Organisational and social work environment
The term organisational and social work environment (OSW) covers key issues related to the psychosocial aspects of working life, such as stress, conflicts, sense of security, bullying, work-life balance and the support offered by both management and colleagues.
In general, problems related to stress and conflict in the work environment should not be addressed at the individual level. Instead, they require a thorough review of the organisational structure and work processes. In this context, the work of managers, health and safety representatives and others involved in work environment management is crucial.
Historically, these issues have often been referred to as psychosocial factors, but as they are closely linked to how work is organised, they are now referred to as the organisational and social work environment in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations (AFS 2023:2). These regulations cover three main areas: workload, working hours and victimisation.
According to the regulations, the employer is to know how to prevent and manage unhealthy workloads and victimisation. The employer must also set goals for the organisational and social work environment.
Social work environment
The social work environment refers to the right to good mental health and personal development. It is governed by factors such as the organisation, the content and the planning of the work, but also the feeling of being in a context with meaningful work, personal responsibility, influence and control over one's own work situation.
Organisational work environment
The organisational work environment refers to the terms and conditions for the work, including:
- leadership and management
- communication
- involvement, authority
- distribution of work tasks, and
- demands, resources and responsibilities.
Stress
Stress is closely linked to a poor social work environment. Stress can be described as the tension we experience when demands and expectations do not match our capabilities and available resources.
The causes of stress are plentiful, but above all, they are individual – how you perceive your work situation differs depending on who you are and where you are in life. Stress is not a disease, but exposure to stress can make you ill, for example fatigue syndrome (burnout) and other stress-related conditions.
Previously, these were often referred to as psychosocial issues, but because they are linked to how work is organised, the area is now called the organisational and social work environment in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations (AFS 2023:2).
Organisational and social work environment and health factors
A modern approach when workplaces are to work with systematic work environment management is to focus not only on risks, but also on health factors.
Research shows that workplaces with low rates of absence due to illness are often characterised by well-developed health factors. Most of these involve the organisational and social work environment:
- A fair and transparent organisation
- Attentive, trusting and committed leadership
- Involvement and influence
- Communication and feedback
- Prioritisation of work tasks
- Systematic day-to-day work environment management
- Skills development throughout working life
- Early intervention and work adaptation