PSYKOSOCIALT ARBETSMILJÖARBETE PÅ DISTANS - En kvalitativ studie om hur arbetsgivares villkor och arbetssätt förändrats av ökat distansarbete Tilde Nilsson

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how employers' conditions and working methods regarding the psychosocial work environment have changed due to the increased telework. The study's main theoretical approach is Karasek and Theorell's (1990) demand- control- support model, which highlights how these three components need to be taken into account in order to understand how certain reactions can arise as a result of the workload. This model fulfills a function in this study as employers in their work with the psychosocial work environment, must take these factors into account to ensure the well-being of their employees. Furthermore, the study highlights previous research on the topic by, among other things, referring to previous studies about the demand- control- support model and describing how telework looks like in other countries. In addition to this, the study also consists of a section that concerns the legislation of employers' work with the psychosocial environment. The data collection for the study has been done through ten semi-structured interviews. This form of interview has the advantage that it is relatively flexible but still has a certain structure. This means that the structure is set based on a developed interview guide with predetermined questions, but that it is permitted to deviate from this by asking follow-up questions or asking for clarification based on the answers given. The empirical evidence is analyzed through a deductive thematic analysis based on the themes of demand, control and support. The study's main result is that employers' conditions and working methods have changed due to increased telework. With regard to new conditions, based on the results, it can be stated that new guidelines for managing remote employees have been created, that teleworking has meant a shift in control and it has also created a work situation characterized by limited social contact. Linked to changed and developed working methods, the results of the study shows that employers have had to adopt new working methods around communication, control of well-being and work performance, and that the support for the employees has had to be adapted to some extent.