Do the Characteristics of Participatory Scheduling Arrangements Affect the Quality of the Schedules that are Produced?

Introduction: Participatory working time scheduling (PWTS) is a common working time model in Swedish healthcare, but its characteristics can vary a lot between workplaces (e.g., division of responsibilities, scheduling guidelines, technical support, use of vetoes, leadership and employee engagement). The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether these characteristics of participatory scheduling were associated with (1) the ergonomic characteristics of the schedules that emerge from this process, and (2) employee satisfaction with those schedules. The study also explored whether any such associations were contingent upon sufficiency of staffing levels.

Methods: 248 (response rate 29%) nurses and assistant nurses from 12 units in 2 hospitals answered a survey between November 2022 and September 2023. The survey included questions about the respondents’ experience of how the scheduling process is managed and implemented, and their own priorities when planning their schedules. Participants’ realized work hours were derived from the hospitals’ administrative systems, for the 3 months prior to the completion of the survey. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify composite factors of PWTS characteristics. Logistic regressions then examined: (1) associations between PWTS characteristics and the prevalence of ergonomically unsound work schedule characteristics; (2) associations between PWTS characteristics and satisfaction with work hours. These analyses also examined the potential moderating role of staffing levels.

Results: PCA identified four PWTS characteristics: Management Support & Personal Influence (MSPI); Usability of Scheduling Tools (UST); Prioritising Personal Motives (PPM); and Preference for Compressing Hours (PCH). UST and PCH predicted the frequency of long (> 40 hours) working weeks (adj.OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.17, 2.32; p < 0.05; adj.OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.20, 2.58, p < 0.05, respectively). No other work schedule characteristics were predicted by participatory scheduling characteristics. MSPI predicted satisfaction with workhours (adj. OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.24, 2.59, p < 0.01), satisfaction with influence over work hours (adj.OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.31, 3.07, p < 0.01) and frequency of thought about leaving the job (OR = 2.11; 95% CI = 1.45, 3.07; p < 0.001). None of the associations were moderated by staffing sufficiency.

Conclusion: The findings indicated that, for PWTS to be perceived positively and promote sustainable work hours, nurses should feel supported by their managers, with whom they can have clearer and open communication; that the process is fair; that there is shared sense of responsibility within the team; and that they are able to influence their work hours. However, we found only very limited evidence that PWTS characteristics affected the ergonomic characteristics of the schedules that emerged from this process. Support: This study was funded by AfaFörsäkring (180242), Sweden.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
08. Oktober 2025