Swedish social insurance officers' experience of their working conditions when dealing with applications for disability pension.
The aim of this study was to describe how Swedish social insurance officers experienced their working conditions, when dealing with applications for disability pensions (DPs). A qualitative research design was selected to describe their experiences. Open-ended interviews with ten social insurance officers were analyzed with inductive content analysis. This analysis showed that the working conditions were influenced by rules and regulations and the social insurance officers' competence. The social insurance officers' powerful positions and how their discretion was implemented made them feel responsible for performing their work well. They felt that the large number of clients hampered them from being able to offer the clients the activities they were entitled to, and from paying each client sufficient attention. There was a need for time to reflect and to improve management, in order to better develop the way in which DPs were handled. There was a difference in culture between the older social insurance officers, who had experience-based training, and the younger social insurance officers, who had academic qualifications. The results from this study could be used to better develop the organisation of work in the social insurance agency, and in further educational activities.
Ydreborg
Berit
B
Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Orebro County Council, Orebro, Sweden.
Ekberg
Kerstin
K
Nilsson
Kerstin
K
D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010415:Pensions; D012943:Social Security / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D013548:Sweden; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*