Intensity of labor is a socio-economic category that characterizes the degree of tension of the labor force in the labor process. Characteristics, calculations

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

In the conditions of modern production, fierce market competition and the desire of manufacturers to achieve sales and profit growth at any cost by reducing the unit cost of goods, it is important to take into account any factors - from major to minor. Today in our article we will talk about such an important indicator of the workflow as labor intensity. What kind of quantity is this, what properties and features does it have, can it be influenced and how exactly?

The concept of labor intensity belongs to the category that characterizes the degree of intensity of the labor force. In addition, it measures the amount of labor that is expended by a particular worker over a unit of time. The value of this indicator is directly dependent not only on the characteristics of a physiological nature inherent in a particular person or group. It is influenced by the conditions in which the labor process is carried out.

Clarify the concept

Labor intensity is the degree of labor expenditure attributable tounit of time. Moreover, not only physical costs are subject to measurement, but also resources belonging to the category of mental and emotional. That is, the intensity of labor refers to complex indicators that determine the impact that human internal resources have on production volumes.

The concepts of labor intensity and its productivity are interrelated. When productivity increases, its degree of intensity automatically tends to decrease (again, we are talking about a certain unit of time). The identification of the mentioned concepts is incorrect due to their mutually opposite direction.

How to determine the intensity of labor?

It is calculated by dividing the amount of labor expended by the worker or group by the duration of the work process. To assess the intensity of labor, you can use a variety of characteristics related to organizational, economic, physiological and other aspects. Thanks to this assessment, the workflow can be analyzed from an objective point of view, shortcomings are identified and adjustments are made.

What is the norm in this case? What criteria should be followed in order to meet the golden mean between the requirements of production and the human factor? How to maintain the he alth of employees in the face of ever-increasing demands from management?

Normal is considered such labor intensity, in which the whole complex of skills, knowledge and physical strength of the worker is fully used together withtechnological advances. With this optimal indicator of the severity of the labor process, the economic effect can be maximum. At the same time, no damage is done to the physical and psychological state of the employee.

Highlights

Let's list what characteristics of labor intensity exist:

1. It belongs to the economic categories due to the fact that the definition uses the concepts of labor and time.

2. It is also a physiological category, because we are talking about the consumption of emotional, labor, mental and other human resources.

3. Its value depends on the labor force in each case. It also affects labor productivity. There are certain standards, the development of which was carried out at the state level. By assessing the intensity in a particular production correctly and in a timely manner, it is possible to improve the working process conditions. Conclusion: this category includes both physiological and economic factors in relation to the volume of output.

4. The organizational factor should also not be discounted. Monitoring labor intensity indicators with constant comparison with the normative ones is very important. Without it, it will not be possible to respond in a timely manner to any serious deviations.

Intensity bonus

In the practice of production management there is a system of additional payments accrued for a number of certain merits. They are provided either by labor legislation or by internal local acts of the enterprise. This includes the so-called labor intensity bonus. Its size is specified in the text of the collective agreement and can be up to 50% of the salary.

All such issues are resolved by the Labor Code in the relevant sections on payment, standards, allowances and surcharges. The direct form of accruals exists, as a rule, at each enterprise. For its development, management and a special attestation commission are required to assess the severity of labor for each of the existing categories of workers. Having received the results of such studies, they determine the list of those positions that they are supposed to occupy.

Most often, such bonuses for labor intensity are provided to those who work on a production line or are engaged in hazardous or complex production. The collective agreement should reflect a number of necessary points: a list of these preferential jobs, production indicators that serve as the basis for the payment of bonuses, the procedure and amount of such payments.

The procedure for issuing allowances is duplicated in the relevant orders. Information about this in the form of a copy of the collective agreement must be given to each of the employees.

Such an additional payment for the intensity of labor can be considered as an incentive factor, the meaning of which is to motivate the employee to apply more effort in the labor process. On the other hand, it can act as a reward in case of performing work of increased complexity at the direction of the management.

How to increase efficiency andlabor intensity

Increasing the amount of labor costs per unit of time, we will definitely increase labor productivity. It is not surprising that any of the leaders strives to improve the mentioned indicator. There are two methods for this. Their conditional names are "stick" and "carrot". The first of these is coercion of workers. Most often, this phenomenon occurs in areas with high unemployment, related to economically disadvantaged. The incentive is the banal threat of dismissal. This method can take on a rather veiled character, for example, by increasing the speed of labor according to the movement of the conveyor.

Another situation is when the authorities rely on moral and material incentives. This refers to an increase in salary or bonuses for a good increase in the intensity indicator. More subtle methods include announcing a competition for applicants for a vacant position of a higher rank with the need to demonstrate good performance in a specific time period.

How to increase the intensity of labor? It's not easy enough. Every leader must approach the matter thoughtfully. This process necessarily leads to a deterioration in the condition of the working staff, both physical and emotional. This negative phenomenon is associated with fatigue and nervous tension. In addition, it is necessary to provide an increase in material remuneration for the increased severity of the labor process in proportion to the additional energy costs.

Optimal anda competent way is to introduce modern new technologies that do not require an increase in physical and emotional costs.

What determines labor productivity

What is the difference between labor intensity and productivity? These concepts are not subject to identification. To some extent, they can be called opposites. The concepts of intensity are always mutually connected with the intensity (that is, the severity) of labor. Productivity is achieved mainly due to the introduction of the latest advanced technologies that ensure minimal interference in the production process of the human factor. With an increase in the volume of work and output, in this case, wages can grow only on the personal initiative of the management.

What should be increased in the first place - labor productivity or its intensity? It is most reasonable to focus on the first option. It is then that it is possible to reduce the cost of production and, as a result, increase net profit.

Main intensity indicators

Researchers identified the following of them:

1. The intensity factor is understood as the product of the employment indicator of the active share and the shares of one.

2. A number called the pace factor can be calculated by dividing the standard operation time by its actual duration, measured and timed.

3. The employment rate is found by dividing the amount of time actually spent for work by the usualduration of the work shift. At the same time, the concept of a normative coefficient is also used, the value of which is different in individual industries.

4. The specific gravity of labor (or the coefficient of gravity) is the ratio of the integral indicator to the maximum allowable minute duration of the shift. This standard number is 480.

Any of the above indicators should be regularly calculated wherever it comes to production management. The purpose of such monitoring is to constantly monitor compliance with legal regulations and take timely corrective measures if any deviations are identified.

What factors determine labor intensity

Despite all the achievements of scientific and technological progress, one of the conditions for ensuring productivity growth is the same increase in labor intensity. After all, by applying a larger amount of effort, an employee can produce an increased amount of manufactured products for a control period of time. But, as already mentioned, these concepts are not subject to identification. After all, the intensity does not affect the factor of reducing the cost of production.

What factors of labor intensity can we talk about? The conversation is, first of all, about the physiological characteristics of the human body - age, gender, level of he alth and other characteristics of an individual character. Further, we can talk about the organization of the production process, the technologies used, the specific equipment used andthe degree of debugging of the workflow.

The third group of factors refers to the socio-economic. Here we should mention the amount of wages, the indicator of the standard of living, education, etc. In general, the intensity of work is influenced by a wide range of different conditions and factors. Of course, the main ones can be called precisely those that relate to human physiology. After all, it is they who determine the ability to perform a particular type of work.

About similarities and differences

Of course, the technological features of a particular production to a large extent contribute to the implementation of the human factor. Or vice versa - make it difficult to manifest. As for the third group of conditions, without satisfaction with the employee's own social position, high results cannot be expected from him.

A number of common problems and specific features are characteristic in this regard for industries of various sizes and types of activities. The categories of physiological and economic, at the intersection of which the concept of intensity exists, are closely interconnected. Taking into account the physical and mental costs is sometimes quite difficult. This complex indicator can be viewed across a range of categories.

Let's talk about labor intensity groups

We believe that the intensity of labor is the cost of labor in a certain unit of time. It is possible to evaluate and adjust this indicator in different ways for different categories of duties performed. It is customary to single out the following groups in this matter:

1. The so-called knowledge workers. We are talking about employees engaged in labor activities that do not require physical effort (or those can be considered insignificant). Sometimes such work can be associated with quite a serious tension of a nervous and emotional nature. It is usually classified as sedentary.

2. Work from the category of light physical labor, which does not require much effort or serious effort. This also includes the maintenance of mechanized processes. An example is the duties of he alth workers, representatives of certain sectors of the light industry. Many variants of this category can be found in the service industry, etc.

3. Work that requires serious physical exertion (sometimes despite the existing automation of the process - partial or even complete). Here we are talking about people working in workshops, on industrial machines, in the field of agriculture, etc. The work of metallurgists, miners, drivers, drivers of large-sized vehicles and many others is considered work of medium or increased severity. It is impossible to compare the intensity of labor for different groups of workers and different categories without special equalizing indicators.

How to classify labor intensity

This can be done by a combination of a number of features. If we focus on compliance with the subject, it can be individual (separately for each employee), cumulative (the entire staff list is subject to assessment), the so-called intensity of the total employee (we are talking about an average indicator). Cantalk about the intensity of a service worker or a national economy.

If we try to arrange this concept according to the object, we can distinguish the following categories: the work intensity of the personnel in the process of preparatory work, it is also during the main stage of production, for workers employed at the completion stage.

Other classification principles

Classify this concept and by nature. The intensity can be normative, that is, established by law, optimal (which was calculated according to the characteristics of production and physiological data of a person), planned (documented for future periods), actual or socially necessary (the level of which allows you to optimize the production process).

If you take the time factor as a basis, you can calculate the intensity in a minute, hour, day, week, month or year.

Taking the production level as a basis for classification, we can talk about the intensity at a single workplace, at the entire workplace, at the workshop level, or at the general level of the enterprise. There are also indicators of it within a certain industry or the entire national economy.

Conclusions

Labor intensity is a category that can show how the labor force is used over a specific period of time. Moreover, not only the physical aspect is implied, but also the combination of moral and mental stress.

The normal value of this indicator can beconsider the one in which all human resources are used to the full, provided that the work process is organized in an optimal way. The most important condition for this is the inadmissibility of damaging the he alth of workers, both physical and emotional. Otherwise, it is required to take immediate measures to reduce the intensity of labor.

Strengthening it necessarily leads to an increase in productivity, which is easily explained. After all, with an increase in intensity from any individual employee or group, you can expect to perform more work in the same time period.

Let's repeat: these two concepts should not be confused, let alone identified. Labor productivity is increased by the introduction of new high technologies and minimization of the human factor in the production process. In this way, it is possible to reduce costs and increase profits. Encouraging the employee to increase the intensity of his work, the employer is obliged to take measures to pay him worthy material compensation.

Control is always needed

The labor intensity of workers should be constantly assessed. This is the task of both the management of the enterprise and representatives of the inspection bodies. The purpose of such a check is the simultaneous observance of the rights of workers and the fulfillment of the established standards of labor intensity.

For what reason is it possible to reduce the intensity? The list is big enough. It starts with poor working conditions and ends with too little financial incentive. Regardless of the reason, the decrease in intensityreduces production volumes or completely freezes them. Sometimes it comes to the refusal of employees to perform their own duties. That is why the employer should consider possible negative situations and provide for a number of measures to further stimulate subordinates in terms of increasing this important indicator.