Work environment management and flexible working - a joint development journey
Over the past year, the way we work has changed dramatically for many of us, affecting our working environment, our well-being and our health in different ways.
We have had to adapt along the way, finding different digital forums and tools to continue our work.
Work environment management
The work environment management itself, however, has not changed because of the pandemic and we will of course continue our health promotion, prevention and rehabilitation work with the systematic approach that work environment management requires.
However, there are reasons to believe that the methods of investigation and risk assessment may need to change and become more qualitative, with the increase in digitalisation and, with it, also an increase in individualisation. This may mean, for example, more and more frequent checks in dialogue and with the individual rather than questionnaires, workplace meetings and general safety surveys where measurements are taken at group level.
Don't invent the wheel - use the SAM wheel
A good way to start is to have a dialogue together and explore the conditions for flexible working in your unit/department/working group.
1. Reflecting together - talking about digital opportunities
- What has worked well during the pandemic? What has not worked?
- Which tasks work best in the workplace and which work best "at home".
- What digital tools are needed and work well? What is needed in terms of skills development, technology and the like?
- Which tasks work best in the workplace and which work best at home?
2. Investigate - conduct a digital health and safety audit and investigate the current situationet
3. Take action and follow up - finish by making an action plan to follow up over time
On the webpage "Sunt Arbetsliv" there are films, questions and exercises to use in the continued work with the digital work environment (in Swedish)
What will our flexible way of working look like?
It is now more important than ever that we look ahead, have a dialogue about what we want and what works well in all the new areas and ways of working that have now emerged.
- How do we take advantage of the new lessons learned over the past year?
- How do we incorporate breaks, recovery and activity into the working day?
- How are our leadership and teamwork affected by the new digital ways of working?
The questions are many and it is up to all of us to explore and develop what the flexible working approach means for each individual and for KI as an organisation and workplace.
Inspiration
As a manager, do you want to develop your health-promoting leadership?
Strengthening what is healthy and what works is increasingly important, and this work requires trust and confidence between all involved. Prevent has developed a digital tool based on Lotta Dellves and Andreas Eriksson's research and working material. Here you will find films, tests and exercises that support you as a manager in working with organisational and social work environment issues and gaining an overview of your own conditions.
Would you like to work with work-life balance?
Kristina Palm, Ann Bergman and Calle Rosengren's research project on strategies for managing personal and professional life with digital technology can help us understand how our own way of working affects ourselves and those around us.
Watch the film and think about the strategies you use. Discussing your preferred strategies as a group can also help you to understand each other better and find ways of working and practices that work for you all.
Health and recovery
Today there are many different digital media/channels and tools to work with. Take the time to think about which is best suited for the purpose. Maybe not everything has to be done in front of the screen? Maybe sometimes a walk and talk-meeting is better?
Health Promotion at KI is a digiphysical resource that can support and inspire employees and managers to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity and movement in everyday life.