Stress and sleep problems are common in the working population and cause considerable costs for society. Sleep is the most important part of recovery, and poor sleep has a negative impact on overall functioning, which might have important consequences for both the employee, the employer and society. In order to find strategies to alleviate this contemporary public health concern of stress and poor sleep in the working population, this thesis evaluated interventions performed at the workplace to target these issues. The first intervention is a randomized controlled trial of a 25% work time reduction for full-time workers within the public sector in Sweden. Study I evaluated the impact of work time reduction on subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleepiness, perceived stress, and bedtime worries. Assessments included diary data from one week at three occasions over 18 months. Study II investigated time-use patterns through activity reporting sheets used during the work time reduction by evaluating the amount of total workload, paid work, non-paid work and recovery activities. Both studies investigated workdays and days off separately as well as the importance of gender, family status and work situation (only Study II). The second randomized controlled intervention of the thesis is a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention at the workplace targeting sleep disturbances among employees within the retail sector in Sweden (Study III). Data were collected through questionnaires, diaries and objective sleep measurement (actigraphy) over a period of ten days before and after the intervention, as well as at a three-month follow up. The study evaluated the effects of the intervention on sleep and explored the moderating effect of burnout-levels at baseline. In our studies, an economically fully compensated reduction of work hours for full-time workers lead to long-term positive effects on sleep duration and sleep quality, sleepiness and levels of perceived stress. During this work time reduction, the total workload of both paid and non-paid work was reduced and time spent in recovery activities increased. The results indicate that a more balanced relation between effort and recovery was established. The second intervention, which targets the individual through a group CBT-intervention for insomnia at the workplace, was shown to improve insomnia symptoms in daytime workers who did not suffer from concurrent burnout. Such an intervention could support the individual in handling sleep problems and preventing the development of more severe and chronic sleep disorders, as opposed to interventions aimed at making environmental changes at the workplace. However, the CBT-intervention evaluated within this thesis will need to be further developed in order to be beneficial for more groups of employees. The positive effects of these interventions might be beneficial for public health and help improve employee’s life satisfaction, daily functioning and health development.​ / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

Denna studies syfte är att identifiera arbetsgivares attityder kring arbetstidsförkortning, samt finna svar på om de ser det som ett realistiskt alternativ inför framtiden. För att lyckas uppnå vårt syfte har vi utgått från en kvalitativ metod med ett induktivt synsätt. Vi har intervjuat fem representanter från olika företag för att undersöka hur de ser på arbetstidsförkortning som fenomen. Resultatet visar att arbetsgivare både ser för- och nackdelar med arbetstidsförkortning. De största hindren mot att införa arbetstidsförkortning som våra informanter ser är företagens okunskap, känsla av osäkerhet samt risken för ekonomiska förluster. Fördelarna som de ser är framförallt att arbetstidsförkortning kan öka balansen mellan arbete och fritid, gynna jämställdheten i samhället samt att det är ett sätt att orka arbeta högre upp i åldrarna när pensionsåldern höjs. Resultatet visar även att arbetsgivare ser ännu mer flexibilitet i framtiden och att de idag inte ser tillräckligt stort behov av kortare arbetsdagar för att det ska bli en prioriterad fråga för deras företag. Om sjuktalen däremot ökar kan de se arbetstidsförkortning som ett alternativ även i deras organisationer. / The purpose of this study is to identify the employers' attitudes concerning working time reduction, and find answers to whether they see it as a realistic alternative for the future. In order to succeed in achieving our goal, we have used a qualitative method with an inductive approach. We have interviewed five representatives from different companies in order to investigate what they think about work time reduction as a phenomenon. The result shows that employers see both advantages and disadvantages of working hours reduction. The biggest obstacles to the implement of working hours reduction that our informants see are the companies' lack of knowledge, a sense of uncertainty and the risk of financial losses. The advantages that they see are especially that working hours reduction can increase the balance between work and leisure, benefit gender equality in society and that it is a way for employees to be able to work all the way to retirement, even when the retirement age increases. The result also shows that employers see even more flexibility in the future and that they do not currently see sufficient need for shorter working days in order for it to be a priority issue for their company. On the other hand, if the sickness rate increases, they can see reduction of working hours as an alternative even in their organizations.

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att ge en beskrivning av arbetstidsförkortningens påverkan på attraktionsfaktorerna, genom att studera högutbildade personer inom Generation Z samt arbetsgivare som har implementerat arbetstidsförkortning. Metod: Studien har avsett att undersöka arbetstidsförkortningens påverkan på attraktionsfaktorerna gentemot högutbildade personer inom Generation Z. Empirisk data har varit grunden för undersökningen som sedan har jämförts med befintlig teori, vilket innebär att en induktiv forskningsansats har antagits. Studien har tillämpat en tvärsnittsundersökning där kvalitativa intervjuer varit grunden för den empiriska datainsamlingen. Slutsats: Arbetstidsförkortning har visat sig ha en positiv effekt på attraktionsfaktorerna gentemot arbetstagare. Det kan däremot vara av vikt för företag som planerar att implementera arbetstidsförkortning i syfte att attrahera personal att se över dess påverkan på den sociala arbetsmiljön. Företag som har implementerat arbetstidsförkortning har visat sig ha ny kompetent personal mer lättillgängligt än andra företag. / Purpose: The aim of the paper is to provide a description of the impact of working time reduction on the attractiveness factors, by studying highly educated people within Generation Z and employers who have implemented work time reduction. Method: The study aimed to investigate the impact of work time reduction on the attraction factors towards highly educated people within Generation Z. Empirical data has been the basis for the study, which has then been compared with existing theory, which means that an inductive research approach has been adopted. The study has applied a cross-sectional survey where qualitative interviews have been the basis for the empirical data collection.  Conclusion: Work time reduction has been shown to have a positive effect on employee attraction factors. However, it may be important for companies planning to implement work time reduction in order to attract staff to consider its impact on the social working environment. Firms that have implemented work time reduction have been found to have skilled labour more readily available than other firms.