Arbetsförhållanden och hälsa vid callcenter i Sverige

There are a range of problems associated with job on call centres. A range of problems associated with the job have become apparent, with time pressure, performance monitoring via computer, monitoring of phone calls, ergonomic deficiencies and musculoskeletal problems amongst the problems reported. An earlier study of a call centre in Sweden found inadequate working conditions and signs of ill health amongst a high percentage of the population in their 20s who had only been working for 2-3 years. The situation was worse there than amongst older employees in other industries with computer-intensive jobs. Inadequate working conditions and the high incidence of medical complaints amongst young employees may mean that call centres are failing to provide the sustainable work opportunities that many are counting on, e.g. in rural areas. Scientific studies of call centres are few and the state of knowledge of working conditions and health there is deficient. A cross-sectional study into working and health conditions at call centres in Sweden was conducted with the aim of contributing to a sustainable development of call centre work. The project was conducted in partnership with the Ergonomics Programme at the National Institute for Working Life, Occupational Medicine North, Sundsvall Hospital, and the Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health at the Karolinska Institute. Data were collated at social, corporate and individual level from 15-20 larger call centres with different operating spheres, ownership structures and geographical location. Data were collected on work organisation, content and times, physical and psychosocial working conditions, and health and well-being with the aid of questionnaires, observations, measurements, medical examinations and company registers (including the computerised monitoring system). A total of approximately 1,500 people were included in the study. Models were tried out in order to evaluate the effects of ill health and inadequacies in working conditions at the company's expense.Det är ett antal problem associerade med arbete vid callcenter. Bland de rapporterade problemen finns, tidspress, datoriserad prestationsövervakning , monitorering av telefonsamtal, ergonomiska brister och muskuloskeletala problem. En tidigare studie av ett callcenter i Sverige visade på bristande arbetsförhållanden och tecken på dålig hälsa bland en stor andel av populationen anställda i 20 års åldern som endast arbetat i 2-3 år. Situationen var värre än bland äldre anställda i andra brancher med datorintensiva arbeten. Inadekvata arbetsförhållanden och den höga förekomsten av medicinska klagomål bland unga anställda kan betyda att callcenters misslyckas med att ge de hållbara arbetsmöjligheter som många räknar med. Vetenskapliga studier av callcenters är få och den nuvarande kunskapen och arbetsförhållanden och hälsa där är bristande. Arbetslivsinstitutet har tillsammans med Yrkes- och miljömedicinska kliniken vid Sundsvalls sjukhus samt Institutet för Psykosocial Medicin vid Karolinska institutet en genomfört en landsomfattande undersökning av arbets- och hälsoförhållanden vid ett urval av callcenterföretag i Sverige under början av 2000-talet. Syftet har varit att få fram kunskaper som kan bidra till ett långsiktigt hållbart arbete på sådana företag. Data insamlades på på social, företags och individuell nivå från 15- 20 stora callcenters med olika ägandestrukturer och geografisk lokalisering. Data insamlades på arbetsorganisation, innehåll och tid, fysiska aoch psykosociala arbetsförhållanden, samt hälsa och välmående med hjälp av enkäter, observationer, mätningar, medicinska undersökningar och företagsregister (inklusive datoriserade monitoreringssystem). Totalt inkluderades ca 1500 personer i studien

Promoting occupational health interventions in early return to work by implementing financial subsidies : A Swedish case study

Background: In 2010, the Swedish government introduced a system of subsidies for occupational health (OH) service interventions, as a part in a general policy promoting early return to work. The aim of this study was to analyse the implementation of these subsidies, regarding how they were used and perceived. Methods: The study was carried out using a mixed-methods approach, and comprises material from six sub-studies: a register study of the use of the subsidies, one survey to OH service providers, one survey to employers, one document analysis of the documentation from interventions, interviews with stakeholders, and case interviews with actors involved in coordinated interventions. Results: The subsidized services were generally perceived as positive but were modestly used. The most extensive subsidy - for coordinated interventions - was rarely used. Employers and OH service providers reported few or no effects on services and contracts. OH service providers explained the modest use in terms of already having less bureaucratic routines in place, where applying for subsidies would involve additional costs. Information about the subsidies was primarily communicated to OH service providers, while employers were not informed. Conclusions: The study highlights the complexity of promoting interventions through financial incentives, since their implementation requires that they are perceived by the stakeholders involved as purposeful, manageable and cost-effective. There are inherent political challenges in influencing stakeholders who act on a free market, in that the impact of policies may be limited, unless they are enforced by law

The influence of social capital on employers use of occupational health services: a qualitative study

Background: Occupational health services may have a strategic role in the prevention of sickness absence, as well as in rehabilitation and return to work after sick leave, because of their medical expertise in combination with a close connection to workplaces. The purpose of this study was to explore how employers and occupational health service providers describe their business relations and the use of occupational health services in rehabilitation in relation to the organization of such services. The study uses a theoretical framework based on social capital to analyse the findings. Methods: Interviews and focus groups with managers with Swedish public employers (n = 60), and interviews with occupational health services professionals (n = 25). Results: Employers emphasized trustful relationships, local workplace knowledge, long-term contracts and dialogue about services for good relationships with occupational health providers. Occupational health providers strove to be strategic partners to employers, promoting preventive work, which was more easily achieved in situations where the services were organized in-house. Employers with outsourced occupational health services expressed less trust in their providers than employers with internal occupational health provision. Conclusions: Social capital emerges as central to understanding the conditions for cooperation and collective action in the use of occupational health services, with reference to structural (e.g. contracts), relational (e.g. trust) as well as cognitive (e.g. shared vision) dimensions. The study suggests that attention to the quality of relationships is imperative for developing purposeful occupational health service delivery in rehabilitation and return to work.Funding Agencies|AFA Forsakring [090315]</p

The influence of social capital on employers' use of occupational health services : a qualitative study

Background: Occupational health services may have a strategic role in the prevention of sickness absence, as well as in rehabilitation and return to work after sick leave, because of their medical expertise in combination with a close connection to workplaces. The purpose of this study was to explore how employers and occupational health service providers describe their business relations and the use of occupational health services in rehabilitation in relation to the organization of such services. The study uses a theoretical framework based on social capital to analyse the findings. Methods: Interviews and focus groups with managers with Swedish public employers (n = 60), and interviews with occupational health services professionals (n = 25). Results: Employers emphasized trustful relationships, local workplace knowledge, long-term contracts and dialogue about services for good relationships with occupational health providers. Occupational health providers strove to be strategic partners to employers, promoting preventive work, which was more easily achieved in situations where the services were organized in-house. Employers with outsourced occupational health services expressed less trust in their providers than employers with internal occupational health provision. Conclusions: Social capital emerges as central to understanding the conditions for cooperation and collective action in the use of occupational health services, with reference to structural (e.g. contracts), relational (e.g. trust) as well as cognitive (e.g. shared vision) dimensions. The study suggests that attention to the quality of relationships is imperative for developing purposeful occupational health service delivery in rehabilitation and return to work

The influence of social capital on employers use of occupational health services: a qualitative study

Background: Occupational health services may have a strategic role in the prevention of sickness absence, as well as in rehabilitation and return to work after sick leave, because of their medical expertise in combination with a close connection to workplaces. The purpose of this study was to explore how employers and occupational health service providers describe their business relations and the use of occupational health services in rehabilitation in relation to the organization of such services. The study uses a theoretical framework based on social capital to analyse the findings. Methods: Interviews and focus groups with managers with Swedish public employers (n = 60), and interviews with occupational health services professionals (n = 25). Results: Employers emphasized trustful relationships, local workplace knowledge, long-term contracts and dialogue about services for good relationships with occupational health providers. Occupational health providers strove to be strategic partners to employers, promoting preventive work, which was more easily achieved in situations where the services were organized in-house. Employers with outsourced occupational health services expressed less trust in their providers than employers with internal occupational health provision. Conclusions: Social capital emerges as central to understanding the conditions for cooperation and collective action in the use of occupational health services, with reference to structural (e.g. contracts), relational (e.g. trust) as well as cognitive (e.g. shared vision) dimensions. The study suggests that attention to the quality of relationships is imperative for developing purposeful occupational health service delivery in rehabilitation and return to work.Funding Agencies|AFA Forsakring [090315]</p

Variability in Hand-Arm Vibration During Grinding Operations

Background: Measurements of exposure to vibrations from hand-held tools are often conducted on a single occasion. However, repeated measurements may be crucial for estimating the actual dose with good precision. In addition, knowledge of determinants of exposure could be used to improve working conditions. The aim of this study was to assess hand–arm vibration (HAV) exposure during different grinding operations, in order to obtain estimates of the variance components and to evaluate the effect of work postures. Methods: Ten experienced operators used two compressed air-driven angle grinders of the same make in a simulated work task at a workplace. One part of the study consisted of using a grinder while assuming two different working postures: at a standard work bench (low) and on a wall with arms elevated and the work area adjusted to each operator’s height (high). The workers repeated the task three times. In another part of the study, investigating the wheel wear, for each grinder, the operators used two new grinding wheels and with each wheel the operator performed two consecutive 1-min grinding tasks. Both grinding tasks were conducted on weld puddles of mild steel on a piece of mild steel. Measurements were taken according to ISO-standard 5349 [the equivalent hand–arm-weighted acceleration (m s−2) averaged over 1 min]. Mixed- and random-effects models were used to investigate the influence of the fixed variables and to estimate variance components. Results: The equivalent hand–arm-weighted acceleration assessed when the task was performed on the bench and at the wall was 3.2 and 3.3 m s−2, respectively. In the mixed-effects model, work posture was not a significant variable. The variables ‘operator’ and ‘grinder’ together explained only 12% of the exposure variability and ‘grinding wheel’ explained 47%; the residual variability of 41% remained unexplained. When the effect of grinding wheel wear was investigated in the random-effects model, 37% of the variability was associated with the wheel while minimal variability was associated with the operator or the grinder and 37% was unexplained. The interaction effect of grinder and operator explained 18% of the variability. In the wheel wear test, the equivalent hand–arm-weighted accelerations for Grinder 1 during the first and second grinding minutes were 3.4 and 2.9 m s−2, respectively, and for Grinder 2, they were 3.1 and 2.9 m s−2, respectively. For Grinder 1, the equivalent hand–arm-weighted acceleration during the first grinding minute was significantly higher (P = 0.04) than during the second minute. Conclusions: Work posture during grinding operations does not appear to affect the level of HAV. Grinding wheels explained much of the variability in this study, but almost 40% of the variance remained unexplained. The considerable variability in the equivalent hand–arm-weighted acceleration has an impact on the risk assessment at both the group and the individual level

Promoting occupational health interventions in early return to work by implementing financial subsidies : a Swedish case study

Background In 2010, the Swedish government introduced a system of subsidies for occupational health (OH) service interventions, as a part in a general policy promoting early return to work. The aim of this study was to analyse the implementation of these subsidies, regarding how they were used and perceived. Methods The study was carried out using a mixed-methods approach, and comprises material from six sub-studies: a register study of the use of the subsidies, one survey to OH service providers, one survey to employers, one document analysis of the documentation from interventions, interviews with stakeholders, and case interviews with actors involved in coordinated interventions. Results The subsidized services were generally perceived as positive but were modestly used. The most extensive subsidy – for coordinated interventions – was rarely used. Employers and OH service providers reported few or no effects on services and contracts. OH service providers explained the modest use in terms of already having less bureaucratic routines in place, where applying for subsidies would involve additional costs. Information about the subsidies was primarily communicated to OH service providers, while employers were not informed. Conclusions The study highlights the complexity of promoting interventions through financial incentives, since their implementation requires that they are perceived by the stakeholders involved as purposeful, manageable and cost-effective. There are inherent political challenges in influencing stakeholders who act on a free market, in that the impact of policies may be limited, unless they are enforced by law.Funding Agencies|Swedish Social Insurance Agency||Ministry of Health and Social Affairs||</p

Datorrelaterad muskuloskeletal ohälsa bland gymnasieelever 2005 - Intervju med datoransvarig på skolan

The data collection was performed in high schools in the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Uppsala and Västmanland during the autumn of 2005. The study consisted of two parts: 1. Questionnaires for the students. 2. Ergonomic evaluation of the schools computer workplaces and a short interview with the person responsible for the computers at the school. An information letter was sent to the school leaders where the setup and implementation of the study were explained. After that the school leaders were contacted by telephone and asked if their school wished to participate in the study. If they chose to take part, they were asked to send a record of all students in the second grade to Working Life Institute (Arbetslivsinstitutet). From these lists a selection of classes was made. Then a new contact with the school leader was made, where the leader was asked to inform the teachers concerned by the study. In addition, each teacher got a letter with information about the study. The students got information about the study from their teachers and from the first page in the questionnaire. The ambition was to have a researcher from the Working Life Institute present at the school when the students answered the questionnaire. The completed questionnaires were gathered by the teachers or the researcher and brought to the Working Life Institute where they were de-identified. After that the questionnaires were sent to the company "Tabell och Form AB" for scanning and a primary data preparation. Ergonomists from the Working Life Institute visited all selected schools to perform an ergonomic evaluation, according to a structured checklist, of the student's computer workplaces and to do a short interview with the person responsible for the computers at the school. Purpose: The aim of the study was to describe range of computer usage in school and in spear time and the prevalence of difficulties, especially in the locomotive organs, among high school students. The aim was also to examine if there is a connection between computer time and physical difficulties.Datainsamlingen genomfördes på gymnasieskolor i Stockholms, Södermanlands, Uppsala och Västmanlands län under hösten 2005. Studien bestod av två delar: 1. Frågeformulär till eleverna. 2. Ergonomisk bedömning av skolans datorarbetsplatser och kort intervju med datoransvarig på skolan. Ett informationsbrev skickades till skolledarna, där studiens upplägg och genomförande redovisades. Därefter kontaktades skolledarna per telefon och tillfrågades om skolan önskade medverka i studien. Om de valde att deltaga, ombads de skicka en förteckning på skolans samtliga klasser i ÅK2 till Arbetslivsinstitutet. Från dessa listor gjorde ett urval av klasser. En ny kontakt togs därefter med skolledaren, som då ombads att informera de lärare som skulle komma att bli berörda av studien. Varje lärare fick dessutom ett brev med information om studien. Eleverna fick information om studien via lärarna och första sidan på frågeformuläret. Ambitionen var att en försöksledare från Arbetslivsinstitutet skulle vara närvarande på skolan när eleverna besvarade frågeformuläret. De ifyllda frågeformulären samlades in av lärarna, alternativt av försöksledaren, och fördes till Arbetslivsinstitutet, där de avidentifierades. Därefter skickades de till företaget Tabell o Form AB för scanning och en primär databearbetning. Ergonomer från Arbetslivsinstitutet besökte samtliga utvalda skolor för att göra en ergonomisk bedömning, enligt en strukturerad checklista, av elevernas datorarbetsplatser samt en kort intervju med datoransvarig på skolan. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva omfattningen av datorarbete i skolan och på fritiden och förekomsten av besvär, särskilt i rörelseorganen, bland gymnasieelever. Syftet var också att undersöka om samband föreligger mellan datortid och kroppsliga besvär

Datorrelaterad muskuloskeletal ohälsa bland gymnasieelever 2005 - Enkät till elever

The data collection was performed in high schools in the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Uppsala and Västmanland during the autumn of 2005. The study consisted of two parts: 1. Questionnaires for the students. 2. Ergonomic evaluation of the schools computer workplaces and a short interview with the person responsible for the computers at the school. An information letter was sent to the school leaders where the setup and implementation of the study were explained. After that the school leaders were contacted by telephone and asked if their school wished to participate in the study. If they chose to take part, they were asked to send a record of all students in the second grade to Working Life Institute (Arbetslivsinstitutet). From these lists a selection of classes was made. Then a new contact with the school leader was made, where the leader was asked to inform the teachers concerned by the study. In addition, each teacher got a letter with information about the study. The students got information about the study from their teachers and from the first page in the questionnaire. The ambition was to have a researcher from the Working Life Institute present at the school when the students answered the questionnaire. The completed questionnaires were gathered by the teachers or the researcher and brought to the Working Life Institute where they were de-identified. After that the questionnaires were sent to the company "Tabell och Form AB" for scanning and a primary data preparation. Ergonomists from the Working Life Institute visited all selected schools to perform an ergonomic evaluation, according to a structured checklist, of the student's computer workplaces and to do a short interview with the person responsible for the computers at the school. Purpose: The aim of the study was to describe range of computer usage in school and in spear time and the prevalence of difficulties, especially in the locomotive organs, among high school students. The aim was also to examine if there is a connection between computer time and physical difficulties.Datainsamlingen genomfördes på gymnasieskolor i Stockholms, Södermanlands, Uppsala och Västmanlands län under hösten 2005. Studien bestod av två delar: 1. Frågeformulär till eleverna. 2. Ergonomisk bedömning av skolans datorarbetsplatser och kort intervju med datoransvarig på skolan. Ett informationsbrev skickades till skolledarna, där studiens upplägg och genomförande redovisades. Därefter kontaktades skolledarna per telefon och tillfrågades om skolan önskade medverka i studien. Om de valde att deltaga, ombads de skicka en förteckning på skolans samtliga klasser i ÅK2 till Arbetslivsinstitutet. Från dessa listor gjorde ett urval av klasser. En ny kontakt togs därefter med skolledaren, som då ombads att informera de lärare som skulle komma att bli berörda av studien. Varje lärare fick dessutom ett brev med information om studien. Eleverna fick information om studien via lärarna och första sidan på frågeformuläret. Ambitionen var att en försöksledare från Arbetslivsinstitutet skulle vara närvarande på skolan när eleverna besvarade frågeformuläret. De ifyllda frågeformulären samlades in av lärarna, alternativt av försöksledaren, och fördes till Arbetslivsinstitutet, där de avidentifierades. Därefter skickades de till företaget Tabell o Form AB för scanning och en primär databearbetning. Ergonomer från Arbetslivsinstitutet besökte samtliga utvalda skolor för att göra en ergonomisk bedömning, enligt en strukturerad checklista, av elevernas datorarbetsplatser samt en kort intervju med datoransvarig på skolan. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva omfattningen av datorarbete i skolan och på fritiden och förekomsten av besvär, särskilt i rörelseorganen, bland gymnasieelever. Syftet var också att undersöka om samband föreligger mellan datortid och kroppsliga besvär