What does labor intensity mean? Intensity of work activity

Important place In the theory of labor productivity, the question of the relationship and correlation between productivity and labor intensity takes place. On the one hand, these are two organic categories connected with each other, on the other hand, there are differences between them.

Labor productivity– indicator of economic efficiency labor activity workers. The development of society and the level of well-being of all its members depend on the level and dynamics of productivity. Moreover, the level of productivity there is determined by the method of production.

Labor intensity– this is the amount of energy consumed by the human body per unit of time during the labor process. It is characterized by calorie consumption per hour or day.

The relationship between the categories of productivity and labor intensity is manifested primarily in the fact that labor productivity always presupposes a certain intensity and intensity of labor, since all labor, regardless of its specific form, requires the expenditure of physical, mental and nervous energy of a person. To complete any work you need to put in some effort, so production process productivity and intensity are inextricably linked.

The difference between these categories is as follows. Labor productivity shows the fruitfulness and efficiency of labor, and labor intensity represents the energy consumed by a person in the labor process per unit of time. An increase in labor productivity means that the same mass of labor is embodied in a large number of use values, and an increase in labor intensity indicates an increase in the consumption of human energy per unit of working time and, consequently, an increase in the mass of labor expended in a certain time.

Productivity and labor intensity have different effects on the value of the product. An increase in labor productivity increases the number of products produced and, accordingly, reduces the cost of one product, but does not change their total newly created value, while an increase in labor intensity increases the number of products produced and the total newly created value, but does not change the cost of a unit of production. In the labor process, with an increase in its intensity, energy costs per unit of time increase and, accordingly, the amount of products produced increases. Because there is the same amount of labor per unit of output as before intensification, since the cost per unit of output remains the same. The total cost of newly created products increases as the quantity of products increases, i.e. it grows in direct proportion to the increase in labor intensity. In the case when the quantity of manufactured products increases without increasing labor intensity, but only by reducing labor costs per unit of production, the cost of one product decreases, but total cost products remains unchanged.

Labor productivity can increase indefinitely. The growth of labor productivity is determined by the improvement of technology, the improvement of the organization of production and labor, the improvement of worker qualifications, the development of science and the application of its achievements in production, i.e. there are practically no restrictions on the growth of labor productivity. As for the growth of labor intensity, it has its limit - some physiological and social boundaries, beyond which everything collapses. normal conditions reproduction and functioning work force.

Intensity of work activity. Classification of working time costs

1. WORK INTENSITY AND RATING.

The issues of determining labor intensity and ensuring, on the basis of its indicators, equally intense norms of labor costs for the production of a unit of output are central in the practice of standardization.

The problem of labor intensity has been the subject of quite a lot of research by specialists from various scientific disciplines- political economy, physiology and sociology, economics, organization and regulation of labor. However, until now, there is confusion in the initial concepts of “labor intensity”; there is no single point of view on its essence, methods for assessing indicators and their measurement.

Essence of Intensity:

Labor intensity is determined quantity of labor, consumed per unit of time, and therefore is economic category;

Labor intensity is degree of expenditure of labor as human energy(thermal for basal metabolism, for performing statistical and dynamic work, neuro-mental activity, overcoming unfavorable working conditions) in the process of productive labor per unit of working time, and, therefore, is physiological category;

- Level the intensity of labor, on the one hand, largely determines it performance, being its factor, on the other hand, it depends on methods and rate of expenditure of labor ( energy) in the labor process, which indicates a close relationship between the economic and physiological categories of labor intensity.

Labor intensity associated with concepts such as:

Individual and socially necessary work time;

Efficiency and fatigue, severity of work, etc.;

Labor intensity and time standards, pace of work, etc.

Consequently, the problem of labor intensity occurs both when solving issues of ensuring high production efficiency, normal reproduction of the labor force, etc., and issues related to the organization, regulation, payment and improvement of working conditions. Ultimately, it affects the value of the product and, accordingly, the economic performance of the enterprise.

IN modern conditions special role assigned to the assessment of labor intensity when establishing and justifying labor standards for all categories of workers.

Key indicators for assessing labor intensity:

1. Employment rates(workload) with active work in operational or piece time. They characterize the degree of employment of an employee during working hours or the “density of working time” in the shift fund of working time. Allows you to take into account the impact of breaks in work, i.e. shows the employment structure. Essentially characterizes the extensive labor factor. Refers to temporary factors.

2. Pace of work - intensity indicator specific labor. those. speed of labor operations or frequency of labor movements and actions per unit of time.

An indicator of the pace of work, expressed in absolute units (values), are microelement standards for the time of labor movements. This is the minimum time of labor movements of the average worker in the main labor process, performed without harm to health over a long period of time.

Factors influencing the level of labor intensity can be combined into two groups:

¾ Internal;

¾ External.

TO internal usually include:

Factors technical order;

Organization of production and labor;

Labor stimulation;

Composition of the workforce;

Social microclimate.

The level of labor intensity of an individual worker is greatly influenced by his qualifications, length of service, education, gender, and age.

TO external These include factors affecting workers during non-working hours. These factors influence the restoration of performance in the period between two working days, during weekly rest and next holidays. Such factors include the standard of living, the level of income not only of the employee himself, but also of his family, the provision of housing, the level of healthcare, etc.

Methods for assessing labor intensity, which can be reduced to the following three groups: -biological; -social; -economic.

3. Severity of work –This And integral indicator of labor severity.

Characterizes psychophysiological, sanitary and hygienic, aesthetic, socio-psychological working conditions, as well as the regime of work and rest. Applicable to both the assessment of physical and mental labor.

In accordance with the medical and physiological classification developed by the Scientific Research Institute of Labor, All work can be divided into six categories based on severity.

To the first category heaviness includes work performed in conditions close to physiological comfort. At the same time, physical and neuro-emotional stress fully corresponds to the physiological capabilities of a person.

Works of the fourth category severity are characterized by some pre-pathological phenomena and a significant decrease in performance, deterioration in the accuracy and speed of habitual working movements, an increase in the number and severity of industrial injuries.

When performing work sixth category severity of pathological changes are noted soon after the start of work, they are acute and persistent.

4. Labor intensity – differentiate concepts "work intensity"(an indicator of energy consumption of the human body during labor) and “tension of labor cost norms”(indicator of working time use).

One of the key goals of the employer is to make fullest use of the labor potential of all categories of employees by calculating and implementing a norm of a sufficiently high level of tension. One of the tension criteria is the labor intensity indicator. In this regard, the problem of determining labor intensity has a close connection with the validity of labor standards. Considering a variety of sources related to the study this issue one can find a large number of different opinions regarding the definition of the essence and methods for measuring the level of intensity.

The concept of intensity is simple at first glance

In most cases, intensity refers to the amount of labor (energy) spent by a worker per unit of time when performing a certain type of work. A number of sources place emphasis on the physiological nature of this term, at the same time it is influenced by social and labor relations in production.

An approach based solely on the physiological nature of this problem is not entirely justified, since the employee can spend energy on:

· productive work;

· resistance to adverse external factors;

· overcoming one’s own negative attitude towards the work process.

In this connection, not all expenditures of physical and nervous energy are associated with the creation of a product.

Intensity can also be characterized as:

· the amount of labor spent per unit of time;

· the amount of productive working time spent per shift.

Some view intensity in terms of its impact on the human body and define it as the fullest use of all physical and mental forces without harm to the body while simultaneously achieving an optimal level of performance.

In light of what has been written, it is more correct to base our understanding of the essence of intensity on the costs of labor per unit of time, and not the total costs, but only the part that is directly related to the creation of the product. When performing any, even the lightest work, labor costs are incurred, leading to fatigue. Given the constant time of daily work, its intensity is critical. Thus, it is incorrect to consider the concept of intensity solely from an economic or physiological point of view; it is necessary to use an integrated approach.

There is a fairly clear connection between labor intensity and productivity, however, these are two distinct categories:

· labor productivity - a reduction in labor costs per unit of production, in other words, the same energy consumption, with an increase in production volumes per unit of time.

By and large, a parallel can be drawn between excessive labor intensity and the increase in working hours. Parameters that determine the intensity level:

· pace of execution of work techniques;

· the number of functions performed by an employee per unit of time;

· number of simultaneously serviced machines or areas.

The factors influencing it include:

· natural - biological (climate, gender, health status);

· national - historical background;

· attitude towards work;

· general working conditions (condition of workplaces).

How does labor intensity increase? There are quite a lot of prerequisites for this, let’s highlight the most significant of them:

· changes in the pace of work movements;

· increased attention when working;

· economical use of labor (minimizing time spent, optimizing movements)

Existing approaches to determining labor intensity

Despite the apparent initial simplicity and clarity of the intensity term, this moment did not work out common approach to the order of its definition. How is it proposed to analyze how tired a person is as a result of doing work? For clarity, we present a diagram of possible methods for determining intensity, the pros and cons of each of them.

The first method, based on psychophysical research, is implemented through various medical measurements and determination of energy costs. It is quite expensive financially and is unlikely to be used in company practice, since no commercial company will maintain a staff of medical workers and appropriate measuring equipment. During its implementation, the actual calorie consumption based on work results, the level of muscle fatigue, and a person’s psychological well-being are measured.

The second group takes into account subjective indicators of fatigue obtained after oral conversations with workers following the results of the shift. The gravity coefficient is used as calculation indicators:

Kt = (KU-KN)/KO,

Where:

Kt – summary coefficient of severity;

Ku – the number of tired workers based on the results of the survey;

KN – the number of non-tired people according to the survey results;

KO – total number of workers per shift.

Recovery factor:

Kvr = (Knn - KN) / KO,

Where:

KVR – performance recovery coefficient;

Knn – the number of employees who do not experience fatigue the next day at the beginning of the shift;

KN – the number of workers who were not tired at the end of the previous shift;

KO - the total number of employees surveyed.

This approach is quite controversial, as it has many aspects that can negatively affect the accuracy of the results obtained. This includes the preparation of the interviewer and the interest of the respondents, their attitude to the study.

However, the main problem with this approach is that the results obtained can only be compared over certain time periods and, based on this, a conclusion can be drawn about changes in the intensity level. The main difficulty is that in similar cases There is no benchmark to measure individual results and whether their level is acceptable. That is, we understand that the fatigue of workers has increased or decreased, but we cannot say whether it corresponds to a certain optimal value.

The third method is based on the study of morbidity with disability. Indicators that are calculated:

· the number of absences due to illness in man-hours per employee or in relation to the working time fund;

· frequency and severity of occupational diseases per 100 personnel;

· number of days of incapacity for work per 100 personnel;

The average or characteristic value for any industry or enterprise is used as a standard for comparison.

The fourth approach is perhaps best suited for practical activities, since it is based on the study of the work process and its results. When using it, the following indicators are studied:

· output per unit of time;

· the total amount of work performed;

· working time utilization ratio;

· pace of work.

Output per unit of time and the volume of work performed do not provide the desired objectivity, since according to different professions practically incomparable. They reflect only the dynamics of changes in labor intensity under constant conditions in homogeneous production.

The best results are obtained by comparing the actual and standard time to complete a given amount of work. However, when using it, distortions associated with the use of too strict labor standards are also possible, in addition, a significant percentage of machine time can have a negative impact on accuracy due to the spread of mechanization.

More accessible and easier to determine is the shift time utilization rate. Formula for calculation:

Ksmf = (Sun – Pv)/Sun,

Where

Ksmf – coefficient of use of replacement stock;

Sun - shift time;

Pw – loss of working time.

· >90% - very large;

· 51-90% - large;

· 71-80% - average;

· 61-70% - small

· < 60%-незначительная.

All of these approaches make it possible to study the intensity in only one direction. The medical option does not take into account the influence of production factors associated with technological changes and improvement of working conditions in the workplace. On the contrary, assessing only productivity or time use does not allow one to know the real energy costs and the level of neuropsychological stress.

Aggregate indicators for determining intensity

Since assessing intensity solely on the basis of one indicator does not always provide an objective picture, Lately Aggregated indicators for its calculation come to the fore. Their main difference from the above methods is that they take into account the influence of several factors simultaneously, using several indicators. One of the formulas for such a calculation is as follows:

I = Kv x Kz,

Where:

I – intensity;

Kv – rate coefficient;

Kz – employment coefficient.

Each element of the formula must also be calculated separately using the following formulas:

Kv = T n / Tf,

Where

Tn – standard time for performing an operation or set of works;

Tf – actual time for completing the work.

Kz = Ksmf/ ​​80%

Where:

Ksmf is the coefficient of use of shift fund of working time, the formula of which was given earlier.

80% is a level of use of shift time sufficient to achieve production results.

Let's look at the procedure for applying this algorithm using an example.

Example 1

The enterprise carried out a set of measures to standardize labor, as a result of which a consolidated standard of 54 minutes was established for the entire set of operations. Later, a control measurement of the actual duration of operations was carried out using the FRD. As a result, it turned out that the actual time to complete the work was 60 minutes. Let's use the data obtained to calculate:

Kv = T n / Tf = 54/60 = 0.9

In addition, based on the working time photograph data, the following data were obtained:

• · study and assessment of the provision of the enterprise and its structural divisions with labor resources in general, as well as by category and profession;
• · determination and study of staff turnover indicators;
• · identification of reserves labor resources, more complete and effective use of them.

• · provision of the enterprise with labor resources;
• · characteristics of labor movement;
• · social protection of members of the workforce;
• · use of working time fund;
• · labor productivity;
• · personnel profitability;
• · labor intensity of products;
• · payroll analysis;
• · analysis of the efficiency of using the wage fund.

There are different opinions about indicators characterizing the efficiency of the use of labor resources. One of them is that of all indicators of the efficiency of using labor resources, the most general one is labor productivity. This is a very important and capacious indicator in the economy in general. Labor productivity is also one of the most important indicators economic efficiency. Labor productivity is the output per worker per unit of time or the labor cost to produce a unit of output. The most important indicators of labor productivity include the following:

• - Product output per unit of time by one worker.
• - Labor intensity of products.

These are generally accepted indicators of labor productivity in the national economy and industry. Individual industries use industry-specific indicators.

As a rule, an increase in production or work in business structures is ensured with the same or fewer number of employees. This necessitates research into reserves for better use of labor resources. One of these reserves is ensuring normal labor intensity. As is known, labor intensity is characterized by the amount of labor input per unit of time. K. Marx that the growing intensity of labor presupposes an adjusted expenditure of labor during the same period of time. A more intense working day therefore translates into more products than a less intense working day of the same duration. However, in a unit of time a person cannot strain his strength and waste energy immensely, since the amount of energy expended is limited by physiological capabilities. The intensity of labor should be normal for the worker from the point of view of his own development. This means, as K. Marx noted, that the worker must be able to work tomorrow in the same normal state of strength, health and freshness as today, and to strain the labor force to the extent that this does not harm the normal duration of its existence. Ensuring normal labor intensity is important economically and social significance not only in areas with low labor intensity, but also in areas with increased labor intensity. In both cases, improvement is achieved economic indicators production. Increasing labor intensity to a normal level allows you to obtain more products per unit of time or perform a larger amount of work. At the same time, labor productivity increases, the use of basic production assets, turnover accelerates working capital. All this leads to a reduction in production costs, an increase in production profitability, an improvement in final results, and, consequently, the competitiveness of the business structure.

As you know, a person improves, develops his physical and spiritual strength both in the process of work and during non-working hours. However, the fundamental harmonious development man is labor. How a person spends his time largely depends on the degree of use of working time. free time. Daily normal workload helps improve a person’s physical and mental abilities, strengthens his health, increases his efficiency, and causes a feeling of satisfaction with work. It allows you to use your free time with maximum efficiency, which, in turn, is an important condition highly productive labor. Satisfaction with work, its conditions and content plays an increasingly important role in increasing production efficiency and work quality. With an increase in the organizational and technical level of production and personnel qualifications, improvement in working conditions, and an increase in the living standards of workers, the opportunities for more intense and effective work increase. Consequently, the level of normal labor intensity, being constant at each specific moment, tends to increase. Along with the normal intensity of labor, there is its actual level. Differences in the levels of normal and actual labor intensity represent reserves for its normalization. In this regard, the study of assessment and analysis issues becomes of paramount importance. existing level labor intensity, identification and use of reserves for its normalization. Research can be carried out on different levels: workplaces, sites, workshops, enterprises, the industry as a whole. The most complete picture of the size of the reserves for increasing product output due to normalization is provided by a study of labor intensity in the workplace; it can be obtained by analyzing the corresponding indicators of workers performing the same work. The reserves of a site can be judged by comparative indicators of the intensity of labor of its workers. It is of significant interest to assess the labor intensity of workers in a workshop and the enterprise as a whole. By normalizing the level of labor intensity, significant reserves for increasing production volumes appear.

Ensuring normal labor intensity is impossible without determining its existing level. Thus, the problem of measuring labor intensity arises.

There are a number of methods for assessing labor intensity, which can be reduced to the following three groups:

• - biological methods;
• - social methods;
• - economic methods.

Biological methods are based on the use of labor input meters directly related to the characteristics of the working human body. The essence of the application sociological methods comes down to obtaining information about the degree of fatigue of the employee and his performance through surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. At the same time, the reasons that cause worker fatigue and affect his performance are identified. The information received is grouped and processed in order to quantify the degree of industrial fatigue and restoration of performance.

Economic methods for measuring labor intensity make it possible to assess its level in terms of the achieved result. They are of significant interest because they make it possible to identify reserves for reading economic indicators based on the normalization of the level of labor intensity. It should also be noted that they are simple and accessible, and less labor intensive compared to psychophysiological methods. At the same time, the use of economic methods is associated with a certain degree of approximation, since using them one can only obtain an indirect idea of ​​the state of workers’ performance and the onset of fatigue. For example, studies of the hourly output of workers in a number of industries have confirmed that these indicators change throughout the working day, and in the phase of entry into work they are, as a rule, lower than during the period of stable performance. One of the forms of increasing labor intensity is, as K. Marx noted, an increase in the pace of work. Rate is measured in the number of products, operations or labor movements in a short, almost indivisible period of time, for example, per minute. The pace of work can also be judged through the inverse value, calculating the time required for a worker to manufacture a part or to carry out certain labor actions. When using pace indicators to measure and analyze labor intensity, it is difficult to determine the “normal”, “reference” or optimal pace. In certain cases, to characterize the intensity of labor, you can use an indicator of the amount of piecework wages or the fulfillment of production standards. For example, when comparing the level of labor intensity of workers performing the same work, you can use indicators of fulfillment of production standards, since a higher percentage of fulfillment of standards in in this case also indicates a high level of labor intensity. However, when comparing the labor intensity of workers employed in different jobs, a mandatory requirement when applying this indicator is equal tension of norms. The proposals of a number of researchers on the possibility of using indicators of the use of working time to assess labor intensity are worthy of attention. There are proposals for assessing labor intensity using a system of indicators. In our opinion, it is impossible to measure the level of labor intensity with one indicator; therefore, it is justified to focus on the use of integral indicators or their system when assessing. The system of such indicators can include:

• · productive use of working time;
• · level of piecework wages;
• · pace of work;
• · labor structure;
• · level of performance, etc.

The role of the indicator of the use of working time, which characterizes the level of labor intensity, increases due to technical progress. The very control of machinery, work with the help of equipment requires a certain tension from the worker, and this tension is maintained throughout the entire operation of the machines.

The level of labor intensity of workers at enterprises is formed under the influence large quantity factors. Numerous factors influencing the level of labor intensity can be combined into two groups:

• - internal;
• - external.

Internal factors, as a rule, include technical factors, organization of production and labor, labor stimulation; composition of the workforce; social microclimate. Insufficient or excessive workload does not allow the worker to experience a sense of job satisfaction and does not create conditions for the development and enrichment of his physical and intellectual strengths. The level of labor intensity of an individual worker is greatly influenced by his qualifications, length of service, education, gender, and age. Thus, qualifications, level of education, sufficient knowledge and abilities are one of the factors in ensuring a normal level of labor intensity. Here it is necessary to note the importance of ensuring a normal level of work intensity and social climate in the team, since it can determine the degree of satisfaction with work, the desire to work hard and a number of other positive emotions.

External factors include factors affecting workers during non-working hours. These factors influence the restoration of workers’ performance in the period between two working days, during weekly rest and regular vacations. Such factors include the standard of living, the level of income not only of the employee himself, but also of his family, the provision of housing, the level of healthcare, etc.

When studying the issue of determining the level of labor intensity, one cannot fail to mention the need to use labor standards. At first glance, it may seem that in conditions of market relations there is no place for rationing labor in business structures. But this is incorrect, since its absence deprives the relationship between employer and employees of an objective basis and gives wages the character of alms. Since work for remuneration in the form of wages is, first of all, an assessment of actual labor costs and labor results from the standpoint of their compliance with standards, neglect of them can lead to a decrease in the level of labor organization, labor productivity, intensity, and, accordingly, to a drop in the level of production generally.

Increasing the efficiency of human resource management is an important condition for increasing the efficiency of management of the business structure as a whole. At the same time, the effectiveness of labor resources management should be fully characterized by a system of interrelated indicators, the calculation of which is based on uniform methodological principles and takes into account their comparability and proportionality in relation to various production conditions. Increasing the efficiency of labor resource management as a factor in increasing the competitiveness of business structures requires them to be aware of and need to conduct analysis economic activity. The main objectives of analyzing the effective use of labor resources are:

• a) study and assessment of the provision of the enterprise and its structural divisions with labor resources in general, as well as by categories and professions;
• b) determination and study of staff turnover indicators;
• c) identification of labor resource reserves and their more complete and effective use.

When conducting comprehensive analysis the use of labor resources considers the following indicators:

• 1) the enterprise’s supply of labor resources;
• 2) characteristics of the movement of labor;
• 3) social protection of members of the workforce;
• 4) use of the working time fund;
• 5) labor productivity;
• 6) personnel profitability;
• 7) labor intensity of products;
• 8) analysis of the wage fund;
• 9) analysis of the efficiency of using the wage fund. Labor productivity is also one of the most important indicators of economic efficiency. Labor productivity is the output per worker per unit of time or the labor cost to produce a unit of output. The most important indicators of labor productivity include the following:
• 1. Product output per unit of time by one worker.
• 2. The labor intensity of products acquires paramount importance in the study of issues of assessment and analysis of the existing level of labor intensity, identification and use of reserves for its normalization. Research can be carried out at different levels: workplaces, sites, workshops, enterprises, and the industry as a whole. Ensuring normal labor intensity is impossible without determining its existing level. Thus, the problem of measuring labor intensity arises. There are a number of methods for assessing labor intensity, which can be reduced to the following three groups:
  • a) biological methods;
  • b) social methods;
  • c) economic methods.

To solve production and economic problems in the context of the development of market relations, it is necessary to establish and ensure the implementation of optimally intense standards of labor costs, which make it possible to realize the economic interests of both the employer and the employee.

One of the main tasks of the employer is the most efficient use of the labor potential of all categories of workers by calculating standards sufficiently high degree tensions, expanding the scope of rationing, organizing the execution of work with a minimum number of personnel and with a minimum expenditure of working time to ensure High Quality products (services). For an employee who realizes his labor abilities, it is important to establish optimally intense standards of labor costs that correspond to the normal (or acceptable) intensity of labor.

Labor intensity, methods for establishing it and indicators have been studied by many specialists from various scientific disciplines - political economy, physiology and psychology, sociology, economics, organization and regulation of labor. The essence of their developments and recommendations boils down to this:

Labor intensity is determined by the amount of labor consumed per unit of time, and, therefore, is an economic category;

Labor intensity is a measure of the expenditure of labor power as human energy (thermal, for basal metabolism, for performing static and dynamic work, neuro-mental activity, overcoming unfavorable working conditions) in the process of productive labor per unit of working time and, therefore, is a physiological category;

Its level, on the one hand, largely determines labor productivity, and on the other hand, it depends on the methods and rate of labor (energy) expenditure in the labor process, indicating a close relationship between the economic and physiological components of the category of labor intensity.

In addition, labor intensity is associated with such categories as the value of the product, labor productivity, wage; reproduction of labor force; individual and socially necessary working time; performance and fatigue, difficulty of work, etc.; labor intensity and time standards, work pace, etc. general view labor intensity characterizes labor costs per unit of time, the degree of its intensity based on psychophysiological indicators.

Science and practice have determined the main indicators for assessing labor intensity, in particular the temporal characteristics of the use of working time (the degree of employee employment during working hours or “working time density”), which are defined as the coefficients of employment with active work in the shift fund of working time, in operational or artificial time in conditions of multi-machine operation - in cycle time. This approach makes it possible to measure labor intensity not only by indicators of the use of working time by the size of breaks in the labor process, but also based on an analysis of the employee’s employment structure, that is, based on an assessment of tension current standards labor costs.

At the same time, the coefficient of employment by active work essentially characterizes the extensive factor of labor, that is, it determines the share of employment, but not the degree of tension. This circumstance indicates the need to simultaneously use the following indicators for a more rapid assessment of labor intensity:

An indicator of the intensity of specific labor is the pace of work or the speed of performing labor operations, that is, the frequency of movements and actions per unit of time;

The complexity of work is determined by a set of indicators characterizing psychophysiological, sanitary, hygienic and other working conditions;

The size of the employee’s “work zone”, that is, the number of simultaneously processed production facilities with multiple machines and a lot of aggregate services, the number of functions performed for combining professions, etc. The level of labor intensity is determined by the number, composition, nature and time characteristics of the execution of labor processes and their elements .

The indicated main indicators for assessing labor intensity should be considered in conjunction, which must be taken into account during the development and implementation methodological approaches to determining labor intensity in production conditions specific enterprise.

Of interest are methods for aggregating several indicators that make it possible to give an integral assessment of the extensive use of working time and energy expenditure of an employee. It is advisable to use an indicator that is the product of three coefficients, in particular: the worker’s employment rate during operational work, the level of productive costs of working time and the level of labor tempo.

The problem of labor intensity is directly related to the justification of labor cost norms during their development, implementation and application in production * In the economic literature, the concept of labor intensity as an indicator of the energy expenditure of the human body in the labor process and the intensity of labor cost norms as an indicator of the use of working time take place.

The intensity of a norm is a relative value, since the absolute value of a norm cannot of itself characterize the level of its intensity. A comparative value can be a criterion for the degree of optimal intensity of labor cost norms, according to which there are different opinions. The most common in the practice of labor standardization is a methodological approach based on the selection, as a criterion of the degree of intensity, of the optimal standard of time required to perform work in certain organizational and technical conditions. The ratio of required time is used as an indicator of tension established norm

Time needed- this is time determined by the existing conditions of a given enterprise (organization), in particular: the organization of production and labor, the level of technical equipment of labor and the composition of the workforce (skills, age, etc.). The amount of time required is influenced not so much by the individual qualities of an individual worker, but by the composition of a certain team. Optimal stress is achieved if:

The necessary time is reduced as organizational and technical conditions are improved, the organization of labor processes and other factors lead, accordingly, to a reduction in Attitude. As a result, there is a decrease in the level of tension of norms, which is the reason for viewing them. The greater the deviation from the given ratio in any direction, the lower the quality of the standards. Deviations that are within the specified accuracy of standards are considered acceptable (in domestic practice this is considered to be a 5 percent limit in mass production and a 2-3 percent limit in other conditions).

The relationship between the required time and the established one, as well as between the necessary and actual time spent, makes it possible to determine the possible level of fulfillment of optimally intense labor standards. In the practice of labor standardization, this level is synonymous with the rate of compliance with standards. The dependence of the ratios is expressed as follows *.

Consequently, the level of compliance with standards is directly proportional to the relationship between the required and actual time and inversely proportional to the relationship between the required time and the established norm of labor costs, that is, the level of intensity of the norms.

However, the content of these ratios differs depending on whether the fulfillment of one norm or several norms by an individual worker, one norm by all workers performing a certain job, or the average fulfillment of a set of norms by all workers is considered. For an individual worker, the ratio between necessary and actually worked time is a relative indicator of his individual productivity and, accordingly, labor intensity. Therefore, the level of fulfillment of norms by individual workers is directly proportional to their individual productivity and inversely proportional to the level of tension of norms, that is, the level of fulfillment by individual workers of optimally tense norms will be the same, however, approaching the average level. If we consider the average level of fulfillment of one standard by different workers, then

The relationship between the amount of necessary and actual time indicates that the actual time spent, as a rule, exceeds the necessary ones, and the difference between them corresponds to the reserves for growth of labor productivity, depending on subjective factors. This means that the ratio of the amount of required time spent to the amount of actual expenses is always less than one.

So, the average fulfillment of optimally intense labor standards during the period of their installation will be less than 100%, which corresponds to the starting position of the methodological approach, according to which the criterion for the intensity of norms is the time required to perform work in certain organizational and technical conditions. However, over time, the average percentage of compliance with these standards will exceed 100%, which will indicate the need for their revision.

Closely related to the problem of tension in labor standards is the question of their progressiveness. The very concept of progressiveness of standards can be considered both in relation to the conditions and level of labor productivity that have developed at a particular enterprise, and in the industry as a whole. The degree of progressiveness of standards for certain production conditions is expressed by the ratio of necessary and standardized time, which means that if we limit ourselves to the framework of one enterprise, then the concept of progressiveness and intensity of labor standards coincide.

To determine the progressiveness of labor standards on an industry scale, it is advisable to use two indicators: the ratio of existing standards at the enterprise, mass high performance profits, with established standards at a particular enterprise and the ratio of the norm established by the analytical and calculation method (according to industry and inter-industry labor standards) to the established norm for the same work in a certain production.

The indicator of progressivity of standards allows us to take into account the difference between the industry average time spent and the required time or optimally intense standards. It is necessary to ensure the unity of the norms in force at enterprises in order to prevent the formation of more or less “profitable” jobs in terms of labor intensity and thereby avoid conflict situations, staff turnover and other social problems.

Considering the relationship between the problems of intensity of established standards and labor intensity, it is recommended to evaluate the intensity of labor by its standardization in the following areas:

Compare the actual and optimal intensity of specific labor in specific production conditions;

Establish standards for time, service, quantity, taking into account the optimal labor intensity for certain conditions;

Conduct comparative analysis the intensity of labor of various groups and categories of workers depending on gender, age, profession, qualifications, conditions and organization of labor processes;

Establish the level and dynamics of labor intensity depending on the scale and volume of production, labor productivity and other economic indicators, as well as factors of a social and legal nature.

There are still no unified and generally accepted ways and methods for solving these problems, both in domestic and foreign theory, and in the practice of labor regulation. However, these issues are relevant, and they are being resolved in the process of improving the methodology of labor standardization.

The assessment of the level of labor intensity based on the density of working time use is based on two assumptions: the amount of labor input is identical to its duration; The socially normal intensity of labor is determined by the rational use of established working time. However, this method allows us to obtain only a relative assessment of labor intensity, since effectively used working time can be characterized by varying degrees of labor force tension. The use of this method is advisable at a normal level of labor intensity during certain periods of productive working time.

To assess the level of labor intensity based on the psychophysiological characteristics of workers' fatigue, the degree of complexity of work, the intensity of energy metabolism in the human body and other indicators, it is advisable to use relevant studies by physiologists, sociologists and other specialists. Developed scientific methods, revealing the effect of unfavorable factors external environment on performance and the course of physiological functions during human work and during periods of restoration of performance. Thus, the calorimetric method, based on methods adopted in labor physiology for measuring the body’s energy expenditure during labor activity, has certain advantages for assessing the level of labor intensity, comparing its actual and normative values. However, it does not provide accurate data on the fatigue of vital forces, the fatigue of a worker with the advantage of static loads, as well as during mentally and emotionally stressful work. But there is also an integral method for assessing fatigue, which makes it possible to establish a complex of fatigue common to all work, based on the characteristics of the condition nervous system, that is, lability, excitability and strength.

To obtain information about the influence of factors of fatigue, labor intensity, etc., methods of sociological surveys are also used, which have now received recognition and development. When using them, it is necessary to have sufficient representativeness of objects and to comply with the rules for collecting and processing information.

To assess the pace of work as an indicator of labor intensity, timing, film or video recording of labor processes and its elements are used. In this case, the purpose of observation is not so much to study the costs of working time, but to design their minimum values, taking into account the assessment of the pace of work. In this way, most of the current norms and regulations are established at foreign enterprises (firms). Standardizers are trained to visually assess the pace of work, “feel” the normal pace of specific processes for which time standards are established, and estimate the pace with deviations from 2 to 5%.

At many foreign enterprises, the pace of work is assessed by “estimating the speed of labor movements,” comparing the recorded speed of the performer’s labor movements with the speed of movement while walking or performing reference operations. Thus, in the USA and England, as a rule, a pace equivalent to walking without a load on level ground at a speed of 4.8 km/h is considered normal; it is provided for by the microelement time standards of the MTM-1 system. In the practice of normative research work abroad, various systems of microelement time standards are widely used (now there are more than two hundred of them). Among them, the most popular systems are MTM-1, 2, 3, V "Work Factor", MODAPTS, etc. They differ in the degree of versatility, detail, accuracy and labor intensity of use. Taking into account world experience, a domestic basic system of microelement time standards has been created - BSM-1. It is implemented at the minimally integrated microelement level of the labor process and contains only microelements that are uniform in content (“cross-cutting”) for all industries. BSM-1 consists of the following 20 groups of microelements:

10 groups of hand movements (reach out, move, rotate, rotate, set, disconnect, take, release, press by hand, set to size)

B groups of body movement (turn the body, bend over, straighten up, sit down, stand up)

From the foot movement group (move foot, press or release foot)

2 groups of eye movements (move your gaze, look closer).

When determining the time for performing microelements, both quantitative factors (distance of movement, walking speed, weight of the object, applied effort, etc.) and qualitative factors (availability of precautions, degree of control, degree of orientation, ease of use, connection density, spaciousness or crampedness of the workplace) are taken into account , type of production).

All systems of microelement standards contain relative levels of work rate. In addition, when accepting the tempo of work, it is assumed that the person selected to conduct timing studies for the purpose of establishing time standards has the necessary qualifications and has standard work methods. With this approach, the pace and intensity of work are indicated by the term thoroughness, the degree of mastery of the method - skills.

In this case, the assessment system takes into account two more factors - working conditions and consistency of work, which turn out to be in the stability of the time series. Research recent years are characterized by attempts to determine the pace coefficient as an integrated indicator that takes into account the influence of many factors: the pace of movements, the level of physical effort expended, production skills, the degree of professional suitability of a certain employee, etc.

The issue of assessing the pace of work in foreign practice is associated with the problem of reviewing and replacing labor standards, since their overfulfillment can be the result of both the rationalization of methods and methods of performing labor processes, and a consequence of increased labor intensity. In the domestic practice of labor standardization, it is recommended to use microelement time standards for labor movements of the BSM-1 system to assess the pace of work. The system provides for a tempo of work adequate to the speed of performing the basic microelement “extend a hand” with a low degree of control over a distance of 40 cm at a speed of 93 cm/s. CS is the minimum time spent on performing labor movements performed by an employee in a mastered labor process, without causing harm to health, for a long time. To substantiate the accepted standard pace of work, psychophysiological studies were carried out, with the help of which the fatigue of workers in production conditions was assessed. The pace of work determined by the BSM system corresponds to the standard labor intensity.

Methodological approaches to determining the pace of work are considered; they are mainly used to assess the intensity level mainly physical labor, as well as for physical and moderate mental stress.

Individual labor intensity, that is, the intensity of work of a particular employee, depends both on factors subjective for a particular employee (his qualifications, knowledge, attitude to work, physical and mental abilities, etc.), as well as objective ones, dependent on the organizational and technical conditions of production, organization of labor and production and the like. The boundary between subjective and objective factors is relative. At the same time, such a distribution of factors makes sense, allowing one to evaluate the intensity of work of an individual employee by factors that depend and do not depend on him. However, in specific conditions, objective factors determine the average level of labor intensity, on which the labor intensity of individual workers depends.