GRÄNSLÖST ARBETE: LÄRARES UPPFATTNINGAR - En personalvetenskaplig studie om balansen mellan arbete och privatliv

Sammanfattning: This study addresses the problems related to boundary-less work. Many teachers in Sweden hold a type of position that includes non-regulated working hours. This non-regulated work time means a type of borderless work that can have both positive and negative effects. This study's purpose and questions are based on gaining knowledge about how teachers perceive non-regulated working time and how it is handled in practice. In the theory and previous research part of this paper it is presented that the boundary between work and private life can look different for different people, this is partly due to individual differences. Both integration and segmentation are strategies that affect the individual's ability to draw boundaries in different ways. Factors such as the design of the job and the working environment may also affect the possibility to set boundaries. Since teachers themselves can decide where and when they want to carry out non-regulated work time, the work arrangement includes a high sense of control. However, boundlessness can also mean that work and private life merge. As it can become more difficult to separate work and private life, this can affect the possibility of recovery, which in the long run can lead to ill health. Eight semi-structured interviews have been conducted with teachers who meet the selection criteria. The interviews were transcribed and then a thematic analysis was performed. The thematic analysis produced three main headings and seven sub-headings. The results of the study show that the teachers' perceptions of non-regulated work time are positive but come with some difficulties. Knowing what is included in the non-regulated work time, mixing work and private life due to the integration strategy, having enough time, working on Sundays, the importance of collegial support, limiting availability and setting aside time for recovery are the topics raised in this study's results. We come to the conclusion that the demands of work may be easier to manage with experience and/or practical and emotional support