Julkaisut/ Publications

• Pasi Pyöriä & Satu Ojala (2015) 24/7-yhteiskunta on myytti. Tieto& Trendit Talous ja hyvinvointikatsaus 1/2015, 42-45. http://tietotrendit.stat.fi/mag/magazine/31/

 

• Jouko Nätti, Tomi Oinas, Mikko Härmä, Timo Anttila & Irja Kandolin  (2014) Combined effects of shift work and individual working time  control on long-term sickness absence. A prospective study of Finnish  employees. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 56(7),  732-738.

Abstract

Objective:To investigate whether the effects of shiftwork on long-term sickness absence vary according to the level of individual working time control (WTC).

Methods: A representative sample of Finnish employees (1447 men and 1624 women) was combined with a register-based follow-up. A negative binomial model was used in the analysis of long-term sickness absence days. The results were adjusted for various background and work-related factors.

Results: Individual WTC decreased long-term sickness absence. The higher rate of sickness absences in shiftwork was mainly due to the lower level of WTC. Working time control decreased sickness absence equally in day work and shiftwork.

Conclusions: The negative health effects of shiftwork may be decreased by offering sufficient WTC. Establishments that use WTC as a human resource instrument may benefit from reduced absenteeism.

• Jouko Nätti, Tomi Oinas & Timo Anttila (2015)Time pressure, working time control and long-term sickness absence. Occupational and  Environmental Medicine. DOI :10.1136/oemed-2014-102435

Abstract

Objectives Perceived time pressure at work has increased in most European countries during recent decades. Time pressure may be harmful for employees’ health and well-being. The aim of this register-based follow-up study is to investigate whether the effects of time pressure on long sickness absence vary by the level of working time control.

Methods The data are taken from the Finnish Quality of Work Life Survey 2003 (n=3400), a representative sample of Finnish employees, combined with a register-based follow-up from Statistics Finland covering the years 2002–2006. In the 2003 survey, employees were asked about their perceived time pressure and to what extent they had control over working time. The register data included information on long-term (more than 10 days) sickness absence. A negative binomial model was used in the analysis of long-term sickness absence days during 2004–2006. The results are adjusted for several background and work-related factors and controlled for baseline absenteeism in 2002.

Results High working time control decreased and high time pressure increased long-term sickness absence. The highest incidence of long-term sickness absence was found in time strain situations (high time pressure, low time control). However, there was no statistical interaction between working time control and time pressure.

Conclusions Establishments that use working time control as a human resource instrument may benefit from reduced absenteeism. However, following the ‘strain’ hypothesis it is insufficient to focus solely on working time control as high time pressure maintains its detrimental effect on employees’ health.