Healthy Work Research Articles

Where has the joy gone? A qualitative exploration of academic university work during crisis and change

ABSTRACT Universities continue to evolve and adapt to changes brought about by external events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in government policy, technological advancements, and geopolitics. A significant body of research has focused on negative workplace conditions within universities that contribute to psychosocial hazards. In contrast, this paper reports on the experiences and perceptions of 36 fulltime, continuous, academic staff to explore how they and their colleagues found and/or experienced joy in work set against the backdrop of crisis and change as their universities responded to the impacts of COVID-19. Responses clustered around four key dynamics: joy/student, joy/teaching, joy/research, and joy/colleague. Despite being in work environments characterised largely in negative terms, where agency and voice are constrained, these joys sustained and evoked feelings of purpose, belonging, and connection. This research highlights the need to reconsider how to provide and support healthy work conditions to optimise opportunities for the academic workforce to experience greater joy in their work. The implications for future research are presented.

Nurses’ Perception toward the Relationship between Just Culture and Patient Safety Activities: A Literature Review

Purpose: This review aimed to explore “Just Culture”, patient safety, and the relationship between them from nurses’ perceptions working in healthcare settings. Also, to highlight recommendations for nurse managers regarding the explored concepts and provide evidence-based resource guiding future researches and nursing practice. 
 Methodology: EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Clinical Key for Nursing were the databases selected for this review, accessed directly or through available online libraries.
 Findings: A total of 21 studies met the screening criteria and were included. Studies recruited multiple levels of nursing positions, conducted in different countries and healthcare settings. Two themes were developed accordingly: Nurses’ perceptions toward “Just Culture” and Nurses’ perceptions toward patient safety. 
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The relationship between “Just Culture” and patient safety from nurses’ perceptions is found to be correlated with high or low nursing performance. Healthy work environments that foster “Just Culture” achieve desirable safety outcomes. The major role of organizational and nursing management is creating positive workplace cultures that maintain patient safety. Additionally, it is crucial to establish policies that demonstrate fair responses to incidents, adopt rational investigations based on balanced accountability, and avoid unjustified blame for nurses. “Just Culture” should not be promoted as a blame-free approach but as a balanced accountability. Hence, these managerial endeavors should encourage the voluntary reporting of incidents by nurses for learning and improvement purposes while nurses remain accepting their responsibility at the level they contributed to that incident.

Analisis Kesehatan Dan Keselamatan di Lingkungan Kerja Proyek Pembangunan Sumatera Utara

This research investigates safety and health in the work environment of development projects in North Sumatra with a focus on PT Indomaret as a case study. The research method used involves a qualitative approach and literature analysis. Through in-depth interviews and field observations, key challenges were identified including lack of awareness and compliance with work safety procedures as well as the need for skills training. Environmental and technical factors, such as weather conditions and the selection of equipment that meets safety standards, also influence the level of risk. However, effective safety management practices, such as regular meetings and periodic inspections, were also found. The implications of this research emphasize the importance of increasing awareness, selecting appropriate equipment, and effective management practices to create a safe and healthy work environment. Recommendations include implementing regular training, careful risk evaluation, and maintaining effective management practices. This research provides valuable insights for practitioners and researchers in efforts to improve safety and health in the work environment of development projects in North Sumatra.

The Powerful Influence of Appreciation and Work Environment on Retention in Saudi Arabia's Manufacturing Sector

This study aimed to analyze the impact of appreciation and work environment on the employees’ turnover in the Saudi Manufacturing Sector. The combination of unfavorable work environments and restrictive leadership styles creates significant challenge to talent retention in this sector. Addressing these challenges is crucial to attract and retain skilled individuals. In particular, the researcher observed the impact of manager appreciation and work environment on employees’ performance and how it relates to the employee’s retention. In this context, quantitative and qualitative analysis approaches were used to address the research objectives. Accordingly, 578 employees from this sector had participated in the survey questionnaires. Moreover, 30 employees working in panel boards manufacturing factory were purposely selected to participate in face-to-face interviews for the qualitative part. Findings from the quantitative analysis were verified using qualitative analysis. Results showed that the majority of the participants believed that appreciation and quality of the work environment are significantly impacted their decision to stay or leave the company. The research recommends providing competitive compensation packages, and the organization should invest in employees development, especially in leadership development programs and training which can improve managers and supervisors’ emotional skills, and Encouraging the creation of a healthy and productive work environment.

The development of working life expectancy without musculoskeletal diseases against the backdrop of extended working lives

Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) are a major predictor of early retirement. Against the backdrop of the extension of working life, we investigated time trends and educational inequalities in years spent in the labour market free of MSD. Based on German statutory health insurance data (N = 3,405,673), total life years free of MSD (Healthy Life Expectancy, HLE) and years spent in the labour force free of MSD (Healthy Working Life Expectancy, HWLE) were estimated for three periods (2006–2008, 2011–2013, 2016–2018) using multistate analyses. Educational inequalities (8 to 11 vs. 12 or more years of schooling) are reported for 2011–2013. HLE decreased slightly over time in all genders. HWLE in women increased, while it remained rather constant in men. Over time, the share of years in the labour force spent free of MSD declined continuously. People with lower education had lower HLE and HWLE than individuals with higher education. With respect to musculoskeletal diseases, the increase in disease-free working life years cannot keep pace with the extension of working life, resulting in an increasing proportion of years spent in impaired musculoskeletal health in the labour market. Effective prevention strategies are needed, focusing especially on individuals with lower educational attainment.

APPLICATION OF ERGONOMICS TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WORK PRODUCTIVITY IN CLASS A MEDAN SEARCH AND RESCUE OFFICE

Ergonomics is a science that studies human behavior about the work carried out, ergonomics is also an applied science which is an interaction that explains the interaction between humans and their workplace. Ergonomics includes examining the physical capabilities of workers, the workplace environment, and the tasks being completed and applying this information to the design of tool models, equipment, and work methods required for overall task safety. A safe, healthy, and comfortable work environment can increase worker productivity. Therefore, K3 plays an important role in increasing productivity, safety, and comfort of workers, precisely at the Medan Class A Search and Rescue Office, it is necessary to apply ergonomics in all areas of work, both indoor workers and workers in the field.

The Voice of Travel Nurses: Facilitating Effective Staffing During Pandemic and Expansion-Related Demands in a Children's Hospital.

The aim of this study was to explore the experience and perceived value of travel nurses in a children's hospital. Children's hospitals face unique challenges related to highly specialized care requirements and workforce expansion limitations. Travel nurses can augment nurse staffing capacity during times of intense demand and may offer insights as organizations seek to strengthen work environments. Pediatric travel nurses currently contracted at the hospital were invited to participate in a focus group or interview. Content analysis was used to summarize information and identify themes. From the 56 participants, 5 themes emerged. The themes were financial, flexibility, searching for healthy work environments, nursing care, and solutions. Hearing the voices of travel nurses may offer valuable feedback to strengthen future professional practice environments.

68 Visiting endowed chair: a new model to support Hispanics junior investigators

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Analyze how the Endowment HIREC ‘s Mentoring and Career Coach Model A productive mentoring relationship is essential to advance researchers into being independent and bring extramural funds. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Provide Hispanic researchers mentoring and career coaching to strengthen their pathway as researcher. The HiREC’s Career Coach and Mentoring Component (CCMC) is an innovated approach to support long-lasting research mentoring relationships in our institution. This approach was developed to advance research to eliminate health disparities, promote multidisciplinary translational research in a Minority Institution and sustain research infrastructure and services, career, and workforce development initiatives. Promising Faculty are target and early and mid-career investigators interested in pursuing a research career. To implement the CCMC with the Visiting Endowed Chair a HiREC Advisory Leadership Group in Mentoring will be established, with researchers from Puerto Rico, and US mainland. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Three Hispanic mid-career women from the School of Medicine and one from the School of Health Professions from the University of Puerto Rico received a HiREC Advanced Research Award of $50,000. The awardees achieved their goals; completed their research plan, research infrastructure needs, peer-reviewed publications, and submission of a competitive grant. They also provided successful perspectives on mentoring relationships in a Minority institution. Each one showed the mentor’s and mentee’s experiences as fundamental for their research advancements, productivity, leadership, and successful results. HiIREC’s mentoring component with the Visiting Endowed Chairs improves a healthy work environment and expands the research agenda for each awardee sustaining the institutional research culture. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: A productive mentoring relationship is essential to advance researchers into being independent and bring extramural funds. Four mentees received formal, long-term guidance and endowment funds for their research infrastructure requirements with successful outcomes. HiREC contributes to building up an institutional mentoring program.

The employee and their social security in flexible forms of employment on the example of Poland – selected issues. Part I

The regulation of employment and social policy – with safe and secure conditions of employment in terms of remuneration, safe employment conditions, protection in the event of dismissal, social dialogue, personal data protection, work-life balance, and finally a healthy, safe and well-adjusted work environment – constitutes the foundations of decent working conditions. At the same time, the task of a democratic state is to adjust the dynamically changing economic and market realities to ensure the maximum level of protection in the areas mentioned above relevant to each employee. This situation is also due to the radically progressing digitization that is changing the challenges of the modern labour market. In this article, the author endeavours to address the social security issue of selected flexible (atypical) forms of employment, including employee and non-employee forms of employment. The author chose fixed-term contracts and employment on digital platforms as the subject of analysis, while remaining aware of the multifaceted nature of social security. In this paper, she defends the thesis that the so-called “flexibility of employment relations” should be subject to the broader impact of social security regulations in situations where there are no normative obstacles to them being extended.

Alcohol consumption and work-related health problems: Exploring the perceptions of Nigerian informal automobile artisans

Alcohol consumption is one of the leading factors that lead to work-related health problems worldwide. However, alcohol consumption among informal workers in developing countries is unknown. Using a qualitative method; this study explores the perception of the informal automobile artisans in Nigeria about alcohol consumption and its contribution to workplace health problems among the working population. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 43 automobile artisans from Osun State. Thematic analysis was done using MAXQDA 2020 software. The artisans identified a range of injuries and illnesses. They described the severity of these work-related health problems (WHPs) as either minor, serious or very serious. Moreover, the study shows the prevalence of alcohol consumption among the group. The artisans noted that alcohol consumption is one of the major causes of accidents and injuries among members. They further explained that members take alcohol to get strength for their tasks. The study concluded that using the workplace as a platform to address alcohol consumption is critical to promoting a healthy and productive work environment.

TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONAL FLOURISHING: PRIORITIZING EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

Employee well-being is crucial for a healthy and pleasant workplace, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The definition of work has evolved, with flexible terms encompassing location and time. To foster a healthy organization, inclusive working employees well-being is essential. Studies highlight the importance of workplace spirituality, moral leadership, and health-oriented tactics in supporting employee well-being. Integrating well-being treatments into daily routines can improve employee resilience. Ethics and social responsibility are also essential in fostering employee health. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need to address stress and family conflict at the work-family interface. A healthy work environment is essential for improving employee wellness and productivity. This study investigates the relationship between employee well-being and organizational health, focusing on employee perceptions, organizational support, and effectiveness of initiatives. The goal is to inform strategies and interventions to enhance employee well-being and organizational health. KEYWORDS : Healthy organizations, employee well-being, leadership, inclusive environment

Evaluation of Principals' Performance in Improving The Quality of Graduates of State Vocational High Schools in Rejang Lebong

The principal plays a crucial role in the successful attainment of school objectives. The role of principal leadership is crucial in enhancing school performance and promoting progress. The aim of the research is to evaluate the performance of school principals in improving the quality of graduates of vocational in high school. The research method uses a goal-oriented evaluation type of evaluation model. The research subjects were school principals, teachers, administrative staff, and students. Collecting data using interview techniques, observation and documentation studies. the data was analyzed quantitatively. Research results a. The performance of school principals has carried out innovations by managing change by creating innovations in achieving targets and student quality in the very good category. b) The performance of school principals in cultivating a creative, competitive work culture and a comfortable, healthy work climate is in the good category, c) The performance of school principals in utilizing information technology in learning and developing library systems that support the quality of learning is in the very good category. Suggestions to school principals can facilitate and support teacher creativity in implementing innovative learning models

The Designers’ Perspective on Autonomous Mining Systems and Sociotechnology

Digitalization and automation technology offer new possibilities to increase productivity and obtain higher levels of autonomy in mining operations. Introducing autonomous systems into mining is not only a technical problem in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, nor a problem of safety in human-automation interactions. The systems also need to be designed and developed so that they foster healthy and attractive working environments. The design and development phase of new mining technology has not been extensively studied previously. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated technology developers’ basic assumptions about humans and their interactions with the technology they develop. We conducted five semi-structured workshops within an EU funded project concerned with developing digitalization and automation solutions for the mining industry. The data suggests that many critical functions will still be under human control in future mining systems. The results also indicate increased complexity in the interaction between autonomous systems and humans as the technology becomes more advanced. As a result, we suggest that a human perspective, based on sociotechnical principles, should not only be considered in implementing the technology at mines but also in the early conceptual phases of developing and designing the technology. This will ensure healthy and attractive work environments in the future mining industry.

The Role of Human Resource Management in Employee Well-Being and Mental Health: A Systematic Literature Review

This research is a systematic literature review on the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) in employee well-being and mental health. This literature review aims to identify HRM practices that influence employee well-being and mental health, as well as to evaluate their impact on organizational performance. The results of the literature review show that HRM practices such as working time flexibility, support from superiors and colleagues, career development opportunities, organizational justice and compensation policies, a healthy and safe work environment, recognition of achievements, participation and decision making opportunities play an important role in improving employee well-being and mental health. The implications of these findings support the need for organizations to prioritize the implementation of HRM practices oriented towards employee well-being as a strategy to improve overall organizational performance.

Determining Cognitive Workload Using Physiological Measurements: Pupillometry and Heart-Rate Variability.

The adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing systems has accelerated in recent years, with a shift towards understanding operators' well-being and resilience within the context of creating a human-centric manufacturing environment. In addition to measuring physical workload, monitoring operators' cognitive workload is becoming a key element in maintaining a healthy and high-performing working environment in future digitalized manufacturing systems. The current approaches to the measurement of cognitive workload may be inadequate when human operators are faced with a series of new digitalized technologies, where their impact on operators' mental workload and performance needs to be better understood. Therefore, a new method for measuring and determining the cognitive workload is required. Here, we propose a new method for determining cognitive-workload indices in a human-centric environment. The approach provides a method to define and verify the relationships between the factors of task complexity, cognitive workload, operators' level of expertise, and indirectly, the operator performance level in a highly digitalized manufacturing environment. Our strategy is tested in a series of experiments where operators perform assembly tasks on a Wankel Engine block. The physiological signals from heart-rate variability and pupillometry bio-markers of 17 operators were captured and analysed using eye-tracking and electrocardiogram sensors. The experimental results demonstrate statistically significant differences in both cardiac and pupillometry-based cognitive load indices across the four task complexity levels (rest, low, medium, and high). Notably, these developed indices also provide better indications of cognitive load responding to changes in complexity compared to other measures. Additionally, while experts appear to exhibit lower cognitive loads across all complexity levels, further analysis is required to confirm statistically significant differences. In conclusion, the results from both measurement sensors are found to be compatible and in support of the proposed new approach. Our strategy should be useful for designing and optimizing workplace environments based on the cognitive load experienced by operators.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders in School Teachers During the Pre-covid and Pandemic Phases in Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka – a Cross-sectional Study

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among school teachers in Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 254 secondary and pre-university teachers who completed a questionnaire. Results indicated a higher prevalence of MSDs among teachers working from home during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Factors such as days worked per week, hours of work per day, duration of rest taken per day, posture while using books, laptops, and phones, working activities, and physical exercises without supervision were identified as contributing factors to MSDs. Interestingly, the study found that the working environment did not significantly affect the prevalence of MSDs. These findings highlight the importance of addressing ergonomic issues and promoting healthy work practices among teachers, especially during periods of remote work.

The Politics of Health in the Lusophone Libertarian Movement: Portugal and Mozambique, 1910–1935

AbstractSignificant advances in the study of the historic labor movement have entailed new work on the intersection between political parties, trade unions and subjects such as ‘race’, colonialism, sexuality, masculinity, and the reception of scientific ideas. The intersections between the labor movement and the politics of health, however, have been neglected to date both in labor studies and in social studies of health care and provision. This article builds on my on-going research into the dynamics of the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) labor movement in the form of anarchism and syndicalism and explores, specifically, the reception of ideas on health and the attainment of healthy working conditions and lifestyles as a central aim of these working-class movements. This study examines, among other aspects, the reception of ideas on nutrition, medical care, the provision of hospitals, the responsibility of medical professionals, sexual health, the consumption of alcohol and the provision of quality housing for workers within a framework that critiqued capitalism and the state and the relations they fostered.A further dimension is incorporated into this study. This is the colonial dynamic at play between Portugal and its colonies, in this case Mozambique. What were the relations between the Portuguese syndicalist movement and the emerging trade union movement in Mozambique? To what degree did concerns in Portugal over issues of health find resonance in this African colony's labor movement? To what degree was the largely white labor movement in Mozambique attuned to local knowledge on health and racial issues surrounding health? What specific aspects of health and medicine were broached in the colony and how did these interact with an anticolonial critique and discourses and practices of ‘tropical medicine’?This study, through a detailed analysis of a range of libertarian periodicals in Portugal and Mozambique during the movement’s period of maximum influence provides responses to these questions and makes a contribution to transnational research on labour movements through the interconnecting linguistic and class dynamics of the Lusophone world.

Secondary School Athletic Trainers' Experiences Managing Workplace Organizational- Professional Conflict.

Athletic trainers (ATs) face organizational-professional conflict (OPC), often surrounding return-to-sport decisions. To prioritize patient safety and establish a healthy work environment, OPC must be mitigated, yet little research has determined how ATs manage conflicts with stakeholders. To explore ATs' experiences with OPC in the secondary school setting. Qualitative study. Telephone interviews. 16 ATs (9 females, 7 males; age = 43±11 years; years certified = 17±9; years in their current positions = 9±6). We digitally recorded telephone interviews and had them professionally transcribed. Data saturation guided recruitment efforts, and was met. To ensure rigor and trustworthiness of the data, we completed basic member checks along with multiple analyst triangulation. We analyzed the qualitative data using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Four themes emerged: effective communication, professional relationships, stakeholder education and professional experience. Participants used effective communication described as frequent, open, and direct, during interactions with stakeholders to manage OPC. OPC was reduced when ATs built professional relationships with stakeholders centered on trust and respect. Participants used stakeholder education as a primary strategy for managing OPC by educating stakeholders about prognosis and return-to-sport timelines post-injury and providing rationale for decisions made. Additionally, years of experience served as a mitigating factor of conflict, in that as ATs gained experience and confidence, they perceived less OPC. Participants suggested various interpersonal relationship development strategies that can be implemented to manage OPC, especially when starting a new position or building rapport with stakeholders. Specifically, educating various stakeholders on reasons for clinical decisions via effective communication and developing strong professional relationships built on mutual respect assisted in avoiding OPC. Since professional experience appears to alleviate conflict, OPC management strategies should be taught during professional preparation and used early during transition to autonomous practice.

Demographic, health, physical activity, and workplace factors are associated with lower healthy working life expectancy and life expectancy at age 50

Although retirement ages are rising in the United Kingdom and other countries, the average number of years people in England can expect to spend both healthy and work from age 50 (Healthy Working Life Expectancy; HWLE) is less than the number of years to the State Pension age. This study aimed to estimate HWLE with the presence and absence of selected health, socio-demographic, physical activity, and workplace factors relevant to stakeholders focusing on improving work participation. Data from 11,540 adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were analysed using a continuous time 3-state multi-state model. Age-adjusted hazard rate ratios (aHRR) were estimated for transitions between health and work states associated with individual and combinations of health, socio-demographic, and workplace factors. HWLE from age 50 was 3.3 years fewer on average for people with pain interference (6.54 years with 95% confidence interval [6.07, 7.01]) compared to those without (9.79 [9.50, 10.08]). Osteoarthritis and mental health problems were associated with 2.2 and 2.9 fewer healthy working years respectively (HWLE for people without osteoarthritis: 9.50 years [9.22, 9.79]; HWLE with osteoarthritis: 7.29 years [6.20, 8.39]; HWLE without mental health problems: 9.76 years [9.48, 10.05]; HWLE with mental health problems: 6.87 years [1.58, 12.15]). Obesity and physical inactivity were associated with 0.9 and 2.0 fewer healthy working years respectively (HWLE without obesity: 9.31 years [9.01, 9.62]; HWLE with obesity: 8.44 years [8.02, 8.86]; HWLE without physical inactivity: 9.62 years [9.32, 9.91]; HWLE with physical inactivity: 7.67 years [7.23, 8.12]). Workers without autonomy at work or with inadequate support at work were expected to lose 1.8 and 1.7 years respectively in work with good health from age 50 (HWLE for workers with autonomy: 9.50 years [9.20, 9.79]; HWLE for workers lacking autonomy: 7.67 years [7.22, 8.12]; HWLE for workers with support: 9.52 years [9.22, 9.82]; HWLE for workers with inadequate support: 7.86 years [7.22, 8.12]). This study identified demographic, health, physical activity, and workplace factors associated with lower HWLE and life expectancy at age 50. Identifying the extent of the impact on healthy working life highlights these factors as targets and the potential to mitigate against premature work exit is encouraging to policy-makers seeking to extend working life as well as people with musculoskeletal and mental health conditions and their employers. The HWLE gaps suggest that interventions are needed to promote the health, wellbeing and work outcomes of subpopulations with long-term health conditions.

Optimizing the Maastricht Work-Related Support intervention in clinical patient care: the value of integrating action research into intervention mapping

BackgroundHealthcare professionals (HCPs) are increasingly recommended to play an important role in supporting people with chronic disease in work participation. An intervention for HCPs to provide work-related support to their patients in clinical care was developed with intervention mapping (Maastricht Work-Related Support; Maastricht WRS). Action research proposes ‘combining research and practice’, which allows us to incorporate experiences of HCPs while implementing and to realize intervention’s full potential. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore, by integrating action research into an intervention mapping approach, how experiences of HCPs with early implementation can be used to optimize the Maastricht WRS in clinical care.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were held with nine HCPs (response rate 82%), involved in care for people with inflammatory arthritis, knee problems or inflammatory bowel disease. Some of them were not yet trained in the Maastricht WRS while others had received the training and were providing the Maastricht WRS.ResultsAll participants regarded WRS an important part of clinical care. Untrained HCPs indicated a lack of knowledge and skills in providing the Maastricht WRS, and a need for tools. Trained HCPs were satisfied with the training and tools, but stressed that practical limitations hindered providing the Maastricht WRS. Action research showed that the intervention meets the needs of HCPs, but need some optimizations: (1) organizing ‘intervision’ for HCPs, (2) inform and activate patients to discuss work with their HCP, (3) update initial tools and (4) including patients’ work status in the electronic patient system.ConclusionsAction research integrated into intervention mapping proved to improve the Maastricht WRS intervention. By involving HCPs, the intervention could be optimized to provide to support people with chronic diseases in clinical care in healthy and sustainable work participation.