Working Life Barometer in the Baltic Countries 2002 (pdf) - mol.fi

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A trend toward normalisation can also be observed in connection with work
stress and workplace conflicts. The working pace in Estonia is intensifying in
general; but despite that, two-thirds of the working people did not regard the
intensity of their own work as too great. This percentage has grown a little.
Although one-third still feel that their work is too intense, this proportion is
definitely smaller than in the other Baltic countries. In that sense, the situation
can be considered good. Also as regards the incidence of conflicts arising at
the workplace, the Estonian situation is good and stabilised in comparison
with Latvia and Lithuania. There are clearly fewer conflicts at Estonian workplaces
than in the other countries compared, and no change has taken place in
their frequency in recent years. It is therefore not surprising that more working
people in Estonia are satisfied with their job and the atmosphere at their workplace,
than in Latvia and Lithuania.
The spread of modern information technology is a universal phenomenon.
Computers and mobile phones are typical features of Estonia's workplaces,
too. It must nevertheless be noted that even though Estonia has more workers
using IC technology than do Latvia and Lithuania, the percentage of such
equipment users is still fairly low. Only just over one-third of the Estonian
working people used a computer in their own work. The utilisation of modern
information technology often presupposes some kind of induction course. It is
indeed significant that although employers in Estonia offer their personnel
more training or courses than those in Latvia or Lithuania, only one in four
working people had been on a course paid for by the employer during the year
preceding the survey. Employer-paid training is fairly infrequent, particularly
in the private sector.
In many respects, working life is currently faring better in Estonia than in Latvia
and Lithuania. However, as to wage earners' possibilities of influencing
their own work tasks, the situation is the opposite. In Estonia, as also in
Finland, over half of them felt that their possibilities for such influence were
poor. This is a problem for wage earners in both the public and the private
sector. Attention should be given to this in the future, because - at least according
to the study concerning Finland - wage earners' possibilities to influence
their job tasks have an impact on both the quality of working life and the
success of work organisations. (Antila & Ylöstalo 2002).