The Goldilocks Principle: Promoting health and physical capacity during productive work

Just as ”positive factors in the work” are well established in the psychosocial field, a similar approach is needed within the ergonomic field. This approach should not only focus on preventing sickness but also promoting health through performing the work itself without compromising the core task and productivity.

The Goldilocks Principle present a new, innovative approach to designing productive work that promotes health and physical capacity among employees. The Goldilocks Principle is based on the fact that physical activity is healthy and improves physical capacity if the work is performed with a “just right” balance between physical strain and rest.

The Goldilocks Principle has been successfully tested in a pilot study in five danish childcare institutions. By redesigning a core worktask according to the Goldilocks Principle, the childcare workers experienced more time with high intensity physical activity. In longer terms, this can lead to improved fitness and health,

In the light of the results of the pilot study, a randomised controlled trial among childcare institutions is initiated to investigate implementation and health effects of the Goldilocks Principle in childcare institutions.
Further, projects in the field of manufacturing and eldercare are initiated to investigate if it is possible to re-design the work of these occupations in accordance to the Goldilocks Principle and thereby promote the health of employees.