‘Sustainable work life is not purely a health issue’

The Social Partners’ Council describes itself as a ‘knowledge house’ where trade unions and employers’ associations are working to bring about a sustainable work life for public-sector employees. What work is being done?

– Through the Social Partners’ Council, the main actors now provide support in four areas: wage formation, cooperation, work environment and a sustainable work life programme. The aim is to support representatives of employers’ associations and trade unions at government agencies who are working together to bring about a sustainable work life. We do this by providing inspiration in the form of webinars and workshops but also practical tools and online support material. Local actors can also receive operational support in the form of the Social Partners’ Council visiting the government agency to support ongoing development work. The support is well used by local actors.

Recently OSA, the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s organisational and social work environment provisions, celebrated its fifth anniversary. What improvements have you seen and what does the Social Partners’ Council do to turn the provisions into practical action?

– It seems to me that the work environment discussion has broadened, which has benefitted preventive work environment management. The Social Partners’ Council provides online theoretical and practical courses on systematic work environment management and material promoting dialogue on how work environment management can be developed in public organisations. It is also possible to receive operational support to prevent ill health and promote continuous learning.

What are you doing to enable everybody to develop their skills?

– I feel the central actors have been bold and forward-looking when they decided to offer a sustainable work life programme. They did not make it purely a health issue; instead, they put it in a wider context about promoting engagement and developing the conditions for continuous learning. We must change how we view skills development in order to be even better at picking up the learning that constantly takes place in everyday work life. We are currently in the final phase of our work to develop the service Lärande i förändring [Learning in Times of Change], which will put the question of learning on the agenda and, at the same time, provide some simple practical tools.

Emilia Liljefrost was interviewed by Anki Elken, Senior Consultant at New Republic. ‘Three Quick Questions…’ is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.