Kick-off Meeting of the Advisory Group for the OECD Guidelines for Measuring the Quality of Working Environment, OECD HQ, Paris, 8-9 December 2015

1. Measuring aspects of Quality
of the Work Environment in
the EU LFS Ad-hoc Modules
OECD Advisory Group for Measuring the
Quality of Working Environment
Kick-off m meeting, 8/9 Dec 2015, Paris
christian.wingerter@ec.europa.eu
1

2. System of Ad-hoc Modules in EU-LFS
• 11 variables on a specific topic every year.
• So far: 3-year programmes with predefined topics, preparation by
task force starting four years before reference year; leads to a
regulation defining the variables to be delivered to Eurostat
• Since 2014: including pre-tested model questionnaire.
• Presumably from 2019: system of repeated modules; 8-year-
rhythm, six predefined and two open topics.
2

3. Methodological characteristics
• Principles in the current EU-LFS (defined by regulations):
• output harmonisation: definition of what has to be delivered to
Eurostat
• methodological criteria defining statistical reliability, distribution
of the sample, relation between reference and interview period.
• avoid subjective variables
• Possibility of derogations
• It remains a high variability of implementations.
• Additional characteristics of Ad-hoc moduls
• Often sub-samples, i.e. smaller sample size and/or limitations in
reference-period or target populations  limitation in analysis
• Recent harmonisation activities but some but variability will
remain. 3

4. AHMs 2010 to 2013
(variable list but no model questions)
2010: Reconciliation between work and family life
• Variable working hours; Possibility to change working times or take days
off for family reasons
2011: Employment of disabled people
• Kind of limitation disability implies and if person needs/has special
equipment, support or working arrangements
2012: Transition from work into retirement
• Built up pension rights, reasons/plans for leaving employment
earlier/later, reduced working hours during transition
2013: Accidents at work and other work-related health
problems (already 2007)
• Comprehensive information on physical and psychological risks at the
work place
4

5. AHMs 2014 to 2018
(variable list and model questions)
2014: Labour market situation of migrants and their
immediate descendants
• Over-qualification for current job
2015: Work organisation and working time arrangements
• Comprehensive information on job autonomy, working time regimes etc.
2016 Young people on the labour market
• Appropriateness of job given the respondent's level of education
2017 Self-employment
• Work situation but specifically focussed on self-employed: Main difficulty as
self-employed; level of job-satisfaction; job autonomy
2018: Reconciliation between work and family life
• Sub-module on flexible work arrangement but spec. for persons with care
responsibilities; subj. perception of reconciliation 5

6. System of rolling modules
6
1 Reconciliation between work and family life 2018
2 Work organisation and working time arrangements 2019
3 Accidents at work and work-related health
problems
2020
4 Labour situation or migrants and their immediate
descendants
2021
5 Transition from work to retirement ?
6 Young people on the labour market ?
7 Open Topic ?
8 Open Topic ?

7. AHM on Accidents/Health Problems
Collected information
7
(1) Work accident in last 12 months and the type of it
(2) Length of sick leave due to accident
(3) Work related health problems and type of
(4) Limitations in daily activities due to that
(5) Length of sick leave due to health problem
(6) Exposure to physical health risks
(7) Exposure to mental well-being risks

8. AHM on Accidents/Health Problems
Variables on exposures to risks
8
EXPOSURE TO PHYSICAL HEALTH
RISK FACTORS – most risky factor
1.None of the list below
2.Yes, mainly to difficult work postures
or work movements
3.Yes, mainly to handling of heavy loads
4.Yes, mainly to noise or strong vibration
5.Yes, mainly to chemicals, dust, fumes,
smoke or gases
6.Yes, mainly to activities involving
strong visual concentration
7.Yes, mainly to risk of accidents
Not applicable
Unknown
EXPOSURE TO MENTAL WELL-BEING
RISK FACTORS – most risky factor
1.None of the list below
2.Yes, mainly to severe time pressure or
overload of work
3.Yes, mainly to violence or threat of
violence
4.Yes, mainly to harassment or bullying
Not applicable
Unknown

9. AHM on Work Organisation
Collected information
(1) Variable working times determined by employee
(2) Freedom to take hours / days off
(3) Frequency of need to adapt working times
(4) Ad-hoc availability in free time
(5) Method of recording working hours
(6) Working under time pressure
(7) Job autonomy
(8) Main place of work
(9) Need to work in different locations
(10) Commuting time 9

10. Job autonomy
Model questions
10
• To what extent can you influence the contents of your tasks?
• 1. To a large extent
• 2. To some extent
• 3. Just a little
• 4. Not at all
• Cannot say
•
• To what extent can you influence the order of your tasks?
• 1. To a large extent
• 2. To some extent
• 3. Just a little
• 4. Not at all
• Cannot say

11. Flexible working times
Model questions
(Version for employees – other wording for self-employed)
Can you decide on the start and end of your working times or does
your employer decide them?
Please read out the answering categories.
1. You can fully decide them yourself
2. You can decide them with certain restrictions
3. The employer or organisation decides
Cannot say
11

12. Working under time pressure
Model questions
To what extent do you have to work under time pressure?
Please read out:
Time pressure is the pressure to finish tasks within a time span that
is considered insufficient.
1. To a large extent
2. To some extent
3. Just a little
4. Not at all
Cannot say
12

13. Over-/Under-qualification
Model questions I
YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE
LABOUR MARKET
To what extent do you think that
[your formal education] helps
you in meeting the demands of
your current job?
1. To a large extent
2. To some extent
3. Very little
4. Not at all
Cannot say
13
LABOUR MARKET SITUATION
OF MIGRANTS…
Considering your educational level,
experience and skills, do you feel
over-qualified for your current main
job?
With over-qualified is meant that the
qualifications and skills of the person
would allow more demanding tasks
than the current job.
1.Yes
2. No
Cannot say

14. Over-/Under-qualification
Model questions II
14
DRAFT possible new question
Considering your current main job does
it match with your educational level,
experience and skills?
1. Yes
2. No, it is in a different field
3. No, it is below my qualifications
4. No, it is higher than my qualifications
Cannot say

15. Harmonisation
...as seen for Ad-hoc modules
• Output harmonisation is not enough: high variations in national
implementation; Input harmonisation - data collection has to
be as equivalent as possible  model questions
• Use simple cut target populations/ simple filters: improves
general comparability and reduces data collection errors
• Avoid complex combination of variables to get simple information
• It is difficult to capture the variety of national institutional settings
and ensure comparability at the same time  use simple and
broad categories.
• Reduce item non-response
15

16. Conclusions
• Data input: Limited to existing variables in LFS core and Ad-hoc
modules. Open topics mainly determined by main policy user EU
Commission
• Methodological input:
• Variable definitions and better pretested model questions
• Experiences from the task force on Harmonising the
Measurement of Employment and Unemployment
• Methodological output: Model questions can be used in LFS or
mentioned in UNECE framework if the underlying concept match.
• Need for coherence with UNECE framework on measuring
quality!
• Is the interest mainly in structures or trends? Which is the right
carrier survey for that?
16