Documents Tomasson, Kristinn 4 results

"Following the sudden and unprecedented collapse of Icelandic banks during the recent economic recession, 20 per cent of bank employees were laid off. This nation-wide study compared the health and well-being of university-educated stayers and leavers following the downsizing of the banks and took into account labour market trajectories among the leavers following downsizing and job insecurity among the stayers. Results indicate a clear difference for the stayers and leavers on all outcomes of health and well-being, indicating that stayers fare worse than leavers in the early aftermath of downsizing. Overall, those male and female leavers who had found steady employment and male leavers with temporary employment fared the best of all groups. Of all the groups in this study, insecure stayers are the group of employees that experiences the lowest well-being and worst health."

"In 2008 it was decided by the Nordic Working Environment Committee under the Nordic Council of Ministers that an overview was needed on fatal occupational accidents in the Nordic countries. A selected group from agencies in all the Nordic countries maintaining the occupational accident registries was formed. It should provide a report that would give a review of systems involved concerning occupational accidents, i.e. the reporting process, the investigation process, the registration process, the registries and legal statutes. On the basis of this the numbers of fatal occupational accidents in the Nordic countries during the time period 2003 to 2008 would be studied.

The comparison between the Nordic countries concerning the systems showed relatively minor differences. However, as these small differences involve all or nearly all aspects of the system process in occupational accidents, comparison of occupational accidents in the Nordic countries should be approached with care.

The total number of fatal occupational accidents in the time period was 1243. That is between 1.51 to 2.49 fatal occupational accidents per 100,000 workers per year, varying between countries. Over 93% of these accidents involved males. This no doubt reflects the predominance of men in the most dangerous branches, i.e. agriculture, construction, and transport and communication. This is in accordance with that “land vehicles” are the leading material agent involved, and that the leading factor going wrong is loss of control, breaking or bursting of material agent and falls.

In order to make data on occupational accidents more comparable a closer collaboration between the Nordic countries, in the field of occupational accident investigation and registration, is called for. This would make the database for the battle against fatal occupational accidents and occupational accidents in the Nordic countries more effective and improve our common ability to identify prevention strategies."

"BACKGROUND: Nursing is a stressful, physically demanding occupation and a rush setting for musculoskeletal problems. The aim of this study is to explore the extent of the association between psychosocial work characteristics and musculoskeletal symptoms among women working in geriatric care. METHODS: The participants were female employees of all geriatric nursing homes and geriatric hospital wards in Iceland having a staff of 10 or more. A total of 1,886 questionnaires were distributed. The response rate was 80%. RESULTS: Finding the job mentally difficult, mental exhaustion after one's shift, dissatisfaction with supervisors or the flow of information, insufficient influence at work, dissatisfaction with the hierarchy, intense time pressure, lack of solidarity, dissatisfaction with the job, harassment, violence or threats at work; all of the aforementioned gave crude odds ratios (OR) two or above for one or more musculoskeletal symptoms. Mental exhaustion and harassment, violence, and threats were the factors connected with symptoms from all the body regions studied. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of the association of work-related psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal symptoms among the geriatric female nursing staff is substantial and needs to be taken into account by occupational health services and others involved in preventive work."(Authors' abstract)

"Objectives
The purpose of the present review was to summarize the scientific literature about the consequences of long and nonstandard workhours and employee influence over workhours on different measures of worklife balance.
Methods
Literature with a focus on the social consequences of the organization of workhours on worklife bal¬ance was searched in large databases such as PSYC-info and PubMed; the result was supplemented with other relevant literature.
Results
An association between larger numbers of workhours and lower levels of worklife balance was strongly supported among women. For men, the results were less conclusive, while, for gender-mixed groups, an association between overtime work and lower levels of worklife balance was strongly supported. There was strong evidence that nonstandard workhours had a negative influence on worklife balance and some evidence that it had a negative influence on children's well-being and on marital satisfaction. Employee influence over work schedule was associated with a better worklife balance in several studies. However, clear conclusions were difficult to draw due to methodological problems in the studies. Interventions that included reduced hours with wage compensation, rapidly rotating shifts, and increased influence on work schedules all showed positive ef¬fects on social life indicators.
Conclusions
The social consequences of worktime arrangements are relatively well documented in the scientific literature. There is a need for intervention studies, longitudinal studies, and studies focusing on the influence on schedule, consequences regarding children's development and well-being, and marital satisfaction."