Citation

Nabe-Nielsen K, Garde AH, Aust B, Diderichsen F. Ergonomics 2012; 55(4): 440-449.

Affiliation

Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health , University of Copenhagen , Øster Farimagsgade 105, 1014 Copenhagen K , Denmark.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00140139.2011.646321

PMID

22423676

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study investigated how an intervention aiming at increasing eldercare workers' influence on their working hours affected the flexibility, variability, regularity and predictability of the working hours. We used baseline (n = 296) and follow-up (n = 274) questionnaire data and interviews with intervention-group participants (n = 32). The work units in the intervention group designed their own intervention comprising either implementation of computerised self-scheduling (subgroup A), collection of information about the employees' work-time preferences by questionnaires (subgroup B), or discussion of working hours (subgroup C). Only computerised self-scheduling changed the working hours and the way they were planned. These changes implied more flexible but less regular working hours and an experience of less predictability and less continuity in the care of clients and in the co-operation with colleagues. In subgroup B and C, the participants ended up discussing the potential consequences of more work-time influence without actually implementing any changes. Practitioner Summary: Employee work-time influence may buffer the adverse effects of shift work. However, our intervention study suggested that while increasing the individual flexibility, increasing work-time influence may also result in decreased regularity of the working hours and less continuity in the care of clients and co-operation with colleagues.

Language: en