities and financial compensation, support participation.

CONCLUSIONS

To enhance participation of employees in WHPPs it is recommended to take into account the barriers and facilitators identified in this study. For instance, employees should be involved in the development and implementation of WHPPS by the employer and their needs and available resources should be taken into account. This may lead to more successful implementation and higher participation rates in future WHPPs.

Bringing risk back in: managers' prioritization of the work environment during the pandemic

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate managers' experiences of managing work environment and risks during the Covid-19 pandemic and to explore how managers might use these experiences to develop future risk management.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 Swedish managers at different hierarchical levels working in 11 different organizations. A directed content analysis was carried out, informed by theory on risk management.

Findings

The results point to the pandemic as a societal crisis which workplaces needed to manage through large means of improvisation. Regular work environment routines were put to the test, and several deficiencies in the work environment and risk management were identified. Organizations that handle occupational safety and risks on a daily basis through established routines were less affected and could easier adjust work environment and risk management, compared to organizations prioritizing the social and organizational work environment, which had to re-prioritize and start paying more attention to the physical work environment and to bring risk management into their daily routines.

Originality/value

The study offers an account of how managers in different labor market sectors in Sweden have acted in the midst of the pandemic by handling real-time crises, how these experiences can be used for engaging in retrospective learning and how this may imply changes to their prospective risk management.