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Contains fulltext : 54672.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) OBJECTIVES: The number of longitudinal studies reporting evidence for reversed effects of strain on work is growing, but evidence regarding the mechanisms underlying such effects is scarce. In this study, earlier longitudinal findings were reviewed, and the following four mechanisms for reversed effects were proposed that reflect within-person or environmental changes: (i) the rosy perception mechanism, (ii) the gloomy perception mechanism, (iii) the upward selection mechanism, and (iv) the drift mechanism. METHODS: These mechanisms were tested using structural equation modeling and longitudinal data from a Dutch four-phase study (N=1588 participants). RESULTS: The results revealed that work characteristics and mental health influenced each other reciprocally and longitudinally. The reversed effects were examined in more detail, and it was found that these could be accounted for by both within-person and environmental change mechanisms. The rosy perception mechanism was found to explain the positive effects from health on job demands; the upward selection mechanism explained the positive (environmental) effects from health on job control; the gloomy perception mechanism explained the reversed (evaluation) effects from health on supervisory social support. No support was found for the drift mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanisms that may explain reversed causation are yet poorly understood. The main contribution of the present study lies in the fact that it proposes (i) a conceptual framework with which to analyze the effects of health on work characteristics and (ii) methods for testing these mechanisms. The study revealed that there is good reason to pursue research on reversed causality.

In a longitudinal cross-lagged study, the determinants and consequences were examined of presenteeism (going to work despite feeling unhealthy). All variables were measured with questionnaires in 2002 and in 2004 among a representative Dutch sample (N = 653), and these data were individually and longitudinally matched. In 2002 as well as in 2004, approximately 60% reported presenteeism. In this study, no effects of job demands were confirmed. Emotional exhaustion was found to be an important determinant of later sickness absence and later presenteeism, and sickness absence also had a direct effect on later presenteeism. However, the relationship between presenteeism and sickness absence was not found to be reciprocal. This implies that emotional exhaustion lies at the base of both sickness absence and presenteeism, and emotional exhaustion may serve as an important target to reduce sickness absence as well as presenteeism.

De term vermoeidheid of fatigue heeft de laatste jaren veel aandacht gekregen in de zeescheepvaart. Redenen hiervoor zijn recente studies die aangaven dat vermoeidheid een serieus onderwerp is en oorzaak is van ernstige ongelukken als strandingen, aanvaringen en "near misses". Maar is er inmiddels genoeg gedaan om dit te ondervangen?

This 3- wave longitudinal study examined (a) the causal direction of the relationships among psychosocial work characteristics (e.g., job demands, job control, and supervisor support) and indicators of learning- related behavior (e.g., motivation to learn and active problem solving), and (b) whether these relationships differed across age, by comparing the results for young (≤30), middle- aged (31-44) and older (≥45) workers. The results for the total sample revealed significant reciprocal causal relationships among job demands, job control, and learning- related behavior. Furthermore, significant age differences were found in the level of the work characteristics and learning- related behavior, as well as in the cross- lagged relationships among the variables. Compared to earlier-predominantly cross- sectional-results, the present study underlines the importance of taking a dynamic as well as a life- span view on the relationships between work and learning- related behavior. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

There is a bi-annual study performed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment which makes an inventory on the topics covered by Collective Agreements (CA's). Agreements on violence, intimidation and harassment, as well as psychosocial work load in general are most prevalent. Agreements on biological agents, adjustment of tasks when an employee gave birth or on pregnant employees are least prevalent.In the period of 1999-2007 sectors were stimulated to agree on 'Health and Safety Covenants'. About 58 (sub)sectors did so. Recently the effect of these covenants was evaluated. The effects were shown as a reduction of sickness absence. Effects on the reduction of working conditions could not very well be shown.The obligation to agree on a workig conditions 'catalogue'at sectoral level is introduced in the amended Working Conditions Act.

De Arbobalans is een jaarlijks verschijnende publicatie waarin cijfers en gegevens zijn opgenomen die het resultaat zijn van "arbomonitoring", het systematisch verzamelen van gegevens over veiligheids- en gezondheidsrisico's op de werkplek. In deze Arbobalans zijn de meest recente cijfers over de ontwikkeling van de arbeidsomstandigheden in Nederland opgenomen. In het rapport is een duidelijke scheiding aangebracht tussen arbeidsrisico's, effecten en maatregelen. Na een algemene inleiding en een overzicht van de gebruikte bronnen wordt in hoofdstuk 2 ingegaan op de kwaliteit van de arbeid en de arbeidsrisico's waaraan werknemers blootstaan. Hoofdstuk 3 presenteert de mogelijke (gezondheids-)effecten van deze blootstelling, zoals arbeidsuitval, beroepsziekten en arbeidsongevallen, terwijl hoofdstuk 4 aangeeft welke maatregelen er op bedrijfsniveau zijn getroffen om de risico's die zijn gesignaleerd ook aan te pakken. In hoofdstuk 5 wordt kwaliteit van de arbeid in Nederland sectorgewijs vergeleken met de EU. Hierbij wordt o.a. stilgestaan bij de vraag of werknemers langer kunnen en willen doorwerken, en waardoor het langer kunnen en willen doorwerken wordt verklaard. Dat laatste biedt wellicht mogelijkheden om het langer kunnen en willen doorwerken te stimuleren.

Working during pregnancy may expose women to several risk factors. According to recent findings of the National Survey on Working Conditions, information at an early stage on the consequences of the pregnancy for the working capacity of pregnant women, as well as implementing preventive measures, can prevent and significantly reduce absenteeism related to pregnancy or the birth of a child. Nonetheless, such information and measures are only provided to 25% of pregnant women.

In this report provides statistical information about many key aspects of working life, charting their evolution and societal impact over the years. A continuous rise in the pace of work of 1.5% per annum took place in the Netherlands over a 20-year period. This levelled off at national level in 1997, though some sectors show further increases. Trends regarding other risks show only minor changes. Over the last decade, work has become somewhat more autonomous, physical conditions have improved, but repetitive movements have increased. Health complaints, and more recently self-reported burnout in the Dutch workforce, have remained constant. In recent decades, however, the number of workers who retire into the disability system has been steadily rising, particularly those suffering from psychological disorders.

Aim and structure of the comparative analytical report questionnaire. The main objective of this comparative analytical report is to assess if and how the job satisfaction issue is dealt in the national surveys and to bring forward some data and trends on job satisfaction. This comparative analytical report shall reveal how national surveys produce data on job satisfaction, focusing on the methodologies used and shall present available data on job satisfaction.

This report discusses the following trends in working conditions and health in the Netherlands: exposure to psychosocial risk factors (such as job demands, job control, support, workplace violence and discrimination); exposure to physical factors (such as noise, dirt or bad smells); exposure to ergonomic work factors (such as poor posture and lifting heavy loads); working hours; self-reported health outcomes and, since 1997, work-related health outcomes. A diverse picture emerges regarding trends in quality of work in the Netherlands. It is difficult to draw firm conclusions on trends in working conditions because previously existing surveys have been replaced by newer ones. Nonetheless, work pace appears to be stabilising, while time pressure is decreasing. Some traditional risks, such as noise, dangerous work, physical load and shift work, are also stabilising; other risks, such as dirty work and bad smells at work, have declined. Contractual working hours have been reduced. At the same time, there increased autonomy in decision making, and (paid and particularly unpaid) overtime is also on the rise.

Working during pregnancy may expose women to several risk factors. According to recent findings of the National Survey on Working Conditions, information at an early stage on the consequences of the pregnancy for the working capacity of pregnant women, as well as implementing preventive measures, can prevent and significantly reduce absenteeism related to pregnancy or the birth of a child. Nonetheless, such information and measures are only provided to 25% of pregnant women.

Changes in the content and organisation of work in recent decades have resulted in an intensification of work, which is commonly regarded as a cause of stress. This report presents trends in the risks and consequences of work-related stress, and identifies how these can be prevented. The focus iswithin the European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO) network of seven European countries in its initial phase: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. In many countries, there has been a combination of increasing and stabilising job demands, together with decreasing job autonomy. This would have resulted in an increasingly stressful situation within countries. High and increasing quantitative demands, combined with low or decreasing control over work pace, increase stress-related outcomes. Risk groups for work-related stress were mainly identified at sectoral level. Sectors in which relatively many women are occupied appeared to be risk groups, i.e. health care, education, public service sector, hotels and restaurants, and banking. Sectors that were also considered to be risk groups, but were more male dominated, included freight transport and policing.

Objectives: The present study was designed to investigate the causal relationships between (time- and strain-based) work-home interference and employee health. The effort-recovery theory provided the theoretical basis for this study. Methods: Two-phase longitudinal data (with a 1-ye ar time lag) were gathered from 730 Dutch police officers to test the following hypotheses with structural equation modeling: (i) work-home interference predicts health deterioration, (ii) health complaints precede increased levels of such interference, and (iii) both processes operate. The relationship between stable and changed levels of work-home interference across time and their relationships with the course of health were tested with a group-by-time analysis of variance. Four subgroups were created that differed in starting point and the development of work-home interference across time. Results: The normal causal model, in which strain-based (b ut not time-based) work-home interference was longitudinally related to increased health complaints 1 year later, fit the data well and significantly better than the reversed causal model. Although the reciprocal model also provided a good fit, it was less parsimonious than the normal causal model. In addition, both an increment in (strain-based) work-home interference across time and a long-lasting experience of high (strain-based) work-home interference were associated with a deterioration in health. Conclusions: It was concluded that (str ain-based) work-home interference acts as a precursor of health impairment and that different patterns of (strain-based) work-home interference across time are related to different health courses. Particularly long-term experience of (strain-based) work-home interference seems responsible for an accumulation of health complaints. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Functional flexibility, making optimal use of the employee’s capacity to perform different tasks, is positively related to skills development and involvement in decision-making. It may lead to emotional exhaustion, however, if an imbalance exists, such as high job demands combined with a lack of adequate information.

Er is veel onderzoek gedaan naar de effecten van werkdruk in termen van stress, burnout en ziekteverzuim, maar weinig naar de oorzaken en risicogroepen in beroep of bedrijf. Op basis van veronderstellingen in Arbo- en HRM-tijdschriften is getracht acht hypothesen op te stellen inzake mogelijke veroorzakers van werkdruk. De relatie van deze acht factoren - geoperationaliseerd met 17 variabelen - met werkdruk is getoetst met een grote representatieve dataset, verzameld met de TNO Arbeidssituatie Survey in oktober 2000. Multivariate analyses toonden aan dat de belangrijkste werkdrukvoorspellers waren: complex, onvoorspelbaar, zwaar en repeterend, emotioneel en beeldschermwerk, alsmede leidinggevend werk. Ongeacht hun werksituatie, rapporteerden vrouwen meer werkdruk dan mannen. Tevens ging het hebben van kinderen en gehuwd of samenwonend zijn significant samen met het rapporteren van meer werkdruk. Bij de beroepsgroepen scoorden docenten van basis, voortgezet en hoger onderwijs, artsen verpleegkundigen en ziekenverzorgenden, verzekeringsagenten en makelaars, boekhouders en kassiers en leidinggevenden hoog op werkdruk.

In the past 10 years, workers in the Netherlands increasingly report more decision-making power in their work. This is important for an economy in recession and where workers face greater work demands. It makes work more interesting, creates a healthier work environment, and provides opportunities for skills and intellectual development.

International competition and technological developments have had both positive and negative effects on the road freight transport sector. These changes have significantly influenced work and employment conditions in the sector. As this report highlights, creating more and better jobs while enhancing competitiveness is now one of the major challenges faced by the road transport sector. How the sector will respond to these changes is still unclear. This report provides a crucial snapshot of the situation in the sector, the trends and developments which are shaping the industry and the issues of concern for both those working in the sector and policymakers in this domain. The findings are based on analyses of working conditions and quality of work and employment issues in road transport in the 15 Member States. The aim of the report is two-fold: to analyse the work and employment conditions in this sector, and to point to major trends and changes in the field. It describes the socio-economic conditions under which the road freight transport sector operates in the EU, and underlines the highly competitive environment of this particular sector.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has asked TNO Work & Employment to report on the quality of work and employment in the sector of Hotels & Restaurants in The Netherlands. Other research institutes were asked to do the same for the situation in the other EU-countries. The reports assess the impact of trends such as globalisation, increased competition and developments in technology, and look at the role of social dialogue in the sectors. They also feature several examples of interesting and innovative practice at local and national level aimed at improving the quality of work for workers in the sectors. The objective of the sector surveys on working conditions is to provide a cross-sectional overview of the working and employment conditions in this sector as an example of the European economy. This research project aims at collecting information on social dialogue in the hotels and restaurants sector as well. To construct the national report on the sector Hotels & Restaurants for the Netherlands, a literature review as well as both quantitative and qualitative analyses have been performed.

Much attention has been focused on absenteeism. However, ‘presenteeism’ is also an issue, i.e. staying at work even when feeling sick. Analyses have shown that, the greater the work pressure, the higher the percentage of people who keep working when feeling sick.

This report explores the gender differences in occupational safety and health. There is strong segregation of women and men into different jobs and tasks at work. Both men and women face significant risks. In general, men suffer more accidents and injuries at work than women do, whereas women report more health problems such as upper limb disorders and stress. The fact that women still carry out the majority of unpaid work in the home puts extra pressure on many women workers. This report stresses the need to take a holistic approach to occupational safety and health, including the work-life interface, broader work organisation and employments issues, and all issues related to the changing world of work. Such an approach would improve accupational risk prevention to the benefit both men and women.

This report looks at trends in working conditions across different sectors over a five-year period 1995-2000. Basing its findings on the Third European Survey on Working Conditions carried out by the Foundation in 2000 in the 15 EU Member States and Norway, it examines the quality of working life in 18 different sectors. It analyses the impact of aspects such as physical risks, working hours, and work organisation on the worker?s health and well-being. Factors contributing to a favourable or unfavourable work and psychosocial environment include the level of job pressures, control over one?s work, skills matching and learning opportunities, task flexibility, and social support from colleagues and boss. The report concludes that in general the most negative changes are an increase in job demands, resulting in work-related stress, and a general deskilling and decrease in job control.

Sinds de Wet verbetering poortwachter staan ziekteverzuim en arbeidsongeschiktheid volop in de belangstelling. In de praktijk heeft dat binnen arbeidsorganisaties geleid tot een integraal karakter van het verzuimbeleid. Het verzuim- en reïntegratiebeleid staat niet op zichzelf, maar maakt onderdeel uit van het HRM- of personeelsbeleid. Onderlinge consistentie tussen de beleidsterreinen brengt meer effectiviteit teweeg voor de afzonderlijke HRM-instrumenten. In het Jaarboek personeelsmanagement 2003 (Alphen aan den Rijn, 2002) is P&O'ers gevraagd naar de inzetbaarheid van de medewerkers. Ongeveer tweederde van de medewerkers is goed inzetbaar. En over vijf jaar verwacht men ongeveer hetzelfde resultaat. Bijna twaalf procent van het personeel is slecht inzetbaar. Intensivering van de inspanningen rondom inzetbaarheid is dus noodzakelijk. Organisaties hechten belang aan preventieve inzetbaarheidsactiviteiten, maar de daadwerkelijke activiteiten lopen hier ruimschoots op achter.

Dit artikel beschrijft een studie waarin de relatie van werk-thuisinterferentie (WTI; negatieve invloed van werkeisen op het functioneren thuis) met enerzijds werkkenmerken en anderzijds gezondheidsindicatoren werd bestudeerd. Het onderzoek werd uitgevoerd bij voltijds werkende mannelijke en vrouwelijke politiefunctionarissen. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat zowel mannelijke als vrouwelijke medewerkers meer WTI ervoeren, naarmate ze in het werk meer geconfronteerd werden met hoge werkdruk, hoge fysieke belasting en gebrek aan steun van de leiding. Ook bleek bij zowel mannelijke als vrouwelijke medewerkers WTI gepaard te gaan met een slechtere gezondheid. Op twee punten kwamen significante sekseverschillen naar voren. Ten eerste hadden alleen mannelijke medewerkers met relatief hoge scores op mentale en emotionele belasting ook relatief hoge scores op WTI. Ten tweede rapporteerden vrouwelijke medewerkers bij gebrek aan steun van de leiding meer WTI dan mannelijke medewerkers. De theoretische en praktische implicaties van de bevindingen worden besproken.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions asked TNO Work and Employment to report on the quality of work and employment in the sector ‘Road Transport’, and sub sector ‘Freight transport by road’ in the Netherlands. Other research institutes were asked to do the same for the situation in the other EU-countries. The reports assess the impact of trends such as globalisation, increased competition and developments in technology, and look at the role of social dialogue in the sectors. They also feature several examples of interesting and innovative practice at local and national level aimed at improving the quality of work for workers in the sectors. The objective of the sector surveys on working conditions is to provide a cross-sectional overview of the working and employment conditions in this sector as an example of the European economy. This research project aims at collecting information on social dialogue in the transport sector as well. To construct the national report on the sector road transport (and freight transport by road) for the Netherlands, a literature review as well as both quantitative and qualitative analyses have been performed.

The Netherlands had the highest level of work pace in Europe but this position has levelled off in the last five years. There appears to be a general trend towards a decline in work pace. However, different sectors show varying trends, with work pace on the rise again in the education, health and HORECA (hotel and restaurant) sectors.

In dit vierde hoofdstuk van het boek 'Preventie van verzuim als gevolg van werkstress, burnout en overige psychische klachten : achtergronden, instrumenten & interventies' staat de aanpak van werkdruk en werkstressrisico's centraal, evenals het voorkomen en verminderen van psychische gezondheidsproblematiek van werkenden en het bevorderen van werkhervatting na uitval als gevolg van gezondheidsproblematiek. Het gaat daarbij vooral om de vraag hoe werkdruk momenteel aangepakt wordt en welke bedrijven iets aan de aanpak van de werkdruk doen. Vervolgens wordt ingegaan op wat bedrijven en arbodiensten doen om uitval wegens stressklachten en psychische aandoeningen te voorkomen (verzuim en WAO-intrede) en werkhervatting na verzuim om psychische redenen te bevorderen. Allereerst worden kort de begrippen werkdruk, werkstress en psychische klachten of aandoeningen verduidelijkt. Zie record 172803 voor hele boek.

In het kader van CAO-afspraken 2001-2003 voor de sector politie is overeengekomen dat er een literatuuronderzoek moet worden uitgevoerd naar de werkbelasting van oudere en jongere werknemers. Het doel van deze studie is tot een inventarisatie te komen over de knelpunten in de huidige belasting (door o.a. overwerk, onregelmatigheid en emotionele belasting) , en de wijze waarop deze kunnen worden verminderd (bijvoorbeeld door gerichte inzet van ouderen of juist jongeren). Er blijkt een omgekeerd U-vormig verband tussen de carrière stadia of leeftijd en gezondheidsproblemen. Vooral de leeftijdsgroep 40-50 jaar heeft een relatief ongunstig risicoprofiel met relatief veel problemen op het gebied van gezondheid en welbevinden. Dit vraagt om een vroegtijdige implementatie van functiespecifieke preventieve maatregelen.