Working at home and outside: Working conditions and non-working hours

2021 ◽  
pp. 118-138
Author(s):  
G. A. Monusova

In the presence of anti-epidemic restrictions, telework has become widespread around the world. This trend has provoked numerous debates on how efficient and convenient work from home is compared to that performed on special premises. However, work from home is not the only non-standard form of work activity. This study explores different types of workplace — locations and premises where workers perform their duties. Empirical analysis exploits microdata from “The time use survey” conducted by the Russian Statistical Agency in 2019. The survey identifies six types of work: on standard premises (offices or shop-floors), telework, homebased work, work performed in special facility (like kiosks, pavilions, gas filling stations, garages, etc.), in open air facilities (like construction sites or agricultural fields), or transportation/delivery services. These types of workplace differ in terms of employment and working conditions, work safety and commuting time, potentially contributing to social stratification. Thus, heterogeneity in “workplaces” contributes to social stratification, affects distribution of economic benefits and health risks and can be an additional measure of labor market inequality.

2021 ◽  
pp. 118-138
Author(s):  
G. A. Monusova

In the presence of anti-epidemic restrictions, telework has become widespread around the world. This trend has provoked numerous debates on how efficient and convenient work from home is compared to that performed on special premises. However, work from home is not the only non-standard form of work activity. This study explores different types of workplace — locations and premises where workers perform their duties. Empirical analysis exploits microdata from “The time use survey” conducted by the Russian Statistical Agency in 2019. The survey identifies six types of work: on standard premises (offices or shop-floors), telework, homebased work, work performed in special facility (like kiosks, pavilions, gas filling stations, garages, etc.), in open air facilities (like construction sites or agricultural fields), or transportation/delivery services. These types of workplace differ in terms of employment and working conditions, work safety and commuting time, potentially contributing to social stratification. Thus, heterogeneity in “workplaces” contributes to social stratification, affects distribution of economic benefits and health risks and can be an additional measure of labor market inequality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-239
Author(s):  
Azra Huršidić Radulović ◽  
Roko Žaja ◽  
Milan Milošević ◽  
Bojana Radulović ◽  
Ivica Luketić ◽  
...  

Abstract One of the side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a global change in work ergonomic patterns as millions of people replaced their usual work environment with home to limit the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection. The aim of our cross-sectional pilot study was to identify musculoskeletal pain that may have resulted from this change and included 232 telecommunications company workers of both genders [121 (52.2 %) men aged 23–62 (median 41; interquartile range 33–46 yrs.) and 111 (47.8 %) women aged 23–53 (median 40; interquartile range 33–44)] who had been working from home for eight months (from 16 March to 4 December 2020) before they joined the study. The participants were asked to fill in our web-based questionnaire by self-assessing their experience of hand, lower back, and upper back/neck pain while working at home and by describing their work setting and physical activity. Compared to previous work at the office, 90 (39.1 %) participants reported stronger pain in the lower back, 105 (45.7 %) in the upper back/neck, and 63 (27.2 %) in their hands. Only one third did not report any musculoskeletal problems related to work from home. Significantly fewer men than women reported hand, lower back, and upper back/ neck pain (p=0.033, p=0.001 and p=0.013, respectively). Sixty-nine workers (29.9 %) reported to work in a separate room, 75 (32.4 %) worked in a separate section of a room with other household members, whereas 87 (37.7 %) had no separate work space, 30 of whom most often worked in the dining room. Ninety-five participants (40.9 %) had no office desk to work at, and only 75 (32.3 %) used an ergonomic chair. Of those who shared their household with others (N=164), 116 (70.7 %) complained about constant or occasional disturbances. Over a half of all participants (52 %) said that they worked longer hours from home than at work, predominantly women (p=0.05). Only 69 participants (29.9 %) were taking frequent breaks, predominantly older ones (p=0.006). Our findings clearly point to a need to inform home workers how to make more ergonomic use of non-ergonomic equipment, use breaks, and exercise and to inform employers how to better organise working hours to meet the needs of work from home.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Schmitz-Rixen ◽  
Reinhart T. Grundmann

AbstractIntroductionAn overview of the requirements for the head of a surgical department in Germany should be given.Materials and methodsA retrospective literature research on surgical professional policy publications of the last 10 years in Germany was conducted.ResultsSurveys show that commercial influences on medical decisions in German hospitals have today become an everyday, predominantly negative, actuality. Nevertheless, in one survey, 82.9% of surgical chief physicians reported being very satisfied with their profession, compared with 61.5% of senior physicians and only 43.4% of hospital specialists. Here, the chief physician is challenged. Only 70% of those surveyed stated that they could rely on their direct superiors when difficulties arose at work, and only 34.1% regarded feedback on the quality of their work as sufficient. The high distress rate in surgery (58.2% for all respondents) has led to a lack in desirability and is reflected in a shortage of qualified applicants for resident positions. In various position papers, surgical residents (only 35% describe their working conditions as good) demand improved working conditions. Chief physicians are being asked to facilitate a suitable work-life balance with regular working hours and a corporate culture with participative management and collegial cooperation. Appreciation of employee performance must also be expressed. An essential factor contributing to dissatisfaction is that residents fill a large part of their daily working hours with non-physician tasks. In surveys, 70% of respondents stated that they spend up to ≥3 h a day on documentation and secretarial work.DiscussionThe chief physician is expected to relieve his medical staff by employing non-physician assistants to take care of non-physician tasks. Transparent and clearly structured training to achieve specialist status is essential. It has been shown that a balanced work-life balance can be achieved for surgeons. Family and career can be reconciled in appropriately organized departments by making use of part-time and shift models that exclude 24-h shifts and making working hours more flexible.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 951-957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fleischmann ◽  
Ewan Carr ◽  
Baowen Xue ◽  
Paola Zaninotto ◽  
Stephen A Stansfeld ◽  
...  

BackgroundModifications in working conditions can accommodate changing needs of chronically ill persons. The self-employed may have more possibilities than employees to modify their working conditions. We investigate how working conditions change following diagnosis of chronic disease for employed and self-employed older persons.MethodsWe used waves 2–7 from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We included 1389 participants aged 50–60 years who reported no chronic disease at baseline. Using fixed-effects linear regression analysis, we investigated how autonomy, physical and psychosocial job demands and working hours changed following diagnosis of chronic disease.ResultsFor employees, on diagnosis of chronic disease autonomy marginally decreased (−0.10, 95% CI −0.20 to 0.00) and physical job demands significantly increased (0.13, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.25), whereas for the self-employed autonomy did not significantly change and physical job demands decreased on diagnosis of chronic disease (−0.36, 95% CI −0.64 to –0.07), compared with prediagnosis levels. Psychosocial job demands did not change on diagnosis of chronic disease for employees or the self-employed. Working hours did not change for employees, but dropped for self-employed (although non-significantly) by about 2.8 hours on diagnosis of chronic disease (−2.78, 95% CI −6.03 to 0.48).ConclusionImprovements in working conditions after diagnosis of chronic disease were restricted to the self-employed. This could suggest that workplace adjustments are necessary after diagnosis of chronic disease, but that the self-employed are more likely to realise these. Policy seeking to extend working life should consider work(place) adjustments for chronically ill workers as a means to prevent early exit from work.


Author(s):  
Rika Snyman ◽  
Jaco Deacon

This article also tries to compare the situation of a student sports person injured while participating in university sports, and a drama student injured during a performance or rehearsal of a play. It is stated that the relationship between the drama student and lecturer is similar to the relationship between a sports person and his/her coach, but the relationship differs in that a sports person’s risk of getting hurt is much greater than that of a drama student, The contracts between sports players and their authorities are also stipulated in much more detail than the contracts (if any) between the drama students and the university. It is concluded that the legislation is not clear on the specific matters where a student undergoes practical training while they are still studying. The suggestion is that a sectoral determination must be put in place to regulate the relationship, the remuneration, the working hours and the working conditions and risks involved.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne van Zwieten ◽  
Jan Fekke Ybema ◽  
Goedele Geuskens

Terms of employment and the preferred retirement age Terms of employment and the preferred retirement age The present study examines how the satisfaction with the terms of employment among older employees affects the preferred retirement age. Two waves of data collection (2008 and 2009) of the cohort-study of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey (NWCS) were used for this study. The results of this longitudinal study showed that satisfaction with terms of employment that concern flexibility (e.g. flexible working hours and the possibilities for part-time work) contribute to a higher preferred retirement age. It also contributes to not specifying the preferred retirement age. This means that employees who are satisfied with the flexibility in their jobs more often do not know at what age they prefer to retire than employees who are not satisfied, but if they do know they report a higher preferred retirement age. By arranging flexibility in the job together with and to the satisfaction of employees, employees can be stimulated to postpone retirement.


10.3823/2606 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lázaro Clarindo Celestino ◽  
Laura Andrian Leal ◽  
Fernanda Ludmilla Rossi Rocha ◽  
Silvia Helena Henriques

Background: To describe the working conditions of the nurses of the Family Health Strategy, characterizing the forms and modalities of work contract, types of bond, working hours, benefits, career plan and salaries. Method and Findings: Exploratory qualitative approach study. Participants were 18 nurses from the teams of the Family Health Strategy of a municipality in the countryside of Mina Gerais, Brazil. The data collection took place in July 2018 through interviews, using a script with closed questions. The Ethics Committee of the proposing Institution according to Official Letter 090/2018, CAAE 83419418.2.0000.5393, approved the study. Two forms of work contracts have been identified represented by the city hall and outsourced companies, the latter being the mode that offers the most benefits to workers. In addition, there was a lack of commensurate links, in addition to units with physical infrastructure that were compromised, lack of basic materials and supllies essential for the provision of care, absence of essential benefits for this category, insalubrity, commission for productivity, long journeys and overload of work, neglect and devaluation of the worker. Conclusions: This study should promote the managers' reflection on the working conditions offered to nurses in basic care, rethinking management models that help them cope with problems related to their work context, stimulating a healthy environment, mitigating possible occupational risks that could compromise physical or mental health of the worker.    


2020 ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
T.A. Izbienova ◽  
M.I. Averyanova

The spread of digital technologies and electronic devices, the natural interest of businesses to save money on creating and equipping jobs, as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic provoked a sharp increase in remote labor for employees. The specifics of the organization of work using digital technologies, in the "home office", required the establishment of special rules for recording working hours in order to protect physical and mental health of employees and review existing legislative approaches to accounting for working hours spent outside of a stationary workplace. The authors, examining Russian legislation and practice of regulation of this issue in European countries, particularly Germany, propose to amend the Labour Code of the Russian Federation, stipulating provisions for the protection of leisure time and health of persons working in the mode of remote operation.


Author(s):  
Ondřej Dvouletý

Although individuals mostly pursue an entrepreneurial career from non-economic reasons, it is also interesting to see how well they perform in their business financially. This book chapter exploits two recent waves (2010, 2015) of the European Survey on Working Conditions (EWCS) and compares earnings of the Czech self-employed, concerning characteristics including job creation, gender, age, education, and number of working hours. The obtained findings from paired t-tests and correlations show that Czech self-employed with employees (job creators) earn on average by 14.6% more when compared to solo self-employed. Gender-differences in earnings have also been found in the case of the Czech entrepreneurs. Solo self-employed women earn on average less when compared to males. The highest earnings were observed in the age group of 31-40 years, and self-employed with higher levels of education also earn, on average more. This book chapter contributes to the regional knowledge on entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 2307-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Sun Hyun ◽  
Yunyoung Kim

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between working environment and weight control efforts among obese workers in Korea. Methods This study was based on the 2011 3rd Korean Working Conditions Survey, which was conducted on workers aged 15 years or older. A sample of 484 obese workers was included in the study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between working environment and weight control efforts after controlling for individual variables. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results Of the participants, 63.4% reported that they made efforts to control their weight. After controlling for personal factors, the OR of weight control efforts for individuals working 40–49 hours per week was 2.4 times that for individuals working 60 hours or more per week. The OR of regular employment workers was 2.2 times that of non-regular workers. Conclusion We established that working hours and employment type were significantly related to weight control efforts. Therefore, we recommend that working conditions should be considered in designing effective workplace health promotion programs.


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