Conventional and innovative office concepts can be described according to three dimensions: (1) the office location (e.g. telework office versus conventional office); (2) the office lay-out (e.g. open lay-out versus cellular office); and (3) the office use (e.g. fixed versus shared workplaces). This review examined how these three office dimensions affect the office worker's job demands, job resources, short- and long-term reactions. Using search terms related to the office concept (dimensions), a systematic literature search starting from 1972 was conducted in seven databases. Subsequently, based on the quality of the studies and the consistency of the findings, the level of evidence for the observed findings was assessed. Out of 1091 hits 49 relevant studies were identified. Results provide strong evidence that working in open workplaces reduces privacy and job satisfaction. Limited evidence is available that working in open workplaces intensifies cognitive workload and worsens interpersonal relations; close distance between workstations intensifies cognitive workload and reduces privacy; and desk-sharing improves communication. Due to a lack of studies no evidence was obtained for an effect of the three office dimensions on long-term reactions. The results suggest that ergonomists involved in office innovation could play a meaningful role in safeguarding the worker's job demands, job resources and well-being. Attention should be paid, in particular, to effects of workplace openness by providing acoustic and visual protection.

Based on a model that combines existing organizational stress theory and job transition theory, this 2-year longitudinal study examined antecedents and consequences of turnover among Dutch truck drivers. For this purpose, self-reported data on stressful work (job demands and control), psychological strain (need for recovery after work and fatigue), and turnover were obtained from 820 drivers in 1998 and 2000. In agreement with the model, the results showed that strain mediates the influence of stressful work on voluntary turnover. Also in conformity with the model, job movement to any job outside the trucking industry (i.e., interoccupational turnover) resulted in a larger strain reduction as compared to job movement within the trucking industry (intraoccupational turnover). Finally, strain was found to stimulate interoccupational turnover more strongly than it stimulated intraoccupational turnover. These findings provide a thorough validation of existing turnover theory and give new insights into the turnover (decision) process.

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Background: Monitoring worker health and evaluating occupational healthcare interventions requires sensitive instruments that are reliable over time. The Need for Recovery scale (NFR), which quantifies workers' difficulties in recovering from work related exertions, may be a relevant instrument in this respect. Objectives: To examine (1) the NFR's test-retest reliability and (2) the NFR's sensitivity to detect the effect of a fatigue inducing change, namely an increase in working hours. Methods: Two year longitudinal data of 526 truck drivers and 144 nurses were used. Two week, one year, and two year test-retest reliability was examined in both stable and unstable work environments by calculating intraclass correlations (ICCs). Work environmental (in)stability was quantified by four events that might have occurred during the follow up period: (1) a reorganisation or merge (0 = yes, 1 = no), (2) a change of supervisor or management (0 = yes, 1 = no), (3) a change in working hours or work schedules (0 = yes, 1 = no), and (4) a change in work activities, position, or duties (0 = yes, 1 = no). The four scores constituted a work (in)stability index ranging from 0 to 4. The NFR's sensitivity to detect the effect of the increase in working hours was assessed indirectly by comparing it with an alternative scale, namely the Checklist Individual Strength. Results: Test-retest reliability over a two year interval was good to excellent when applied in stable work environments (ICCs 0.68 to 0.80) but, as expected, poor to fair when applied in unstable work environments (ICCs 0.30 to 0.55). The NFR was sensitive in detecting an increase in work related fatigue due to the increase in working hours (effect size 0.40). Conclusions: The NFR's test-retest reliability and sensitivity to detect change are favourable. This implicates that the NFR may form a valuable part of health surveys and may be a useful tool for evaluating occupational healthcare interventions.

Background Within a clinical context e-learning is comparable to traditional approaches of continuing medical education (CME). However, the occupational health context differs and until now the effect of postgraduate e-learning among occupational physicians (OPs) has not been evaluated.Aim To evaluate the effect of e-learning on knowledge on mental health issues as compared to lecture-based learning in a CME programme for OPs.Methods Within the context of a postgraduate meeting for 74 OPs, a randomized controlled trial was conducted. Test assessments of knowledge were made before and immediately after an educational session with either e-learning or lecture-based learning.Results In both groups, a significant gain in knowledge on mental health care was found (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two educational approaches.Conclusion The effect of e-learning on OPs' mental health care knowledge is comparable to a lecture-based approach. Therefore, e-learning can be beneficial for the CME of OPs.

Objectives: Building on Karasek's model of job demands and control (JD-C model), this study examined the effects of job control, quantitative workload, and two occupation specific job demands (physical demands and supervisor demands) on fatigue and job dissatisfaction in Dutch lorry drivers. Methods: From 1181 lorry drivers (adjusted response 63%) self reported information was gathered by questionnaire on the independent variables (job control, quantitative workload, physical demands, and supervisor demands) and the dependent variables (fatigue and job dissatisfaction). Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the main effects of job demands and job control and the interaction effect between job control and job demands on fatigue and job dissatisfaction. Results: The inclusion of physical and supervisor demands in the JD-C model explained a significant amount of variance in fatigue (3%) and job dissatisfaction (7%) over and above job control and quantitative workload. Moreover, in accordance with Karasek's interaction hypothesis, job control buffered the positive relation between quantitative workload and job dissatisfaction. Conclusions: Despite methodological limitations, the results suggest that the inclusion of (occupation) specific job control and job demand measures is a fruitful elaboration of the JD-C model. The occupation specific JD-C model gives occupational stress researchers better insight into the relation between the psychosocial work environment and wellbeing. Moreover, the occupation specific JD-C model may give practitioners more concrete and useful information about risk factors in the psychosocial work environment. Therefore, this model may provide points of departure for effective stress reducing interventions at work. I n many sectors of industry, the nature of work has changed considerably over the past decades.1 2 Important changes concern making work more flexibile, the entry of the 24 hour economy, mechanisation, automation, and the appliance of information and communication technology. In general, these changes have resulted in a decreased exposure to physical and chemical agents and an increased exposure to psychosocial risk factors. In the road transport industry, for instance, the entry of the 24 hour economy has been accompanied by an increased demand for just in time deliveries leading to an intensification of the work of lorry drivers.3 Furthermore, the appliance of communication technology has led to a decreased feeling of independence and tighter time schedules for these workers. 4 These changes in the nature of work have gone hand in hand with an increased attention in occupational health research directed at the investigation of the relation between psychosocial work factors and health and wellbeing. Several occupational stress models have been postulated that can serve as a theoretical frame for this category of studies. Without doubt, the most influential and successful is the model of job demands and control (JD-C model) described by Karasek and Theo...

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Fatigue, lack of support, lack of autonomy, lack of participation in decision making, and using manual force at work (e.g. pushing and pulling) threaten the work ability of employees with RA. According to the employees with RA, involvement of health care professionals from different disciplines and the implementation of organizational and technical interventions would help them to tackle these threats.