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Chapter 3: The future of work in Europe: job quality and work organisation for a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
that students solving a maths puzzle The need for the body and mind to 5.8. Addressing future
-
took 40 % longer — and suffered more recover is clearly recognised in leg challenges in the Learning
stress — when they were made to mul- islation covering occupations such organisation
titask (Ophir et al., 2009). as pilots and truck drivers, since the
consequences of human error due to Section 5.3 suggests that Lean organisa-
Such a working environment saturated overwork in such areas are obvious. tions are increasing mostly at the expense
with media and the resulting infor- A Directive also sets for all EU work- of Learning organisations, and that these
mation and task overload is a recent ers minimum standards in terms of rest two forms of work organisation are becom -
93
phenomenon. Multitasking is still per- periods and limits to working time( ). ing increasingly divergent. The shift to
ceived as a target that is often actively Numerous studies have linked exces- Lean forms of work organisation may risk
encouraged in the corporate environ- sive working hours with health risks, eroding the performance and job quality of
ment, but there is a case for serious including mental illnesses. Common European workers. Indeed, such a move is
analysis into how progressive employers mental disorders, such as depression, happening when technology and globalisa -
could shape communication policies in are an important public health concern tion emphasise the importance of knowl-
order to minimise the psychological bur- (Mathers, 2006; Eaton, 2008). Accord- edge and the speed at which knowledge
den and productivity losses stemming ing to projections by the World Health and skills may become obsolete. Learning
from multitasking. Organisation, depressive disorders rather than Lean organisations appear
will be the leading cause of disease better placed to exploit the opportunities
5.7.2. The pace of work burden in high-income countries by brought about by structural changes..
and efficient time use 2030 (Mathers, (2006). In addition to
in knowledge occupations human misery, mental disorders often As a consequence, there is a need for
result in substantial work impairment firms to engage in organisational learn -
Ergonomics of work reflect the cycli- and lost work days (Eaton, 2008; Adler, ing and for workers to engage in acquiring
cal balance of intense effort and focus 2006; Wang, 2004; Demyttenaere et new competencies to strengthen the EU’s
with recovery and rest. Sensible time al., 2004). comparative advantages in world markets.
management should take a long time In this context, policies should develop the
perspective. Like a long-distance run- As mentioned above, the unrestrained framework conditions to increase the num -
ner, cognitive workers tend to pace and ever-increasing use of information ber of Learning organisations and sup -
-
themselves in order to achieve opti technology can be seen as a mixed bless - port the change process. Box 6 provides
mum results. Productivity should then ing. Solutions to avoid productivity-kill- some considerations on how to revert
be assessed not over a day or week ing interruptions could include reducing the shift from Learning to Lean forms of
but over years or even a worker’s entire the number of alerts to a manageable work organisation.
productive life. What may appear to be level and creating periods of a digital
high productivity, from the employer’s down-time, devoted to deep thinking A coherent and holistic policy approach,
point of view, can mask hidden costs. and concentration. integrating policy objectives from vari-
If a worker achieves high output in the ous policy domains such as employment,
short term but, as a result, suffers burn- Finally, productivity assessment needs social policy and enterprises’ competitive-
out or illness and exits early from the to be seen in relation to the type of job. ness policies may be necessary. In addi -
labour market, many of the costs are Jackson (2012) argues that seeking tion, these processes would have to be
ultimately borne by society at large higher productivity in a conventional way implemented across different levels — EU,
through the welfare system. may be counterproductive in occupations national, local, individual companies — and
that rely on allocating one’s time to the will involve a number of actors — vari-
Knowledge work that requires intense service recipient. For example, chasing ous governmental bodies, social partners,
mental focus has been found (Hobson productivity growth in caring profes- management, workers of private and pub -
and Pace-Schott., 2002) to follow a par- sions, social work, medicine and edu- lic companies acting in Europe. The number
ticular cycle of 90 minutes with corre- cation according to the manufacturing of actors and fields of actions will require
sponding performance benefiting from paradigm leads to degradation of the an organised effort to create a compre -
short breaks. In cognitive activities such service provided. hensive and consistent framework of
as assembly-line production, the break policy recommendations and initiatives at
or rest does not follow the same pattern. Finally, looking at successful companies the EU and national levels. These would
Adding variety, changing the subject of at the forefront of workplace innovation then be used for guiding and supporting
work, off-time, freedom from meetings suggests that taking a holistic approach the process of change of local workplaces
and rapid reaction to external demands, to office design can be an important by ensuring coherence of actions between
being given time to reflect and think are driver of productivity growth, as in the different actors and different levels to find
all factors that can help achieve a bal- example, albeit somewhat exceptional, the optimal form of work organisation for
anced working day. described in Box 7 in the annex. each (locally specific) circumstances.
( ) Directive 2003/88/EC of the European
93
Parliament and of the Council of
4 November 2003 concerning certain
aspects of the organisation of working time.
165
that students solving a maths puzzle The need for the body and mind to 5.8. Addressing future
-
took 40 % longer — and suffered more recover is clearly recognised in leg challenges in the Learning
stress — when they were made to mul- islation covering occupations such organisation
titask (Ophir et al., 2009). as pilots and truck drivers, since the
consequences of human error due to Section 5.3 suggests that Lean organisa-
Such a working environment saturated overwork in such areas are obvious. tions are increasing mostly at the expense
with media and the resulting infor- A Directive also sets for all EU work- of Learning organisations, and that these
mation and task overload is a recent ers minimum standards in terms of rest two forms of work organisation are becom -
93
phenomenon. Multitasking is still per- periods and limits to working time( ). ing increasingly divergent. The shift to
ceived as a target that is often actively Numerous studies have linked exces- Lean forms of work organisation may risk
encouraged in the corporate environ- sive working hours with health risks, eroding the performance and job quality of
ment, but there is a case for serious including mental illnesses. Common European workers. Indeed, such a move is
analysis into how progressive employers mental disorders, such as depression, happening when technology and globalisa -
could shape communication policies in are an important public health concern tion emphasise the importance of knowl-
order to minimise the psychological bur- (Mathers, 2006; Eaton, 2008). Accord- edge and the speed at which knowledge
den and productivity losses stemming ing to projections by the World Health and skills may become obsolete. Learning
from multitasking. Organisation, depressive disorders rather than Lean organisations appear
will be the leading cause of disease better placed to exploit the opportunities
5.7.2. The pace of work burden in high-income countries by brought about by structural changes..
and efficient time use 2030 (Mathers, (2006). In addition to
in knowledge occupations human misery, mental disorders often As a consequence, there is a need for
result in substantial work impairment firms to engage in organisational learn -
Ergonomics of work reflect the cycli- and lost work days (Eaton, 2008; Adler, ing and for workers to engage in acquiring
cal balance of intense effort and focus 2006; Wang, 2004; Demyttenaere et new competencies to strengthen the EU’s
with recovery and rest. Sensible time al., 2004). comparative advantages in world markets.
management should take a long time In this context, policies should develop the
perspective. Like a long-distance run- As mentioned above, the unrestrained framework conditions to increase the num -
ner, cognitive workers tend to pace and ever-increasing use of information ber of Learning organisations and sup -
-
themselves in order to achieve opti technology can be seen as a mixed bless - port the change process. Box 6 provides
mum results. Productivity should then ing. Solutions to avoid productivity-kill- some considerations on how to revert
be assessed not over a day or week ing interruptions could include reducing the shift from Learning to Lean forms of
but over years or even a worker’s entire the number of alerts to a manageable work organisation.
productive life. What may appear to be level and creating periods of a digital
high productivity, from the employer’s down-time, devoted to deep thinking A coherent and holistic policy approach,
point of view, can mask hidden costs. and concentration. integrating policy objectives from vari-
If a worker achieves high output in the ous policy domains such as employment,
short term but, as a result, suffers burn- Finally, productivity assessment needs social policy and enterprises’ competitive-
out or illness and exits early from the to be seen in relation to the type of job. ness policies may be necessary. In addi -
labour market, many of the costs are Jackson (2012) argues that seeking tion, these processes would have to be
ultimately borne by society at large higher productivity in a conventional way implemented across different levels — EU,
through the welfare system. may be counterproductive in occupations national, local, individual companies — and
that rely on allocating one’s time to the will involve a number of actors — vari-
Knowledge work that requires intense service recipient. For example, chasing ous governmental bodies, social partners,
mental focus has been found (Hobson productivity growth in caring profes- management, workers of private and pub -
and Pace-Schott., 2002) to follow a par- sions, social work, medicine and edu- lic companies acting in Europe. The number
ticular cycle of 90 minutes with corre- cation according to the manufacturing of actors and fields of actions will require
sponding performance benefiting from paradigm leads to degradation of the an organised effort to create a compre -
short breaks. In cognitive activities such service provided. hensive and consistent framework of
as assembly-line production, the break policy recommendations and initiatives at
or rest does not follow the same pattern. Finally, looking at successful companies the EU and national levels. These would
Adding variety, changing the subject of at the forefront of workplace innovation then be used for guiding and supporting
work, off-time, freedom from meetings suggests that taking a holistic approach the process of change of local workplaces
and rapid reaction to external demands, to office design can be an important by ensuring coherence of actions between
being given time to reflect and think are driver of productivity growth, as in the different actors and different levels to find
all factors that can help achieve a bal- example, albeit somewhat exceptional, the optimal form of work organisation for
anced working day. described in Box 7 in the annex. each (locally specific) circumstances.
( ) Directive 2003/88/EC of the European
93
Parliament and of the Council of
4 November 2003 concerning certain
aspects of the organisation of working time.
165
