55thth European Working Conditions European Working Conditions Survey Survey
Greet Vermeylenresearch manager Surveys and Trend Unit
Conference: how to make the working environment more human friendly?
Slovenia, Congress Centre Brdo pri Kranju6 October 2011
European Foundation for the Improvement European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (eurofound)of Living and Working Conditions (eurofound)
• Decentralised agency of the European Union Budget line of European Commission
• Governing Board National representatives from all countries (tripartite delegations: gvt, employers
and trade unions) and European Commission
• Mission: Generate policy-relevant research and findings which contribute to improving the
quality of work and life in Europe, through:
European-wide comparative research and analysis of developments affecting living and working conditions
Monitoring of trends in the working environment
How? Surveys, network of national observatories (eiro, ewco, erm) and other research (eg case study projects)
Monitoring activities : Monitoring activities : Our surveys and observatories (NEO)Our surveys and observatories (NEO)
European Working Conditions survey
(EWCS)1991, 95, 2000/01, 2005, 2010
European Industrial Relations
Observatory (EIRO)
European Restructuring Monitor
(ERM)/EMCC
European Working Conditions
Observatory (EWCO)
Monitoring living and
working conditionsin EU
European Quality of Life survey (EQLS)2003, 2007, 2011
European Company Survey (ECS)
2004/05 / 2009 / 2012
A few pointers on quality of workA few pointers on quality of work
• Quality of work, decent work, quality of work and employment, quality of employment Different frameworks Multidimensional
• Capture the ‘world of work’ for all employees Taking into consideration :
different sectors / public/private / different jobs / gender / different job status / self-employed and employees
• The context matters: legislation, labour market, employment policies, social protection and social provisions,…
• Context: Sustainability, ageing workforce, lifecourse, crisis…
PROTECTING HEALTH & WELL-BEING
• Health and safety outcomes
• Exposure to risks• Participation • Occupational Health and Safety prevention framework
• Healthy work organisation
Different dimensions of Different dimensions of quality of work and employmentquality of work and employment
BALANCING WORK with NON WORK LIFE• Organisation of working time• blurring fronteers between work and private life• Social infrastructures and provisions
HAVING A JOB WITH FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS & EMPLOYMENT SECURITY • Employment status• Wages• Access to social protection• Workers rights
QWE
USING and ACQUIRING SKILLS
•Initial education •Cognitive content of work
•Training & lifelong learning
•Career development•Learning organisation
European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS)European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS)
• European wide survey – 5 waves already: 1991, 1995, 2000 (+01/02), 2005 and 2010
• 1 questionnaire / translated in all the languages 2010: 25 languages and 16 variants
• Country coverage: EU + neighbour countries 5th EWCS (2010): 34 countries covered : EU27 + NO + ACC3 + IPA3 43000 interviews in total (1000/4000 interview per country)
• Workers survey: employees and self-employed (15+) (LFS def) face to face interviews
• Covers many different aspects of the conditions of work and employment of European workers (more than 100 questions) Demographics, structure of workforce, job characteristics, household info (incl work at home) Working time : duration, organisation Physical and psychosocial work factors Nature of work / place of work / work organisation Job content and training Work-life balance Information and consultation Outcomes : health, job satisfaction Earnings
• Gender mainstreaming : central in reflection on questionnaire
Change over the last 20 yearsChange over the last 20 years
• Globalisation
• Structure of employment More in services, less in industry A wide variety of employment contracts (& blurring division between self-
employed and employees)
• A more diverse workforce More women on the labour market _-> but gender segregation remains Ageing workforce
• (National) policies aiming at modernising working life aimed at social progress and /or developing competitiveness
• Transformation in the management of companies adaptability and reactivity, HRM
Level of job segregation at the workplaceLevel of job segregation at the workplaceby gender, 2010, EU27 (%)by gender, 2010, EU27 (%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Men Women All
Mostly men
Mostly women
More or less equal number ofmen and women
Some results of the EWCS
Employer-paid training by age of employee, Employer-paid training by age of employee, 1995 – 2010, EU15 and EU27 (%) 1995 – 2010, EU15 and EU27 (%)
((or paid by oneself if self-employed)or paid by oneself if self-employed)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
EU15 EU15 EU27 EU27 EU27
1995 2000 2005 2010
Under 30
30 to 49
50 and older
Training on increase, but big differences remain
Employer paid training by country, employeesEmployer paid training by country, employees
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Finl
and
Net
herla
nds
Slov
enia
Swed
enU
nite
d Ki
ngdo
mCz
ech
Repu
blic
Nor
way
Irela
ndD
enm
ark
Aust
riaBe
lgiu
mEs
toni
aSl
ovak
iaLu
xem
bour
gG
erm
any
Pola
ndM
alta
Spai
nPo
rtug
alCy
prus
Latv
iaH
unga
ryIta
lyFr
ance
Lith
uani
aRo
man
iaAl
bani
aKo
sovo
Croa
tiaG
reec
eFY
ROM
Mon
tene
gro
Turk
eyBu
lgar
ia
Employer paid training Asked for training but did not get it
Skills and duties match is important for both work Skills and duties match is important for both work companies and the workers companies and the workers
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
I need furthertraining tocope w ellw ith myduties
My presentskills
correspondw ell w ith my
duties
I have theskills to cope
w ith moredemanding
duties
Undergoneemployer
paid training
Asked fortraining fromemployer butdid not get it*
Paid self fortraining
Undergoneon-the-jobtraining
High cognitive engagement Low cognitive engagement
Participation in improving the work organisation or Participation in improving the work organisation or processes, by country, 2010 (%)processes, by country, 2010 (%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
NL
IE DK
MT
SI
EE
EL
CY
SE
FI
UK
FR
RO
LU
EU
27
BE
ES
IT LV
PT
CZ
AT
HU
PL
BG
LT
DE
SK
Always or most of the time Sometimes Rarely or never
Workers involved in workplace innovation
Work intensity on the increaseWork intensity on the increase Working to tight deadlines, Working to tight deadlines,
EC12, EU15 and EU27, 1991-2010 (%)EC12, EU15 and EU27, 1991-2010 (%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
1991 1995 2000 2005 2010
EU12
EU15
EU27
Autonomy has remained stable globallyAutonomy has remained stable globallyAbility to change methods of work, by type of occupation, 2000 – 2010, EU27 (%)Ability to change methods of work, by type of occupation, 2000 – 2010, EU27 (%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2000 2005 2010
High-skilled clerical
Low-skilled clerical
High-skilled manual
Low-skilled manual
AgricultureIndustry
ConstructionWholesale, retail, food and
accomodation
Transport
Financial services
Public administration and defence
Education
HealthOther services
Managers
Professionals
Technicians and associate professionals
Clerical support workers
Service and sales workers
Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers
Craft and related trades workers
Plant and machine operators, and assemblers
Elementary occupations
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60
Work intensity
Au
ton
om
y
EU27 Average Autonomy
EU27 Average Work intensity
Autonomy versus Work intensity, by sector and occupation
Risk exposures:Risk exposures:- overall: little change- overall: little change
- differences however between different countries, sectors, occupation- differences however between different countries, sectors, occupation- gender differences in exposure to physical risks- gender differences in exposure to physical risks
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Vibrations
Noise
Breathing in smoke/ dust and/or vapours
Heavy loads
Low temperatures
High temperatures
Tobacco smoke
Standing
Chemical substances
Tiring or painful positions
Repetitive hand or arm movements
Infectious materials
Lifting or moving people
Men Women
Lack of information on health and safety risks Lack of information on health and safety risks per countryper country
not very well informed per country
10.07%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
TK
FR
MT IT AL
HR
BE
NL
LX GR
EU
27 MK
PO FI
SI
DK
SW SP
MO
AU
NW RO LT GE
KO
BG CZ
CY EE
PL
SK
UK
LV HU
IRL
Psychosocial risksPsychosocial risks
• Complex phenomenon: work related ‘stress’ can be related to many issues.
• Worrying developments: stable high levels of work intensity no increase in workers’ room for manoeuvre
• Work related stress factors : Work demands
work intensity, working long hours, cognitive demands, work-life balance
Emotional demands contact with people, emotional involvement, consequences of mistakes
Room for manoeuvre Social relations Value conflicts and work dissatisfaction Employment insecurity and lack of career prospects and insecurity in the work Violence, harassment and bullying
Client contact …Client contact …
0,00%
10,00%
20,00%
30,00%
40,00%
50,00%
60,00%
Men Women Men Women
Handling angry clients Dealing directly with people
From 1/4 of the time to around3/4 of the time
(Almost) all of the time
Threats and harassment by sectorThreats and harassment by sector
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
Agricu
lture
Indu
stry
Const
ructi
on
Whole
sale,
reta
il, fo
od, a
ccom
odat
ion
Trans
port
Financia
l ser
vices
Public
adm
inist
ratio
n and
def
ence
Educa
tion
Health
Oth
er se
rvice
sTot
al
Threaths or humiliating behaviour Unw ated sexual attention Bullying and harassment
‘‘I might lose my job in the next 6 months’I might lose my job in the next 6 months’
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
LT EECZ LV BG SI IE ES RO HU SE EL
CY MT PT PL BE FI
NL IT SK UK FR DEAT DK LU
EU27
Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree
Self reported symptomsSelf reported symptoms
• About ½ workers suffer from backache
• Upper limbs pains for 41% of men and 45% of women
• Fatigue for about 33% of workers
• Sleep disorders for 21% women and 16% of men
Work affects my health positivelyWork affects my health positively
presenteismpresenteism
Health and safety at risk because of work Health and safety at risk because of work
Able to work at 60, by countryAble to work at 60, by country
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
NL
DE IE DK
UK
SE FI
CY IT
EE
EU
27 LV
BE
AT
RO LT CZ
MT
SK
LU
BG PL
ES
HU
FR
EL
PT SI
Psychosocial demand and work Psychosocial demand and work sustainabilitysustainability
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
low demand, lowcontrol
low demand, highcontrol
high demand, lowcontrol
high demand, highcontrol
Doing job at 60
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
low demand, lowcontrol
low demand, highcontrol
high demand, lowcontrol
high demand, highcontrol
Percentage 55+
Feeling of one’s work well done, Feeling of one’s work well done, by job satisfaction, 2010, EU27 (%)by job satisfaction, 2010, EU27 (%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Very satisfied Satisfied Not verysatisfied
Not at allsatisfied
Rarely or never
Sometimes
Always or most of the time
ConclusionsConclusions• Quality of work remains important
Work matters, not only employment -> ‘Better’ may be even more needed now ! Needed for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
• Challenge: Understand the phenomena No simple answers / explanation to most phenomena
Multilevel. Multi actions neededEuropean-wide comparative data
Workers and employers surveys
• Differences between groups of workers, economic activities and countries are important. Changes don’t go into the same directions for all groups of workers. Identification of groups of workers, situations of work which are of concern but also of groups and
situations which shall encourage us
• Context remains important
• Limited yet noticeable changes at global level
• Change is possible and actors have a role to play Evidence of change over time of a number of indicators. Are we heading into the right direction ? Do we
want to foster / nurture more changes ?
Thank youThank you
More info: www.eurofound.europa.eu
Survey Map Tool, overview report, secondary analyses
Data will be available through Essex Data Archive
Use of technology, EU27, 2000-2010
17.6%
25.6%
28.8%
22.1%
10.5% 10.5%
8.5%
17.7%17.5%
20.0%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
2000 2005 2010
Working with computers: PCs, network, mainframe (all the time or almost)
Using internet / email for professional purposes (all of the time or almost)
Exposed vibrations from hand tools, machinery, etc. (all of the time or almost)
Work dependent on automatic speed of a machine