1. A Sustainable Working Environment
Magnus Åkerström, Coordinator for Safety and Health at Chalmers
Chalmers Work Environment Management
For a Sustainable Working Life

2. Take home messages
There are certain facors and tools which promotes a sustainable working life for PhD students
Sweden has comparably strict work environment acts and regulations which require everyone to participate
PhD students are (normally) employed at Chalmers and have the same rights and obligations as all employees
There is both information and support available regarding work environment at Chalmers

3. The ”DAM-project”
-a project aiming at investigating PhD student’s work environment at Chalmers
The following factors were found to promote a sustainable working life for students:
A close relationship with your manager
Clearness in the responsibilities of different roles involved (supervisor, co-supervisor, examiner, director of studies for graduate schools etc.)
Possibility for recovery including use of vacation days
Clear expectations regarding goals, objectives, tasks, etc.
Social support especially concerning finding your PhD student identity and future career
4/13/2019
Chalmers

4. A sustainable work load
Type of work tasks
Amount of work load
Quality
Time limits
Emotional load
Degree of difficulty
Clearness in objectives
Methods, tools, available time, competence, feedback on efforts, time for recovery, control and participation, social support etc
Demands
Resources
4/13/2019
Chalmers

5. Work environment and equality policy at Chalmers
Work methods
A systematic work environment- and equality work according to the legislation
Promoting and preventing work within work environment and equality should focusing on strengthen the organizational barriers for preventing ill-health
Prioritized areas:
A sustainable work load by
clearness in objectives and roles
possibility to recovery
feedback on efforts
social support
A work environment that does not forces employees to quit their working life in advance
An equal working environment for all employees
A worki environment free from discrimination
A systematic fire safety management
4/13/2019
Chalmers

6. Tools for a sustainable work load
Focusing on methods for handling the occupational work load and not for handling reactions of stress/high work load
Two key elements:
Self compassion
Boarder control
Tool for estimating the need
of recovery (in Swedish)
4/13/2019
Chalmers

7. Rights and obligations
Your manager is responsible for your work environment including physical work environment, working hours, work load etc. and will have appraisal talks with you
Safety delegates have a legislated right to represent the employees in work environment issues and they may act as a support in individual cases
All your work tasks should be safe and you should get an introduction on how they should be performed in a safe way
Accidents and near misses should be reported
4/13/2019
Chalmers

8. Rights and obligations
PhD students have the right to vacation days and must take at least 20 vacation days each year
Chalmers provides opportunities for preventive wellness activities
In work related matters, Chalmers external occupational health service may assist you after approval from your manager
Take early signs of work related illnesses seriously and take care of your co-workers – we are each other´s working environment!
4/13/2019
Chalmers

9. Information and support
Your manager
Your safety delegate
Insidan
HR-partners and HR department
4/13/2019
Chalmers

10. Chalmers Work Environment Management - For a Sustainable Working Life
4/13/2019
Chalmers