Eurobarometer 44.2: Working Conditions in the European Union, November 1995-January 1996

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This round of Eurobarometer surveys, which diverged from the standard Eurobarometer topics, queried respondents on their working conditions. Respondents provided general information about their jobs, including occupation, type of contract, years/months in job, wages, hours worked weekly, number of people working under their supervision, and length of commute, as well as size and business activity of the company where they worked. Specific questions about the work environment concerned the amount of exposure to vibrations, noise, high and low temperatures, fumes or other dangerous substances, and radiation. Respondents were also asked whether their jobs involved painful or tiring positions, carrying heavy loads, short repetitive tasks, repetitive hand or arm movements, high speed activity, tight deadlines, computer work, wearing protective equipment, working with non-employees, and working at home, at nights, and on weekends. In addition, respondents were asked if their health and safety were at risk at work, how well informed they were about job risks, and in what ways their work directly affected their health. They also provided information on how many times over the last year they were absent at work because of health problems caused by their jobs. Information was gathered on workers' control of their tasks, including the pace of their work, if their work was dependent on other colleagues or machinery, if they were able to determine the order or methods of their work, and whether their work involved complex or monotonous tasks. Other questions focused on work-related discussions with their boss, colleagues, and employee representatives, and occurrences of personal discrimination, intimidation, or physical violence. Respondents also provided information about training, job satisfaction, and the availability of leave time. Demographic data collected on respondents include gender, age, nationality, marital status, occupation, age at completion of education, number of people in household, number of children under 15 in household, and subjective size of community.