The Fourth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) was conducted in the autumn of 2005 in 31 countries. An identical questionnaire, translated into the respective languages, was used across all the countries. Extensive quality control processes were undertaken not only in the preparatory phase but
This report examines the findings of Statistics Finland’s quality of work life surveys. It considers the many changes that have taken place in the working environment over a period of 25 years. Although there have been important improvements, the surveys reveal that certain physical work environment
The Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys between 1977 and 2008 analyse working conditions over four decades. The data reveal that work continues to be an important area of life for Finnish people. Workers remain loyal to their workplace and committed to their work. The results also show changes in
The Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys [1] have included questions about workplace bullying since the 1997 version of the survey. Psychological violence or workplace bullying is defined in the survey questions as ‘isolation of a member of the work community by voiding/nullifying the results of
In a best case scenario, having influence over one’s working conditions and work tasks occurs continuously every day. Methods of yearly planning and discussion have also been developed over time. These may play an important part in allowing employees to influence their own working conditions
Since 1997, the Quality of Work Life Survey [1] carried out by Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus [2]) has asked participants whether teamworking is applied at least to some extent at their workplace. The survey is carried out among the Finnish employee population. Altogether, 4,400 employees were
In Finland, the number of women working as immediate superiors has been increasing since 1984: currently, about 40% of wage and salary earners have a woman as their supervisor, while 63% of women have a female supervisor (Figure 1). The proportion of women working in supervisory positions has grown
In 2007, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Työterveyslaitos [1]) published a study on burnout at work and occupational interventions in the /Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine/. Occupational burnout is defined as a syndrome involving exhaustion and changes in workers’
The latest Finnish Quality of Work Life Survey, dating from 2003 (FI0410SR01 [1]), included questions describing various pay systems so that the wage differential between the sexes could be studied from this perspective. In Finland, traditional factors like educational level and work experience do
According to the European Labour Force Surveys, employment rates among older workers have increased faster in Finland than elsewhere (Figure 1). In Finland, the rapid rise in employment rates applies to both sexes. In other European countries, growth in employment rates has been higher among women
In Finland, in the late 1990s, income disparities began to increase and changes in income distribution raised the relative poverty level. Although poverty is more common among unemployed people, it can also be an issue for people who are working. The ‘working poor’ are a unique group: in spite of
This report examines the findings of Statistics Finland’s quality of work life surveys. It considers the many changes that have taken place in the working environment over a period of 25 years. Although there have been important improvements, the surveys reveal that certain physical work environment