| Sumario: | Purpose In the next ten years, Sweden is expecting an increased labor demand of over 280 000 care workers (1). Digitalization is set to solve part of the labor shortage and the Swedish government is emphasizing the need of investments in digital solutions and welfare technologies within the welfare sector (2). This will result in a change of both work content and work task. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the need of win-win solutions using trustworthy digitalization, which involves all users (professionals, elderly and relatives) in the development and the implementation of new technologies within the care sector (3). Kommunal* has shown that care workers experience a situation characterized by a lack of both risk assessments regarding health and safety, and a workers' perspective when introducing new technologies at work (4). This is a serious problem, and the employers need to take advantage of the care workers' motivation to improve their overall skills and digital competence in developing better welfare services for the aging population (5). Method The increase in the use of digital systems and surveillance technique has raised Kommunal's concerns regarding the members' work environment. In 2018, Kommunal conducted an exhaustive survey to approx. 1,500 senior safety representatives, focusing on digitalization, privacy, health and safety at work (4). The response rate was 57 per cent. Kommunal's survey (6), in 2020 was a collaboration with the Norwegian trade union Fagforbundet focusing on the members' attitudes on the introduction of new technology, changed work processes and skills development. The number of respondents were 1,000 in Kommunal's online panel and 30,900 in Fagforbundet's survey. Results and discussion The senior safety representatives describe a situation characterized by an exclusion of work environmental questions and an absence of risk assessments when introducing digital technology at the workplaces (4). The comparative study show that the Swedish care workers are more negative to the introduction of new technologies and the structure of skills development than the Norwegian, but in neither country are they worried about losing their jobs nor their work tasks due to digital technology (6). Therefore, when introducing new technologies at work the employers need to implement trustworthy digitalization where professionals, elderly and relatives are included in the decision-making process (5). The development of assistive technologies improving safety, health and professional development is a win-win solution for both the care workers and the aging population (3).
|
|---|