4.4. Work organisation and psychosocial factors
4.4.1. Work organisation: a need for flexibility
Since the 1960s, businesses have increasingly outsourced their cleaning activities to companies
specialising in cleaning in order to cut their cleaning expenses [9] (see also part 2.1 Competition and
subcontracting). At the same time, cleaning companies are put under an increasing pressure to deliver
more flexible and cheaper services. As a consequence cleaning companies often choose a work
organisation that allows responding to these demands and thus demand themselves a high flexibility
from their employees [5]: