Routelous, Christelle
Initiatives to promote health and quality of life at work in French nursing homes: A study of two communities of practice
- 2023.
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The question of health and quality of life at work is a major issue for nursing homes in France (known as EHPADs). This article presents the results of an exploratory study conducted in two of these establishments. First, we describe a mutual commitment in favor of a risk prevention strategy based both on the management’s commitment to an overarching strategy for preventing risks in the workplace and on the creation of participatory spaces. This commitment enables both work-related discussions and concerted action on the appropriate strategies for resolving problems. Then, we present the repertoires of shared actions on prevention that provide greater room for maneuver on the ground, including, on the one hand, the mobilization of good practices and, on the other hand, agile problem-solving. The challenges of the joint enterprise as a vehicle for empowerment lie in the need to maintain efforts within communities to keep the community spirit alive in a context of worsening working conditions, and the need to reposition local management to ensure employees’ long-term empowerment. These initiatives overcome any obstacles to social dialogue by building a space for consultation driven by facilitators and sponsors and by creating new margins for maneuver at multiple levels.