New research: The method that helps with job stress

How do you create a sustainable work environment in times of flexible working? At the Swedish Transport Administration, researchers from the University of Gävle tested a new type of work environment intervention in two stages - with good effect, especially for employees with a high need for recovery.

Flexible working has many advantages, but it also means that some people find it difficult to disconnect from work when they are off.

"It has become so easy to work anywhere, anytime. We have seen that it can be difficult for some people to set boundaries for their work, which reduces their time for recovery. This can affect their health in the long run. But we can show that new working methods and common routines made a real difference for them" says Johanna Edvinsson, researcher in occupational health at the University of Gävle.

Two-step model at the Swedish Transport Administration

The researchers conducted an intervention that consisted of a two-stage intervention at one of the Swedish Transport Administration's departments:

1. Training for the individual in, among other things, digital working methods using systems that were already available in the workplace.
2. Workshop at group level where the teams themselves developed common rules for accessibility and communication.

The aim was to help employees take control of their working day so that they could more easily let go of their thoughts about work after hours and create better conditions for recovery in flexible working.
"It was about learning what technical functions are available and how they can be used to, for example, reduce interruptions during the working day and structure their work to be able to set boundaries between work and leisure, but also about the groups agreeing on common routines, such as when it is okay to send emails and what expectations there should be regarding response time", says Edvinsson.

Most important for the most vulnerable

The study, now published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, involved 97 people in the intervention group and 70 in the control group. The results showed that the intervention was most helpful for those who had a high need for recovery from the start. Among them, the need for recovery decreased by an average of 12% in one year.

"Those who have difficulty setting boundaries are the ones who need the support the most," says Johanna Edvinsson.

Must start with employees' needs

According to Edvinsson, it is crucial that work environment initiatives are based on what employees themselves perceive as problems and what they see as possible solutions.

"Only then do you know that you are spending time and resources on the right things. Flexible working offers new opportunities and makes new demands. If you're going to introduce it as a manager, you also need to offer tools so that flexible working becomes an asset rather than a burden" says Johanna Edvinsson.