Objectives: Few workplace health promotion (WHP) interventions are designed to improve work conditions. Methods for measurement of work conditions are often developed from a risk factor perspective rather than a WHP perspective. More knowledge is needed on the work conditions that promote health in order to develop a good work environment. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if the Demand Control Support model, the Effort Reward Imbalance model and the Job Characteristic Inventory are correlated, if the subscales predict health and to analyze which combination of subscales is the most useful predictor of health longitudinally. <br> <br>Participants: The study used questionnaire data from 662 civil servants at baseline and at follow-up 2 years later. <br> <br>Method: The data were analysed by multiple regressions. <br> <br>Results: A new model; effort, reward, and variety, was found having a higher predictive power to predict health than the original models. <br> <br>Conclusions: To promote health at work, social relations and health-mediating work conditions are important because these conditions may buffer health. Health can be assumed to be a resource that is created in everyday activities and interactions in workplaces, and there is a need to develop health measure instruments based on holistic health theories.

Objective: To investigate the differences in work conditions and symptoms of burnout, and the association between work conditions and symptoms of burnout at the three hierarchical levels: subordinates, first-line managers and middle managers.

Methods: Analyses were based on questionnaire data from 4096 employees in nine organizations, containing three hierarchical levels: subordinates (n=3659), first-line managers (n=345), and middle managers (n=92).

Results: Work conditions were found to differ between the three hierarchical levels, mostly between subordinates and managers. Managers experienced fewer symptoms of burnout than subordinates. Furthermore, the association between work conditions and burnout differed for subordinates, first-line managers and middle managers.

Conclusions: Occupational health research needs to focus more on differences between hierarchical levels regarding work conditions and burnout.

Background

Changing jobs is part of modern working life. Within occupational health, job mobility   has mainly been studied in terms of employees' intentions to leave their jobs. In contrast to actual turnover, turnover intentions are not definite and only reflect the probability that an individual will change job. The aim of this study was to determine what work conditions predict voluntary job mobility and to examine if good health or burnout predicts voluntary job mobility.

Methods

The study was based on questionnaire data from 792 civil servants. The data were analysed   using logistic regressions.

Results

Low variety and high autonomy were associated with increased voluntary job mobility.   However, the associations between health and voluntary job mobility did not reach   significance. Possible explanations for the null results may be that the population   was homogeneous, and that the instruments for measuring global health are too coarse   for a healthy, working population.

Conclusions

Voluntary job mobility may be predicted by high autonomy and low variety. The former may reflect that individuals with high autonomy have stronger career development motives; the latter may reflect the fact that low variety leads to job dissatisfaction. In contrast to our results on job content, global health measurements are not strong   predictors of voluntary job mobility. This may be because good health affects job mobility through several offsetting channels, involving the resources and ability to seek a new job. Future work should use more detailed measurements of health or   examine other work settings so that we may learn more about which of the offsetting effects of health dominate in different contexts.

Today’s flexible working life has resulted in loose structures, less predictability and increased uncertainty for employees. Uncertainty regarding what work tasks to carry out may result in low job satisfaction and high tension, but also in reduced performance and effectiveness. Conversely, organizations with clear goals and strategies provide better opportunities for employees to understand what is expected and how to perform the work. This paper explores associations with clarity of work, work conditions and work ability, and secondly if work ability affects performance, given the organizational and work conditions. The study was based on questionnaire data from 4442 subordinates in 10 organizations in different sectors. The data were analysed by multilevel logistic regressions. High clarity of work, high control and high social capital were associated with higher work ability and better performance. High demands were associated with lower work ability and lower performance. High work ability was associated with better performance. The results imply that good work ability is an important factor for employees’ performance, affected by socio-demographic factors, but mostly with organizational and work conditions. Organizations with clear goals creates more favorable work conditions that support employees’ control, their ability to cope with working life and their performance.