Working conditions and health at call centres in Sweden
SND-ID: snd0838-1. Version: 1.0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5878/bfc7-fc66
Citation
Creator/Principal investigator(s)
Allan Toomingas - National Institute for Working Life, Work and Health
Kerstin Norman - National Institute for Working Life, Work and Health
Ewa Wigaeus Tornqvist - National Institute for Working Life, Work and Health
Research principal
Arbetslivsinstitutet - Work and Health
Description
There are a range of problems associated with job on call centres. A range of problems associated with the job have become apparent, with time pressure, performance monitoring via computer, monitoring of phone calls, ergonomic deficiencies and musculoskeletal problems amongst the problems reported. An earlier study of a call centre in Sweden found inadequate working conditions and signs of ill health amongst a high percentage of the population in their 20s who had only been working for 2-3 years. The situation was worse there than amongst older employees in other industries with computer-intensive jobs.
Inadequate working conditions and the high incidence of medical complaints amongst young employees may mean that call centres are failing to provide the sustainable work opportunities that many are counting on, e.g. in rural areas. Scientific studies of call centres are few and the state of knowledge of working conditions and health there is deficient.
A cross-sectional study into working and health conditions at call centres in Sweden was conducted with the aim of contributing to a sustainab
Inadequate working conditions and the high incidence of medical complaints amongst young employees may mean that call centres are failing to provide the sustainable work opportunities that many are counting on, e.g. in rural areas. Scientific studies of call centres are few and the state of knowledge of working conditions and health there is deficient.
A cross-sectional study into working and health conditions at call centres in Sweden was conducted with the aim of contributing to a sustainable development of call centre work. The project was conducted in partnership with the Ergonomics Programme at the National Institute for Working Life, Occupational Medicine North, Sundsvall Hospital, and the Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health at the Karolinska Institute.
Data were collated at social, corporate and individual level from 15-20 larger call centres with different operating spheres, ownership structures and geographical location. Data were collected on work organisation, content and times, physical and psychosocial working conditions, and health and well-being with the aid of questionnaires, observations, measurements, medical examinations and company registers (including the computerised monitoring system). A total of approximately 1,500 people were included in the study. Models were tried out in order to evaluate the effects of ill health and inadequacies in working conditions at the company's expense. Show less..
Data contains personal data
No
Language
Unit of analysis
Sampling procedure
Time period(s) investigated
2001 – 2003
Number of individuals/objects
1531
Response rate/participation rate
77%
Data format / data structure
Geographic spread
Geographic location: Sweden
Responsible department/unit
Work and Health
Research area
Working conditions (CESSDA Topic Classification)
Medical and health sciences (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
Occupational health and environmental health (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)
Health (CESSDA Topic Classification)
General health and well-being (CESSDA Topic Classification)
Norman K, Wigaeus Tornqvist E, Toomingas A. Working conditions in a selected sample of call centre companies in Sweden. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.2008;14:2,177-94
Till lärosätets (oru) databas
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Till lärosätets (kth) databas
Norman K, Floderus B, Hagman M, Toomingas A. Musculoskeletal symptoms in relation to work exposures at call centre companies in Sweden. Work.2008;30(2):201-14
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