[Health and safety regulations concerning working time according to the FRG-using the example of the COVID-19 working time ordinance (COVID-19-ArbZV)].

Following a short discussion concerning the contradictions of the COVID-19 working time ordinance (COVID-19-ArbZV) with the existing ergonomics evidence on the design of working time and its effects on safety, health and wellbeing possible effects of this regulation with regard to the risks of accidents, health and social impairments have been estimated using computer based risk assessments for selected working time systems constructed in accordance with the ordinance.The results show significantly increased risk estimates for all analyzed systems and for all domains, demonstrating a sincere loss in the effectiveness and efficiency of health and safety prevention. Applying these results to the medical sector leads to the conclusion of an elsewhere empirically demonstrated reduction in patient care and patient safety.

Higher risks when working unusual times? A cross-validation of the effects on safety, health, and work-life balance.

Purpose: Replication and cross-validation of results on health and safety risks of work at unusual times.

Methods: Data from two independent surveys (European Working Conditions Surveys 2005 and 2010; EU 2005: n = 23,934 and EU 2010: n = 35,187) were used to examine the relative risks of working at unusual times (evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays) on work-life balance, work-related health complaints, and occupational accidents using logistic regression while controlling for potential confounders such as demographics, work load, and shift work.

Results: For the EU 2005 survey, evening work was significantly associated with an increased risk of poor work-life balance (OR 1.

Health effects of supplemental work from home in the European Union.

Internationalization and technological developments have changed the work organization in developed and developing industrial economies. Information and communication technologies, such as computers and smartphones, are increasingly used, allowing more temporal and spatial flexibility of work. This may lead to an increase in supplemental work, i.

When work calls-associations between being contacted outside of regular working hours for work-related matters and health.

Boundaries between work and private life are diminishing, but little is known on how this influences worker health. Therefore, we examined the association between work-related contacts outside of regular working hours by e-mail or phone and self-reported health in a representative sample of European employees (n = 23 760). The risk of reporting ≥1 health problem(s) was increased in workers contacted sometimes (odds ratio [OR]: 1.