Research project This is not part of my job! Longterm health consequences of illegitimate tasks in welfare work
Many employees perceive that they put too much effort into work tasks they consider as unnecessary or unreasonable.
For example, data that have to be re-entered because two computer systems are not compatible (unnecessary) or a nurse who has to do cleaning work instead of taking care of a patient (unreasonable). These so-called illegitimate work tasks violate norms about what an employee can properly be expected to do and are related to considerable costs. The aim of the study is to investigate effects of illegitimate tasks on health over time.
Project description
Illegitimate tasks are supposed to affect employees’ health and well-being negatively as they can be perceived as a threat to the employee’s identity at work. Indeed, there is some support that illegitimate tasks have negative consequences for individuals’ health, but the long-term consequences of exposure to such tasks is still unknown. Evidence from large, longitudinal cohort studies including different occupations is lacking. Also, knowledge on potential mechanisms that may explain the link between illegitimate tasks and health-related outcomes is limited.
The aim of the study is to investigate health effects of illegitimate tasks and its specific sub-dimensions (unreasonable and unnecessary work tasks) over time, with a special focus on human service professions.
Specific research questions are:
- What is the importance of illegitimate tasks for health and well-being over time?
- Do perceptions of organisational justice, job satisfaction or lacking opportunities to perform work of good quality contribute to explain the mechanisms between illegitimate tasks and health outcomes?
- How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect the amount of illegitimate tasks for different human service profession (e.g., health care staff and teachers) as compared to other groups on the labour market?
This study will provide new knowledge on the occurrence of illegitimate tasks in selected human service professions (i.e. health care staff, social workers and teachers) and in the broader working population. It will provide insight in the underlying mechanisms (organizational justice, job satisfaction, stress) that link illegitimate tasks with health and investigate the importance of possible moderating factors (e.g., gender, age, organizational justice).
Project members
Project managers
Constanze Leineweber
Associate Professor
Members
Hanne Berthelsen
Associate Professor
Johanna Stengård
Associate Professor