In this report, we summarise the knowledge status on measures to promote full-time working at the workplace or organisation level, both in a Norwegian and Scandinavian context.
This review aims to synthesise insights into solutions that have successfully increased the proportion of full-time work in various sectors and organisations, identify what is required for the effective implementation of new measures or work arrangements, and examine the key factors behind successful outcomes and previous failures.
We summarise knowledge about operational measures and process measures. Operational measures involve changes in organisation or practices, such as new working time arrangements or the organisation of staffing internally or across departments. Process measures are methods or resources used in the implementation of a development project at the workplace. Finally, we also examine these measures in conjunction with each other.
We carried out literature searches in databases such as Oria and Google Scholar, as well as national and specialised databases like Sweden’s Arbline and Denmark’s Bibliotek.dk. We also searched the archives of Norwegian research institutes and performed snowball searches in key publications.
Operational and process measures to promote full-time working
It emerged in our literature searches that reports from research institutes make a significant contribution to the research literature on measures aimed at promoting full-time working. A majority of the studies are from the healthcare sector, particularly within primary healthcare. The predominant proportion of the included studies are based on either qualitative methods or a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods that use methodological triangulation.
The literature on working time arrangements aimed at promoting full-time working is the most extensive, particularly in relation to measures such as long shifts and cross-functional roles. Some of the operational measures also entail new working time arrangements that are motivated by a desire to develop a more appealing working environment to attract and retain employees. These measures, such as collaborative rostering, can help to improve the working environment and the work-life balance, and can be important for supporting the efforts to promote full-time working.
Overall, the ‘toolbox’ of operational measures appears to be extensive. It is not possible to conclude which measures result in the greatest increase in the proportion of full-time workers or average full-time equivalent (FTE) percentages. This is due to inconsistent evidence of increases in full-time working, particularly over time, as well as the simultaneous implementation of several measures or different variations of the same measures in workplaces or organisations.
However, some measures seem to have more negative implications for employees and service users than others. Solutions that involve flexible working hours and locations, such as temporary staffing pools and non-scheduling working time, fall into this category.
The literature on effective development processes in the initiatives aimed at full-time working is somewhat less extensive and primarily stems from one particular research institute. Most studies highlight the importance of clear leadership, cooperation between the social partners and employee involvement. Early engagement of employees and union representatives can help ensure a solid grounding and support for initiatives. However, striking the right balance between establishing a firm foundation and involving all relevant parties while simultaneously testing operational measures during a project period appears to be a challenging task. This also applies to ensuring that local departmental managers have the required time, resources and autonomy to carry out development work alongside regular operations.
