Effects of non-standard work arrangements on health, work and families – solutions for the future in Sweden
Effects of non-standard work arrangements on health, work and families – solutions for the future in Sweden
2019-2025 | Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) project
Summary:
The ever-changing economic environment, technological advancements, general weakening of trade unions and changes in labor laws have led to the emergence of a variety of non-standard work arrangements. There are significant research challenges related to evaluating the consequences of these work arrangements that this research program aims to address.
The overall purpose of this research program is to
1. Deepen the understanding of how non-standard work arrangements affect individuals, families and communities and how these contribute to inequalities in work environment, health and well-being.
2. Identify initiatives that counteract the negative effects of non-standard work arrangements and increase the ability of workers to participate, exercise empowerment, and live healthy lives.
The program applies multiple methods including quantitative, qualitative, review and participatory research. It also involves extensive international collaboration and comparison. WP1 consists of a total population cohort in Sweden 2003-2020 which will study effects of non-standard work arrangements on health and well-being of individual workers, their coworkers and families. WP2 is a multi-country qualitative study exploring the complex inter-relations between non-standard work arrangements, health and well-being to gain a better understanding of how work be proactively shaped to support the needs of workers. In WP3 , which has three parts, we will 1) review case-studies from different countries of local policy initiatives which have aimed to stop or counteract the negative effects of non-standard work arrangements 2) follow and evaluate a government-sponsored program in Sweden involving unions and employers, aimed to counteract crimes and rules violations among companies as a means of gaining a competitive advantage 3) translate the results of this program into practical tools for practitioners for assessing risks of non-standard work arrangements.