18,225 research outputs found

    Work Organisation and Innovation

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    [Excerpt] Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees’ overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from case studies carried out in 13 Member States of the European Union where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes

    An inquiry into the theory, causes and consequences of monitoring indicators of health and safety at work

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    This paper engages in an interdisciplinary survey of the current state of knowledge related to the theory, determinants and consequences of occupational safety and health (OSH). First, it synthesizes the available theoretical frameworks used by economists and psychologists to understand the issues related to the optimal provision of OSH in the labour market. Second, it reviews the academic literature investigating the correlates of a comprehensive set of OSH indicators, which portray the state of OSH infrastructure (social security expenditure, prevention, regulations), inputs (chemical and physical agents, ergonomics, working time, violence) and outcomes (injuries, illnesses, absenteeism, job satisfaction) within workplaces. Third, it explores the implications of the lack of OSH in terms of the economic and social costs that are entailed. Finally, the survey identifies areas of future research interests and suggests priorities for policy initiatives that can improve the health and safety of workers

    Depression & Work Function: Bridging the Gap Between Mental Health Care & the Workplace

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    Depression is rapidly emerging as both a public health and occupational health challenge. This document reviews many of the current clinical and workplace issues associated with this complex disorder and provides a framework for an integrated and comprehensive approach to managing depression in the workplace. In an effort to catalyze action, the report strives to maintain a practical perspective that will appeal to the many stakeholders who must collaborate to create a psychologically healthy workplace. This paper examines clinical and occupational best practices, recommends a systematic array of potential interventions, and identifies numerous resources to assist organizations to develop a customized response that meets their unique needs

    An Inquiry into the Theory, Causes and Consequences of Monitoring Indicators of Health and Safety at Work

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    This paper engages in an interdisciplinary survey of the current state of knowledge related to the theory, determinants and consequences of occupational safety and health (OSH). First, it synthesizes the available theoretical frameworks used by economists and psychologists to understand the issues related to the optimal provision of OSH in the labour market. Second, it reviews the academic literature investigating the correlates of a comprehensive set of OSH indicators, which portray the state of OSH infrastructure (social security expenditure, prevention, regulations), inputs (chemical and physical agents, ergonomics, working time, violence) and outcomes (injuries, illnesses, absenteeism, job satisfaction) within workplaces. Third, it explores the implications of the lack of OSH in terms of the economic and social costs that are entailed. Finally, the survey identifies areas of future research interests and suggests priorities for policy initiatives that can improve the health and safety of workers.health, safety, indicators, accidents, diseases, absenteeism

    Implementation of an Interdisciplinary Approach to Promote Workers Global Health Status in the Oil Industry, Brazil (2006–2015)

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    This study intends to analyse the behaviour of epidemiological variables of workers in an oil industry of Bahia, Brazil, before and after implementation of interdisciplinary practices in occupational health assessments between 2006 and 2015. This is a retrospective longitudinal study carried out in two time periods. Data were collected from the workers electronic medical record and time trends were analysed before (2006–2010) and after (2011–2015) the implementation of the interdisciplinary practices focusing on health promotion. The data were complementarily compared to a control group from the same industry.A statistically significant reduction for data on the number of smokers, periodontal disease and of days away from work was obtained. A significant increase in the number of physically active subjects was also observed. While not statistically significant, a reduction in the number of workers with obesity and overweight, with caries and altered glycemia, was identified. Coronary risk and high blood pressure indicators have shown aggravation. It can be concluded that an interdisciplinary health approach during the annual occupational assessments, with action directed to the population needs, can be associated with the improvement of the health indicators assessed, contributing to increased worker productivity in the oil industry.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Lessons Learned: Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health

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    Provides case studies of workplace health hazards, regulatory actions taken, and solutions, including product and design alternatives; a synthesis of findings and lessons learned; and federal- and state-level recommendations

    J Occup Environ Med

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    ObjectiveTo determine whether changes in health risks for workers in small businesses can produce medical and productivity cost savings.MethodsA 1-year pre- and posttest study tracked changes in 10 modifiable health risks for 2458 workers at 121 Colorado businesses that participated in a comprehensive worksite health promotion program. Risk reductions were entered into a return-on-investment (ROI) simulation model.ResultsReductions were recorded in 10 risk factors examined, including obesity (\ue2\u2c6\u20192.0%), poor eating habits (\ue2\u2c6\u20195.8%), poor physical activity (\ue2\u2c6\u20196.5%), tobacco use (\ue2\u2c6\u20191.3%), high alcohol consumption (\ue2\u2c6\u20191.7%), high stress (\ue2\u2c6\u20193.5%), depression (\ue2\u2c6\u20192.3%), high blood pressure (\ue2\u2c6\u20190.3%), high total cholesterol (\ue2\u2c6\u20190.9%), and high blood glucose (\ue2\u2c6\u20190.2%). The ROI model estimated medical and productivity savings of 2.03forevery2.03 for every 1.00 invested.ConclusionsPooled data suggest that small businesses can realize a positive ROI from effective risk reduction programs.T42 OH009229/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United States2015-06-16T00:00:00Z24806569PMC446933

    Management of presenteeism. The effects on productivity of a food processing company

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    Presenteeism consists in going to work without conditions to produce, which can have a much higher impact than absenteeism on the productivity of an organisation. Presenteeism translates in both physical as psychological perturbations. It is a difficult to quantify reality, as is its translation into direct and indirect costs within the organisation. Our goal was to analyse the effects of presenteeism on the productivity of a company in the food-procession sector through a descriptive and transversal study of exploratory nature. The Stanford Presenteeism Scale SPS-6 (validated by Ferreira et al, 2010) and a semi-structured interview were used. Most of the workers referred having already gone to work feeling ill at least two days in the last year, mentioning that their health condition affected their performance, made them feel desperate and lacking pleasure from work. Management mentioned that presenteeism has a direct impact on productivity without, however, being able to quantify the true costs. Presenteeism is a reality in organisational scenarios, exceling in the educational and health sectors. We underline the importance of making organisations aware of the psychosocial risks and the importance of having healthy leaderships, work stress control and the presence of clinical psychologists and professional coaches

    ‘Are they out to get us?’ Power and the ‘recognition’ of the subject through a ‘lean’ work regime

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    Critical studies of ‘lean’ work regimes have tended to focus on the factory shop floor or public and healthcare sectors, despite its recent revival and wider deployment in neoliberal service economies. This paper investigates the politics of the workplace in a United Kingdom automotive dealership group subject to an intervention inspired by lean methods. We develop Foucauldian studies of governmentality by addressing lean as a technology of power deployed to act on the conduct of workers, examining how they debunk, distance themselves from and enact its imperatives. Our findings support critiques of lean work regimes that raise concerns about work intensification and poor worker health. Discourses of professional autonomy allow workers to distance themselves from lean prescriptions, yet they are reaffirmed in their actions. More significantly, we illustrate the exercise of a more encompassing form of power, showing how lean harnesses the inherently exploitable desire for recognition among hitherto marginalised workers, and its role as a form of ‘human capital’. The paper contributes to critical studies of lean by illustrating its subtle, deleterious and persistent effects within the analytical frame of neoliberal governmentality. We also demonstrate how studies of governmentality can be advanced through the analysis of contested social relations on the ground, highlighting the ethico-political potential of Foucauldian work
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