The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions is organising a seminar in Helsinki Finland, 9–10 November 2006 at Hotel Arthur, Vuorikatu 19, Helsinki, Finland (Tel. +358 9 173441, Fax + 358 9 626 880).

“Job satisfaction”

UNICE ootab kuni 5. oktoobrini ka Eesti tööandjate osalemissoove, et teha valik ja saata seminarile 2 Euroopa tööandjat. Osalemissoovist palume teatada: Eve Päärendson, eve@ettk.ee või tel. 6999304 hiljemalt 4. oktoobri tööpäeva lõpuks.

Background Information

The European Working Conditions Observatory is a web-based monitoring instrument on working conditions in the European Union. It provides information on quality of work and employment from research findings of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, as well as from a network of correspondents across the EU.

The EWCO seminars present the Observatory’s work for discussion with selected participants who are experts on the chosen theme. The aim of this seminar, organised together with our Finnish correspondent, is to engage discussion on EWCO work with the members of its network, EU and national authorities, social partners and practitioners.

The quality of jobs is a part of the European Employment as the Lisbon Strategy. Hence the importance to follow the evolution of job satisfaction.

The European Foundation’s Working Conditions surveys’ results from the years 1995 and 2000 tell us that the job satisfaction (of working conditions) remains on the same level: in the former EU 15 84% declare to be “very satisfied” or “satisfied” in their jobs.  The level of dissatisfaction varies according to countries, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Finland and the United Kingdom being the countries where the level of satisfaction slightly increased. In the 2001 working conditions survey in the New Member States plus Bulgaria and Romania reveals that the average level of job satisfaction is below the EU 15 average: 72, 5%, where only Malta and Hungary exceed the proportion of 80% satisfied workers. The results of the 2005 working conditions survey will be published in autumn 2006.

Although some carefulness has to be expressed in analysing the data and in absence of a scientifically recognised best way to measure general or individual job satisfaction, it can be said that among others job pressure, unresolved work-life balance issues contribute to the levels of job dissatisfaction. It can be said as well that job satisfaction contributes to increase productivity and helps to counteract labour shortage.

On basis of some common findings of the EWCO topic report on “Job satisfaction” without generalising for all the analysed countries, it can be said that the level of education (the higher the education level, the higher the job satisfaction), the job status (job satisfaction seems to increase with job security), as the age group (increasing job satisfaction with age) seem to have an influence on job satisfaction.

Job autonomy seems to contribute to higher levels of job satisfaction; as some surveys in Check Republic, Finland and Spain prove, influencing aspects of work (like order of work tasks, work methods …) or a greater autonomy over working decisions lead to higher job satisfaction. The level of dissatisfaction increases when the influence over the work organisation (content of tasks … working hours) decreases.

No clear relationship between working time and job satisfaction can be detected: when the contributions received from Denmark and Portugal show up a positive relationship between working hours and job satisfaction (people who work more hours are more satisfied), the data from the Austrian survey (“Arbeitsklima Index” / 2004) reveal that the less hours people work per week, the higher is their job satisfaction.

Work life balance seems to influence the level of job satisfaction: surveys in Bulgaria, the Check Republic and Denmark report that when work affects private life in a negative way, the levels of job dissatisfaction are higher.

According to surveys from the Czech Republic, Finland and Spain job satisfaction seems to increase with worker participation or involvement in the organisation where they work. The more workers are in a position to participate in working decisions, the more satisfied they are with their job.

The seminar will be divided in three parts: conceptual discussion; job satisfaction and work organisation; job satisfaction and work life balance.

The language at the conference will be English. A report will be published on the EWCO website www.eurofound.eu.int/ewco after the meeting.

Draft Programme

Thursday 9 November 2006

9.00-9.30 Registration

9.30-10.00 OPENING: Seminar introduction / European Working Conditions Observatory, Jorma Karppinen, Director European Foundation
Tarja Filatov Minister of Labour Finland (To be confirmed)

Session one: 

10.00-12.45 Presentation and discussion of the EWCO report “Job satisfaction”, Heloisa Perista senior researcher (CESIS (Centro de Estudos para a Intervenção Social / Portugal)
The Finnish experience with surveys on job satisfaction, Dr. Anna-Maija Lehto (Work Research Unit Statistics Finland)

12.45-14.15  Lunch

Session two: Job satisfaction and work organisation

14.15-14.45 Presentation of the findings of the working climate survey in Austria (Arbeitsklima-Index) Georg Michenthaler IFES
  
14.45-16.00 Discussion

16.00-16.15 Coffee break

16.15-16.45 Meaningfulness of work Tuomo Alasoini, Finnish Ministry of Labour
 
16.45-18.00 Discussion of the presentation
 

Friday, 10 November 2006

Session three: Job satisfaction and work life balance

09.00-09.15 Introduction
 
09.15-10.45 Presentation of the European survey on working time and work-life balance in companies, (European Foundation / Speaker to be decided)

10.45-11.00 Coffee break

11.00-12.45  Presentation and discussion of the related research work in the Netherlands (Peter Smulders TNO / to be confirmed)

12.45-13.00 Conclusions, Jorma Karppinen, Director European Foundation

13.00  Lunch

End / Departure of participants