‘Just Right’ job design: A conceptual framework for sustainable work in rail driving using the Goldilocks Work Paradigm

Abstract

Excessive physical demand at work has traditionally been connected with adverse health outcomes, but excessive sitting is now also being recognised as an occupational hazard and emerging work-related risk. Traditional preventive occupational health and ergonomics programs are useful but limited through reliance on individual behaviour change and time-diversion from productive work. A new ‘Goldilocks Work Paradigm’ aims to optimise health and productivity by using movements of productive tasks. Using rail driving as a specific case of a highly sedentary and inflexible working environment, we construct a conceptual framework for designing better jobs, arguing that a theoretical amalgamation of the new Goldilocks Work Paradigm with System Thinking, Participatory Ergonomics, and a Risk Management Framework, is needed, for establishing a unified, strategic approach—a ‘just right’ job design model. We extend this by outlining a practical process of designing better jobs with tools that can be used to achieve it.