Overall demand scale (Cronbach α: 0.81)
Quantitative demands (workload) (Cronbach α: 0.68) Do you have to work very fast? *
Is your workload unevenly distributed so it piles up? *
How often do you not have time to complete all your work tasks? * Do you have to do overtime? *
Cognitive demands (Cronbach α: 0.75)
Do you have to keep your eyes on a lot of things while you work? * Does your work require that you remember a lot of things? *
Does your work demand that you are good at coming up with new ideas? * Does your work require you to make difficult decisions? *
Emotional demands (Cronbach α: 0.82)
Does your work put you in emotionally disturbing situations? * Is your work emotionally demanding? **
Do you get emotionally involved in your work? ** Control scales (Cronbach α: 0.78)
Decision authority (In COPSOQ labelled “Influence at work”) (Cronbach α: 0.77) Do you have a large degree of influence concerning your work? *
Do you have a say in choosing who you work with? * Can you influence the amount of work assigned to you? * Do you have any influence on how you do your work? * Do you have any influence on what you do at work? *
Skill discretion (In COPSOQ labelled “Possibilities for development”) (Cronbach α: 0.73) Is your work varied? *
Does your work require you to take the initiative? **
Do you have the possibility of learning new things through your work? ** Can you use your skills or expertise in your work? **
Social support (Cronbach α: 0.81)
How often do you get help and support from your colleagues? *
How often are your colleagues willing to listen to your work related problems? * How often do you get help and support from your immediate superior? *
How often is your immediate superior willing to listen to your work related problems? *
1)One item in the social support scale did not come from the COPSOQ
Response categories:
* Always/ often/ sometimes/ seldom/ never/ hardly ever
** To a very large extent/ to a large extent/ somewhat/ to a small extent/ to a very small extent
Demand - single item
”How demanding do you feel your work is, all in all?”
(Extremely demanding/ very demanding/ quite demanding/ fairly demanding/ not very demanding/ hardly demanding at all)
Decision authority - single item
”How much influence do you normally have on the organisation and execution of your work? (A lot/ quite a lot/ moderate/not very much/ rather little/ very little)
Skill discretion – single item
“Do you find your work stimulating, educational and involving?”
(To a very great extent/ to a great extent/ to some extent/ to a lesser extent/ to a very little extent/ hardly at all)
Social support – single items
“If you have problems with your work, can you obtain the necessary help and support from management?”
“If you have problems with your work, can you obtain the necessary help and support from your colleagues?”
Effort scale (Cronbach α: 0.76)
How well do the following statements apply to you?
I am under constant pressure of time due to a heavy workload. * I am often interrupted and disturbed in my work. *
In recent years, my work has become more and more demanding. * Reward scale (Cronbach α: 0.80)
How well do the following statements apply to you?
I have experienced, or expect to experience, unwanted changes in my work. * I am greatly at risk of being fired. *
I have poor prospects for promotion. *
I receive the respect I deserve from my superiors. **
When you take all my efforts and my performance into account, I receive all the respect and prestige I deserve in my work. **
My future prospects at work are in proportion to my efforts and performance. ** My salary/income is in proportion to my efforts and performance at work. ** Response categories:
* Agree, it doesn't bother me/ agree, it bothers me slightly/ agree, it bothers me somewhat/ agree, it bothers me a lot
* *Disagree, it doesn't bother me/ disagree, it bothers me slightly/ disagree, it bothers me somewhat/ disagree, it bothers me a lot
Overcommitment scale (Cronbach α: 0.78) How well do the following statements apply to you? I am often short of time when I work.
When I wake up, the first thing I think of is often my work. When I get home from work, it is easy for me to relax and let go. People who know me well say I make too many sacrifices for my work. I am never finished with my work. Even in the evenings, I often think about it. If I postpone something I should have done today, I have trouble sleeping at night. Response categories:
Effort single item
”Do you have sufficient time and resources to perform your tasks satisfactorily?” Reward single item
”Do you feel your work efforts are sufficiently appreciated?” Overcommitment single item
”Do you feel such an obligation and commitment to your work that you have difficulty letting go when you come home?”
Response categories:
To a very great extent/ to a great extent/ to some extent/ to a lesser extent/ to a very little extent/ hardly at all
Appendix 3. Validation study