Suchergebnisse

This article examines nonstandard employment and precariousness in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway). Drawing on data from the Labour Force Survey from 1995 to 2015, the article investigates and compares recent developments of nonstandard employment in the countries and analyzes whether fixed-term contracts, temporary agency work, marginal part-time work and solo self-employment have precarious elements (measured as income or job insecurity). We conclude that nonstandard employment has remained rather stable in all four countries over time. However, although nonstandard employment seems to be largely integrated in the Nordic labor markets, it still entails precarious elements in certain countries in particular. Norway and Denmark stand out as having less insecure labor markets, while Finland and Sweden have more precariousness associated with nonstandard employment. We argue that these differences are explained by differences in the institutional contexts in the countries.

Background: Organisation of working hour schedules in the Northern European countries are rather similar. EU countries are obliged to adopt national legislation regarding duration of weekly working hours and rest periods. Yet, working hour characteristics and schedules are likely to differ with respect to starting times and duration depending e.g. on culture and tradition. Yet, very little is known about potential differences between shifts and schedules across countries among nursing personel. This knowledge is relevant, since the potential differences in working hour characteristics may influence and possibly explain some of the differences observed in studies of health and safety. The aim of the study was to compare characteristics of working hours and work schedules among nursing personel in three Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland and Norway. Methods: The study populations included nursing personnel holding a ≥ 50% position at public hospitals in Denmark (n = 63,678), Finland (n = 18,257) or Norway (n = 1538) in 2013. Objective payroll based registry data with information on daily starting and ending times were used to compare working hour characteristics e.g. starting time, duration of shift, and quick returns ( 13/year) quick returns in Norway (64%) and Finland (47%) compared to Denmark (16%). The frequency of 3-shift rotation workers was highest in Norway (41%) and lower in Denmark (22%) and Finland (22%). There were few differences across the countries in terms of early morning shifts and (very) long weekly working hours. Conclusion: Despite similar distribution of operational hours among nurses in the three countries, there were differences in working hour characteristics and the use of different types of work schedules. The observed differences may affect health and safety. ; publishedVersion

Background: Organisation of working hour schedules in the Northern European countries are rather similar. EU countries are obliged to adopt national legislation regarding duration of weekly working hours and rest periods. Yet, working hour characteristics and schedules are likely to differ with respect to starting times and duration depending e.g. on culture and tradition. Yet, very little is known about potential differences between shifts and schedules across countries among nursing personel. This knowledge is relevant, since the potential differences in working hour characteristics may influence and possibly explain some of the differences observed in studies of health and safety. The aim of the study was to compare characteristics of working hours and work schedules among nursing personel in three Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland and Norway. Methods: The study populations included nursing personnel holding a ≥ 50% position at public hospitals in Denmark (n = 63,678), Finland (n = 18,257) or Norway (n = 1538) in 2013. Objective payroll based registry data with information on daily starting and ending times were used to compare working hour characteristics e.g. starting time, duration of shift, and quick returns ( 13/year) quick returns in Norway (64%) and Finland (47%) compared to Denmark (16%). The frequency of 3-shift rotation workers was highest in Norway (41%) and lower in Denmark (22%) and Finland (22%). There were few differences across the countries in terms of early morning shifts and (very) long weekly working hours. Conclusion: Despite similar distribution of operational hours among nurses in the three countries, there were differences in working hour characteristics and the use of different types of work schedules. The observed differences may affect health and safety.

Abstract

Objective
To assess light exposure during days with indoor, outdoor, and night work and days off work.


Methods
Light intensity was continuously recorded for 7 days across the year among indoor (n = 170), outdoor (n = 151), and night workers (n = 188) in Denmark (55–56°N) equipped with a personal light recorder. White light intensity, duration above 80, 1000, and 2500 lux, and proportion of red, green, and blue light was depicted by time of the day and season for work days and days off work.


Results
Indoor workers' average light exposure only intermittently exceeded 1000 lux during daytime working hours in summer and never in winter. During daytime working hours, most outdoor workers exceeded 2500 lux in summer and 1000 lux in winter. Night workers spent on average 10–50 min >80 lux when working night shifts. During days off work, indoor and night workers were exposed to higher light intensities than during work days and few differences were seen between indoor, outdoor, and night workers. The spectral composition of light was similar for indoor, outdoor, and night workers during days at and off work.


Conclusion
The night workers of this study were during night hours on average exposed for a limited time to light intensities expected to suppress melatonin. The indoor workers were exposed to light levels during daylight hours that may reduce general well-being and mood, especially in winter. Outdoor workers were during summer daylight hours exposed to light levels comparable to those used for the treatment of depression.

Despite the growing use of the term precarious employment, there is no consensus on a theoretical framework or definition. This hampers the study of the subject, especially in public and occupational health. We propose a theoretical framework for understanding precarious employment as a multidimensional construct where unfavourable features of employment quality accumulate in the same job. Future research should apply an intersectional and multi-level approach to analysis, with a focus on improving exposure assessment and investigating mechanisms. ; The European Union financed the work of this task group (COST Action CA16216). The funder had no role in its design, search and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

AbstractHigh daytime light levels may reduce the risk of affective disorders. Outdoor workers are during daytime exposed to much higher light intensities than indoor workers. A way to study daytime light exposure and disease on a large scale is by use of a general population job exposure matrix (JEM) combined with national employment and health data. The objective of this study was to develop a JEM applicable for epidemiological studies of exposure response between daytime light exposure, affective disorders, and other health effects by combining expert scores and light measurements. We measured light intensity during daytime work hours 06:00–17:59 for 1–7 days with Philips Actiwatch Spectrum® light recorders (Actiwatch) among 695 workers representing 71 different jobs. Jobs were coded into DISCO-88, the Danish version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988. Daytime light measurements were collected all year round in Denmark (55–56°N). Arithmetic mean white light intensity (lux) was calculated for each hour of observation (n = 15,272), natural log-transformed, and used as the dependent variable in mixed effects linear regression models. Three experts rated probability and duration of outdoor work for all 372 jobs within DISCO-88. Their ratings were used to construct an expert score that was included together with month of the year and hour of the day as fixed effects in the model. Job, industry nested within job, and worker were included as random effects. The model estimated daytime light intensity levels specific for hour of the day and month of the year for all jobs with a DISCO-88 code in Denmark. The fixed effects explained 37% of the total variance: 83% of the between-jobs variance, 57% of the between industries nested in jobs variance, 43% of the between-workers variance, and 15% of the within-worker variance. Modeled daytime light intensity showed a monotonic increase with increasing expert score and a 30-fold ratio between the highest and lowest exposed jobs. Building construction laborers were based on the JEM estimates among the highest and medical equipment operators among the lowest exposed. This is the first quantitative JEM of daytime light exposure and will be used in epidemiological studies of affective disorders and other health effects potentially associated with light exposure.