The latest Work Environment Survey conducted in 2005 reveals some changes in the psychosocial work environment experienced by employees. These changes include an increasing workload, less control over work pace and a lack of support from managers and work colleagues. Although the negative changes are statistically significant, the overall disimprovement in the work environment is not substantial.
The Work Environment Survey 2003 (in Swedish, 1Mb PDF) highlighted some improvements in the psychosocial work environment in Sweden. However, the results from the latest Work Environment Survey 2005 (in Swedish, 905Kb PDF), published by the Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket, AV) in October 2006, indicate a deterioration of the work environment in 2005 compared with 2003. Many of the survey’s indicators point to an increase in a range of factors related to the psychosocial field that impact negatively on working conditions.
Slight increase in workload
According to the findings of the 2005 survey, it is more common for men than it is for women to find themselves in a situation where they have to skip lunch, work overtime or bring work home every week to cope with a high workload. In comparison with the 2003 survey, the proportion of men in such a situation increased by three percentage points to about 35% of men in 2005. For women, the situation has remained at a rather stable level of around 30% of women in this situation since the earlier 2001 survey. When looking at the combined data for employed men and women, the proportion of workers who feel under pressure due to a higher workload increased from 31% in 2003 to 33% in 2005.
These situations are most common for employees in managerial positions, where slightly more than 62% of workers report having to deal with such a work overload. Moreover, teachers at all levels, from elementary school to university, often report such work situations – about 61% of teaching personnel responded that they have to cope with a demanding workload. From a sector perspective, the education sector is most affected by such situations, with 46.2% of employees (excluding those of primary education) stating that they cannot have lunch, work late or take work home every week, followed by sectors such as:
- real estate, renting and business activities (37.4% of employees);
- hotels and restaurants, other community, social and personal service activities, household activities (37.2%);
- transport, storage and communications (34.6%).
Decline in control over work pace
Another question in the Work Environment Survey concerns the possibility of workers to control their own work pace at least half of the working time. The 2003 survey reported a significant decrease in the proportion of both men and women who had difficulties controlling their work pace for half of their working time. The results of the latest survey reveal a change in this tendency; the 2005 findings show a statistically significant increase of three percentage points in the number of employees who could not influence their work pace more than half of their working time, rising from 49% of workers in 2003 to about 52% of employees in 2005. In other words, control over work pace for at least half of the working time has declined in recent years. The Figure illustrates both fluctuations over the past eight surveys as well as the trend of being in control of one’s own work pace over the period 1991–2005.
Proportion of employed women and men having difficulties controlling their work pace for up to half of their working time
Lack of support from managers
According to the 2005 survey, the proportion of employed persons that ‘mostly do not’ or ‘never’ receive support or encouragement from superiors or work colleagues has increased significantly since the previous survey. About 42% of all surveyed men and every third women stated that they do not get any support or encouragement when they are faced with a demanding workload.
Such a lack of support and encouragement is more common from managers than from work colleagues; some 38% of the employees surveyed reported a lack of support and encouragement from managers while the corresponding figure for work colleagues stands at 18.5%.
About the survey
Work Environment Surveys (Arbetsmiljön) have been carried out by Statistics Sweden (Statistika centralbyrån, SCB) on behalf of AV on a two-yearly basis since 1989. The survey is conducted in connection with the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is carried out by telephone. The participants of the telephone survey, who answer the supplementary questions of the Work Environment Survey, receive additional questions in the form of a postal questionnaire. The 2005 survey comprised more than 16,000 employed persons. Slightly less than 14,000 persons responded to the telephone survey and just under10,000 people responded to the questionnaire.
Commentary
When employees have to contend with a heavy workload, support and encouragement from managers and work colleagues as well as being able to influence the work pace are important. It would be interesting to examine the correlation between these factors – support from managers, possibilities to influence work pace and an increasing workload – to find out whether a cause and effect relationship exists.
Further information
For an analysis of changes in the work environment in Sweden over time, see the EWCO report on Work environment statistics in Sweden.
Jenny Lundberg, Oxford Research
