School Staffs’ Experiences of Work and Working Conditions in Finnish and Estonian Schools

Abstract

This paper describes the basic results of a survey into the occupational well-being of school staff related to various aspects of the ‘worker and work’ and working conditions, and to outline development requirements of school communities across Finland and Estonia. The baseline survey data were collected between 2009 and 2010 using the web-based Well-being at your work index questionnaire and analysed statistically. Using participatory action research, the project runs from 2009 until 2013 within the SHE (Schools for Health in Europe) network in Finland and Estonia. According to the results, approximately 40 % of Finnish and 20 % of Estonian participants were unhappy with the mental workload of their work. 67 % of Finnish and 50 % of Estonian participants felt unable to complete work at their workplace within working hours. In addition results showed the need for enhancement of working conditions in Finnish schools, e.g. providing air conditioning, and that Estonian school staff view their occupational well-being more positively than the Finns. The results apply to Finnish and Estonian school communities but could also be applied on a broader scale when developing international intervention research and development projects. This paper contains research-based information on the occupational well-being of school staff for use by school management and staff, and healthcare professionals.