Increased health problems among employees are reported in industry and several other sectors. In a new research project, companies and researchers at University West will investigate how digital solutions can be used to develop new ways of working that contribute to sustainable health in working life.
"This is a new approach to identifying and developing innovative working methods and personnel activities that can promote sustainable health in working life. Our focus is on developing digital solutions that meet these needs. The idea is to weave health-promoting activities into working life flexibly, " says Ann Svensson, professor of informatics.
Increasingly tight schedules and higher demands on results and productivity have made employees feel worse and worse. This is something that industry employers have noticed in recent years.
"Together with some companies, we have started the research project Digitization for sustainable health in the workplace to develop knowledge and skills about which initiatives are important for achieving sustainable health and a healthy and productive working life. One of the companies develops digital solutions, and the others are manufacturing."
"We start by mapping the health situation in the companies. Then, employees are offered several activities that promote health in the next step. It can be individualized activities or group exercises such as yoga, walking, lectures on health, and healthy eating."
The activities must be available to employees via a digital tool on the mobile phone. Depending on the employees' activity, different rewards will be awarded, such as free lunch, water bottles, and towels. In addition, the companies will continuously follow up if the efforts positively affect the employees' health and the organization's finances and sustainability.
The project Digitization for sustainable health in the workplace, DIGHEP, is part of the research in Industrial work-integrated learning. The project started in January 2022 and will run until 2024. @via University West in Trollhättan.
