Job accommodation measures

Many people will require support or flexibility with their working time at some point during their career. Everyone can benefit from support in time management and flexible working hours. On the other hand, an employee with clearly reduced work ability might need maximum flexibility.

Job accommodation related to working time can be implemented as follows:

• by supporting time management at work: At the lightest, an employee can benefit from external support to structure work tasks and estimate the time required for them. The supervisor can provide support to the employee in planning work tasks or they can get help for this from an occupational psychologist, for example.
• by reducing total working time (shorter day or week): The length of working time has a significant impact on workload. Usually, a reduction in total working time requires that the illness has been diagnosed and that a decision has been made regarding a social benefit to compensate for the loss of pay. However, this is not necessary if the employee wishes to move to part-time work and accepts that their earnings will be reduced.
• by increasing possibilities to influence working time: Flexible working hours and other measures related to working time can enable individual flexibility in relation to factors such as the start and end times of the working day, the length of the working day, the scheduling of breaks and the organization of holidays and leisure time.
• by shift-related reorganization: With shift work, the possibilities for modifying working time are often dependent on place and time, providing less flexibility. Occupational health care may recommend exemption from certain shifts or from all shift work if shift work threatens the employee’s health. Night shifts and early morning shifts are the most stressful. Work-related sleeping disorders are more common in shift work than other work. It is estimated that 10% of shift workers suffer from a shift work sleep disorder that manifests itself as difficulty in sleeping and/or fatigue/drowsiness during shifts that occur during the person's regular sleep cycle.
• by means of remote work: Being able to work remotely removes the need to commute and can thus reduce workload. Working at home can also ensure better work peace. The possibility of remote work can also be used as a temporary measure when travelling by public transport is difficult for an employee due to the symptoms of fear, anxiety or a panic disorder, even if the long-term goal of treatment is to cope with these situations. 

Issues related to concentration and attention and a heightened need for peaceful working conditions are often related to mental health disorders and periods when an employee is still recovering.

Work environment arrangements can foster attention:

• informing the work community about a particular need for peaceful working conditions
• movable partitions
• a private room with a door that can be closed
• especially in office work, limiting the use of various applications to specified times, such as restricting the use of email, disabling automatic message reminders and restricting the use of multiple communication applications
• periodizing work and taking sufficient breaks.

Many jobs require self-management and planning of one's own activities. Difficulties in resource planning refers to situations in which the employee struggles to complete tasks and maintain an overview of their work and its goals.

Resource planning can be promoted by organization of work tasks:

• description of work processes: division of work into smaller units with the help of a supervisor or a colleague
• clear tasks and the possibility to focus on one task at a time
• structuring work with the help of notice boards, pigeonhole units, checklists and to-do lists
• close supervision (supervisor, senior employee, working group)
• written instructions and re-designing tasks.

When making arrangements related to work that involve the risk of accidents or responsibility for the safety of other people, it is essential to consider matters related to attention and resource planning. 

Many mental health disorders are associated with increased stress in social situations at the workplace. The intensity of symptoms distinguishes such situations from the social nervousness that many people will occasionally experience. It is often possible to identify situations at work that trigger the symptoms. Difficult situations may include participation in meetings, eating at work or situations where there are conflicts or differences of opinion.

Ways to facilitate social situations

• possibility to work in a small group
• defining one support person through which the employee can communicate with a larger group
• moving away from or reducing work with clients, possibilities for regulating the amount of interaction
• stepping down from supervisory work
• telling about the symptoms of the disorder at the beginning of the meeting and providing an opportunity to practice participating despite the symptoms
• knowing about the possibility of leaving the situation if it feels overwhelming
• agreeing on a replacement person if a situation becomes overwhelming and a break is not possible due to the nature of the work
• gradual acquaintance with the daily life of the workplace after an absence.

It is particularly important to consider difficulties with social interaction in work where the quality of the interaction has consequences for the well-being of clients or patients as well as work that involves supervising or instructing others. 

Mood-related problems are typical in many mental health disorders as well as in less severe situations, such as when an employee is exhausted. They may manifest as behaviours, such as persistent negativity, irritability or sadness. However, the person may not be consciously irritable; these are rather symptoms that will be reduced as the illness is relieved.

Mood control in the workplace can be fostered by measures that reduce the overall burden experienced by an employee:  

• clear tasks and frequent feedback on work
• clear communication channels and regular communication
• proportioning tasks in a that creates experiences of success
• receiving thanks, when appropriate
• atmosphere that encourages to ask for help as a natural part of work
• the opportunity to use stress management and relaxation methods during the working day
• support person at the workplace
• opportunities to self-regulate the work situation
• ability to call a support person or therapist during the working day, if necessary
• using headphones to listen to music
• in some jobs, it may be possible to bring a pet. 

Job accommodation not only comprises the removal of job demands but the job can also be modified by increasing and fostering job resources.

Job resources can be fostered by supporting

• the meaningfulness of work tasks
• the opportunity to learn and develop at work
• the ability to choose in which order the tasks are carried out
• participation in work-related decision-making
• increasing support from the work community and supervisor
• the experience of fairness at the workplace
• trust and appreciation at the workplace
• daily courtesy and friendliness.

The employee feeling like the employer cares about their well-being and commitment is also a resource along with feeling important and appreciated. Examples of other organizational job resources are positive and encouraging atmosphere, performance appraisal carried out in the form of real dialogue and a family-friendly work culture.