Smart shifts: the trade-off between prodcuvtivity and flexiblity. Balancing Interest 17th International Symposium on Shiftwork and Working Time, 18-22 September 2005, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands: program and abstracts
article
The pressure on working longer hours per week, per year and over life time is increasing. Do we indeed need to work longer, and harder and at what costs? At the level of the organisation, we need to balance productivity with flexibility and innovation, but also with the employee's need to stay healthy and employable over the life course (Goudswaard 2003, Klein Hesselink and Miedema 2003). How can we cope with these challenges and find a balance between the various interests? The field study, that we present here, is part of a larger program, in which TNO is developing smart solutions to these challenges. This program is developed in cooperation with industry. The overall goal is seeking a balance in higher productivity and better health and work life balance. Our case company (operating in the semi-conductor industry) needed to increase the productivity during the upturn and planned to introduce 7*24 business hours in 5 shifts. In a participative approach the company's need for higher productivity and flexibility is analysed, and solutions to these needs are developed. Our analysis revealed the costs and benefits of increasing business hours (see figure).
TNO Identifier
868790
Source
Shiftwork International Newsletter, 22(2), pp. 63.
Pages
63