The Future Of The Nordic Psychosocial Work Environment Implications For Occupational Health

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-507/ The psychosocial work environment encompasses a wide variety of factors that impact occupational health. As Nordic work life evolves, changes in the work environment must be accounted for to maintain a sustainable, healthy work life. This report discusses the results of two studies: 1) a literature study of impacts of new technologies on work environment and health, and 2) a Delphi study compiling Nordic experts' views on the future of the Nordic work environment. A central finding is that as complexity and uncertainty increase, a steady focus on protective work environment resource, perhaps most markedly worker autonomy, is important to meet future challenges. Many developments are likely to challenge and disrupt the high quality Nordic work environment. However, appropriate utilization of existing work environment resources may counteract possible adverse effects.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-520/ Major changes in technology, economic contexts, workforces and the institutions of work have ebbed and flowed since well before the first industrial revolution in the 18th century. However, many argue that the changes we are currently facing are different, and that the rise of digitalized production will entirely transform our ways and views of working. In this collaborative project, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, researchers from the five Nordic countries have studied how the ongoing transformations of production and labour markets associated with digitalization, demographic change and new forms of employment will influence the future of work in the Nordic countries.

In connection to the 100th anniversary of the ILO in 2019, the Nordic Council of Ministers arranged a conference to debate the future of work in the Nordics. The event was held on the 4th-5th of April in Reykjavik and was the last in a series of four annual conferences. The debates centered on the changing labour market and whether the Nordic model will be able to adapt to this. The conference lasted two days, each with a particular theme: 1) Future of Work – where the future of the Nordic model was discussed 2) Gender Equality – where the debate revolved around the challenges and solutions regarding the inequalities between men and women on the labour market. The programme included perspectives from all the Nordic countries, as well as from international organisations such as the ILO and the OECD, international companies, Nordic labour market authorities, social partners and companies.

The 2014 workshop on "Co-ordination of research on working hours and health in the Nordic countries" was held at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health on the 23rd-24th October 2014. The overall purpose of the workshop was to provide a platform for cooperation and development of high-quality research projects on working hours and health in the Nordic countries. The project is supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The present report summarizes the presentations and discussions at the workshop with main focus on opportunities for future collaborations.

This report outlines how the authorities in the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, carry out their inspections of the psychosocial working environment at the enterprises. Starting out with a description of the psychosocial risks, the report proceeds with a comparison of the differences between the different national regulations as well as an outline of the similarities. The report offers a comparison of the Nordic working environment strategies and a detailed presentation of the different targets and areas of initiative. It also presents how different methods are used in the selection of enterprises, sectors and job groups for inspection and how the inspectors are trained to carry out the inspections. The report rounds off with a description of the different national inspection methods and how to measure their effects.

The Nordic future of workHow will work and working life in the Nordic countries change in the future? This is the question to be addressed in the project The Future of Work: Opportunities and Challenges for the Nordic Models. This initial report describes the main drivers and trends expected to shape the future of work. It also reviews the main distinctions of the Nordic model and recent developments in Nordic working lives, pointing towards the kind of challenges the future of work may pose to the Nordic models. Too often, debates about the future narrowly focus on changes in technology. This report draws attention to the broader drivers and political-institutional frameworks influencing working life developments, aiming to spur debate about how the interaction of changes in demography, climate, globalization and digital technologies may influence Nordic working lives in the coming decades.

A sustainable working life that prevents work-related health problems and facilitate inclusion of young workers is vital to ensure the health, safety and work participation among young workers in the Nordic countries. This report provides Nordic statistics, scientific knowledge and discussions on how to achieve a sustainable work life for young workers in the Nordic countries. Under the Swedish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2013, the focus was on youth and young workers' working conditions. As part of this focus, the Nordic Council of Ministers commissioned this report. The report shows that an inter-disciplinary and comprehensive approach is essential to ensure a sustainable work life among young workers. Six characteristics are emphasized as important: the characteristics of the worker, the workplace, the work task, the employment, the education and the youth.