To clarify, AW is short for After Work and involves going to a place suitable for the purpose and mouthwatering drinks after a work shift, usually in the company of people you refer to as colleagues.
Overtime for the members of the Swedish Healthcare Association, overtime in 2023 amounted to 3 million hours, which corresponds to 1,900 positions. In Region Västerbotten, the overtime hours amounted to the equivalent of 70 positions. That is, in 70 colleagues that we could have benefited from. For example, if you want to take an AW.
Now many of the Vårdförbundet’s members find themselves in the so-called AW paradox. This is a not so accepted concept in market economy. But this means that you have so few colleagues that you have no one to take an AW with. Because of that, you don’t have time to take an AW because you have to stay at work overtime to cover for the colleagues who aren’t there. The colleagues you would rather have and go to AW with than cover up for. Yes, you understand, very paradoxically and with a frighteningly little AW as a result.
It is a main concern of most experts how to break an AW paradox. The expert we spoke to says it won’t go away on its own. An AW paradox must be actively stopped, but how? Well, we can now happily and proudly announce that Vårdförbundet has embarked on the task. And they don’t address it in any way, oh no. They intend to carry out a nationwide large-scale pioneering experiment of a rarely seen kind.
The healthcare union intends to let employees within their contract areas work their regular working hours and then go home. Or on AW if you now prefer that.
Employers are sweating. Now what is this? Should the staff only be at work during their working hours and not in their free time!? Is it even patient safe? We work with life and death, anyone understands that if the members of the Care Association are only there when the business has planned for them to carry out their work, then it is dangerous to society.
Let’s say something wise, we who are still the only world-leading expert in the AW paradox; If you run a business that goes around ordering the staff to work in their free time, then the business is at fault. It is not the fault of those who want to change it. If there is a sharp situation on 4/25 at 4 p.m. and the overtime blockade comes into effect, it is important that we all take our responsibility and show solidarity. We work our scheduled working hours and nothing more. For our future, our opportunity to improve our agreements and above all, for our future colleagues at AW. Bowl!
