Aims, methods, and results of the Finnish Quality of Work Life - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Aims, methods, and results of the Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys Anna-Maija Lehto ETUI, Brussels 18.-19.03.2009

General aims of the Survey � Provide information on the state of working life for policymaking � Provide data and analyses for research � Provide reliable information on working conditions into general discussion Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 2

Why to study working conditions? � Health and safety in working conditions as a goal � Motivation to work - important for employers , organisations (commitment, innovativeness, productivity) - important for employees (self-fulfillment, creativity, development) - staying longer in working life - attracting to work those outside labour force Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 3

Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys � Working Conditions Survey 1972 - pilot study, postal interview � Quality of Work Life Survey 1997 - face-to-face Working Conditions Survey 1977 - response rate 79% - face-to-face - 3,000 employees in data - response rate 91% Quality of Work Life Survey 2003 - 5,800 employees in data - face-to-face Working Conditions Survey 1984 - response rate 78% - face-to-face - 4,100 employees in data - response rate 89% Quality of Work Life Survey 2008 - 4,500 employees in data - face-to-face Quality of Work Life Survey 1990 - response rate 68% - face-to-face - 4,400 employees in data - response rate 85% - 3,500 employees in data Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 4

Permanent contents � Physical work environment - adverse factors, work accidents, physical strain � Psychic and social factors in work environment - monotony, mentally demanding, time pressure, opportunities for influence and for development, social relationships, discrimination � Health, stress symptoms - recurrent aches and pains, psychic and somatic symptoms, experiences of threat � Labour market position, family, background variables - work history, type of contracts, threat of unemployment, work and family, commitment to work Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 5

Special themes in working condition surveys � Quality of Work Life Survey 2008 � - Technological change in work - gender equality (1984 - ) - fixed-term contracts - Gender equality (1984 -) - time pressure, work load - Changes in work organisation - ageing at work, retirement (flexibility, productivity1990 -) - work and family - Work and family (1990 -) - working hours, flexibility - Time pressure (1997 - ) - remuneration, new forms of pay - Fixed-term contracts (1997 -) - Ageing, retirement (2003-) � - temporary agency work - Remuneration, new forms of - migrant workers pay (2003-) - places of work, mobile work - Absenteeism (2003-) - work satisfaction - Supervisory tasks Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 6

The sample of Quality of Work Life Survey � In connection with (the March and April rounds of) the monthly Labour Force Survey (telephone interview) 2008 � The sample established during the LFS interview, among respondents filling the criteria… 15 - 64 -year olds wage and salary earners normal weekly working hours 10+ hours of paid work � =>agreement on face-to-face interview (approximately 66 min) Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 7

Combining quantitative and qualitative methods in Quality of Work Life Surveys 1997 - 2003 Survey 1997: Survey 2003: - structured - structured face-to-face interviews face-to-face interviews Qualitative interviews Qualitative interviews theme interview + ”think aloud” prior the questionnaire desing 1997 - time pressure,equality, - theme interview on new special themes: precarious employment time pressure, precarious employment - respondents of the survey 1997 -”think aloud” -method in revising - deepening and illustrating old questions the survey results Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 8

Shortcomings of the traditional survey Qualitative method at its best � Fails to discover new information � Capable of discovering new � Focuses on averages � Recognises differences � Fails to see the importance of � Recognises meanings meanings � Can see individuals within their � Detaches individual from their groups groups � Possibility for studying processes � Fails to see the processive nature of � Considers the subjects’ activities and phenomena experiences � Treats the surveyee as an object (Lehto 1996 and 2002) Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 9

About the nature of knowledge � Some phenomena are factual: - pay, working hours, overtime work, days in training, foremanship, absenteeism, work history � Some include subjective concepts: - bullying, harassment, discrimination - time pressure, work load - autonomy, possibilities to influence - demands of work, competence � Some need subjective evaluation: - work climate - fears, threats - psychic and somatic symptoms - pains, aches, coping Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 10

Changes in working conditions 1977-2008 � Positive aspects - opportunities for development at work - commitment; importance of own, current work - decrease in monotony - opportunities for influencing own work � Negative aspects - adverse effects of time pressure - risks and insecurities connected to work, threat of violence - conflicts, mental violence - decrease in support - decrease in information about changes relating to work - increase in psychic and somatic symptoms, sleeping difficulties Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 11

Main changes in Finnish working life � In the 1980’s: � Viewpoints to study working - growth in employment, in use of conditions: information technology, in level - employment sector (state, of knowledge municipalities, private) - gender sensitiveness in every � In the 1990’s: step of the survey: design, - Economic recession, insecurity, analyses, reporting increased time pressure - educational level � In the 2000’s: - position in the labour market - New growth, new contradictions (type of contract) (Nordic welfare regime vs. the neo-liberal regime of working life) Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 12

Wage and salary earners by level of education Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977, 1984, 1990, 1997, 2003 and 2008 100% 10 13 14 20 38 80% 41 35 44 60% 53 Tertiary level 56 Upper secondary level Basic level 40% 44 45 55 43 20% 33 24 18 14 0% 1977 1984 1990 1997 2003 2008 Years 2003- according to revised classification of education Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 13

Opportunities for development at work Good opportunities. Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977, 1990, 1997, 2003 and 2008 % 50 44 43 42 42 40 39 40 37 37 35 33 32 32 31 28 30 23 20 10 0 All wage and salary earners Women Men 1977 1990 1997 2003 2008 Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 14

Importance of career advancement and self-development Very important. Quality of Work Life Survey 2008 60 49 50 45 40 40 30 20 10 9 9 10 0 Career advancement Self-development All Women Men Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 15

Willingness to change to another job At the same pay. Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977 - 2008 100 % 3 3 3 2 20 1 21 24 20 20 23 80 24 26 26 26 30 25 60 Don't know Would change to the same occupational field 56 52 51 51 Would change to a different occupational field 49 40 44 Would not change at all 20 0 1977 1984 1990 1997 2003 2008 Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 16

Monotony of work Work very, or quite, monotonous. Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977 - 2008 % 35 29 30 24 24 25 21 19 19 20 18 18 18 18 18 17 17 17 17 16 16 15 15 10 5 0 All wage and salary earners Women Men 1977 1984 1990 1997 2003 2008 Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 17

Opportunities for influencing own work Can influence a lot or quite a lot. Quality of Work Life Surveys 1984 - 2008 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1984 1990 1997 2003 2008 Order of tasks 68 67 69 67 70 Working methods 58 63 65 64 65 Contents of tasks 25 37 40 41 40 Pace of work 59 64 57 55 57 Division of tasks between employees 25 29 31 31 33 Choice of working partners 12 18 19 18 19 Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 18

Adverse effects of time pressure ‘Very much’ or ‘quite a lot’ adverse effects. Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977 - 2008 % 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1977 1984 1990 1997 2003 2008 All 18 24 30 33 30 31 Women 17 26 31 35 32 34 Men 19 23 28 30 27 28 Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 19

“There are too few employees compared to the workload at the workplace” Totally agree. Quality of Work Life Surveys 1990 - 2008 % 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1990 1997 2003 2008 State 20 20 22 29 Municipality 25 26 27 28 Private 13 17 15 19 Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 20

Main publications in English about the FWCS: � Efficient, more efficient, exhausted. Findings of Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977-1997. (Anna-Maija Lehto & Hanna Sutela) Statistics Finland 1999. � Threats and Opportunities. Findings of Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977- 2003. (Anna-Maija Lehto & Hanna Sutela). Statistics Finland 2005. � Three decades of working conditions. Findings of Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys 1977- 2008. (Anna-Maija Lehto & Hanna Sutela) Forthcoming Statistics Finland 2009. Anna-Maija Lehto 26/03/2009 21