Perception of time in relation to work and private life among Swedish social workers – the temporal clash between the organisation and the individual

ABSTRACT

Time, or rather lack of time, is currently an issue to many involved in social work, in Sweden and elsewhere. Stress at work is presently one of the most common reasons social workers state for leaving their profession or their workplace. This article examines how time is perceived in relation to work and private life by employees in the social services. The investigation was conducted as a qualitative interview study with six social workers. An abductive approach was adopted in the analysis. The results indicate a general experience of lack of time and an individual perception of time among the interviewees. What they say about time indicates that they have a monochronic perspective on time. It is also shown that the respondents use different curbing strategies to recuperate. At work, strategies take the form of creating recovery arenas allowing for micropauses such as eating an apple or having a cup of coffee. After work, exercising or strolling in the woods are common strategies. In relation to the employer and the organisation individuals also assume responsibility for organisational shortcomings that they cannot influence.

ABSTRAKT

Tid, eller snarare brist på tid, är för närvarande ett problem för många som arbetar med socialt arbete, såväl i Sverige som internationellt. Stress i arbetet är också en av de vanligaste orsakerna till att socialarbetare lämnar sitt yrke eller sin arbetsplats. Denna artikel undersöker därför hur anställda i socialtjänsten upplever tid i förhållande till arbete och tid utanför arbetet. Studien har genomförts som en kvalitativ intervjustudie med sex socialarbetare. Analysen har gjorts med hjälp av en abduktiv metod. Resultaten indikerar att det finns en allmän erfarenhet av brist på tid samtidigt som det också finns en individuell upplevelse av tid bland de intervjuade. Det de säger om tid tyder på att de har ett monokront perspektiv på tid. Det framkommer också att respondenterna använder olika bromsstrategier för att återhämta sig. I arbetet sker det i form av skapandet av återhämtningsarenor som medger mikro-pauser så som att äta ett äpple eller ta en kopp kaffe. Efter arbetstid är fysisk träning eller att gå ut i skogen allmänt förekommande strategier. I relation till arbetsgivare och organisation blir detta en fråga om att individen får ta ansvar för organisatoriska tillkortakommanden, som de inte kan påverka.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work
• lack of time
• curbing strategies
• temporality
• perceived time

NYCKELORD:

• socialt arbete
• tidsbrist
• bromsstrategier
• temporalitet
• upplevelse av tid

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the social workers who participated in this study. The authorswould like to thank the editor and the two anonymous reviewers for theirhelpful comments and suggestions in respect of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Eva Olsson is a Senior Lecturer and PhD in sociology at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, the Department of Psychological and Social Studies at Karlstad University in Karlstad, Sweden. Research interests: the sociology of emotions, social work including work conditions for employees as well as the field of social problems, and regional development.

Mona Sundh is a Senior Lecturer and PhD in public health sciences at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, the Department of Psychological and Social Studies at Karlstad University in Karlstad, Sweden. Research interests: tobacco prevention among young people, social work including work conditions for employees as well as the field of social problems, and intervention research.

ORCID

Eva Olsson http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1532-8474

Mona Sundh http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9406-6411