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PurposePrevious studies on non-standard employment relations have analyzed how firms' use of non-standard work arrangements are explained by variables related to numerical flexibility. Here, the purpose of this paper is to explore how firms respond to changes in the external environment through reduction in staffing. Since the firms combine employees and external consultants, they are confronted with a dilemma between laying off employees or terminating consultant contracts.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical context is the petroleum sector in Norway. The data consists of 11 interviews with managers at different levels in three firms.FindingsThe authors found that firms terminated over 80 percent of the consultant contracts, while around a forth of employees were downsized. A core-periphery strategy and union power are vital drivers of the prioritization of employees. However, some consultants were retained due to their knowledge of unique aspects of the firm and their role in development and innovation. The authors also found that the firms differed in their emphasis on seniority vs competencies criteria in deciding "survival" among employees.Research limitations/implicationsA main contribution of the study is thus the identification of variables and mechanisms that influence the two interrelated choices of downsizing in such multi-employment contexts. The main limitation is the number of firms analyzed (three), which restricts statistical generalization.Practical implicationsBetter understanding of circumstances and criteria of downsizing choices in employees/external consultants' constellations.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to analyze two interrelated issues of downsizing in such constellations lying off employees vs terminating consulting contracts, and whether seniority or competence criteria were prioritized when laying off employees. A main contribution of the study is the identification of variables and mechanisms that influence the two interrelated choices of downsizing in such multi-employment contexts.

Background: Children are becoming less physically active as opportunities for safe active play, recreational activities, and active transport decrease. At the same time, sedentary screen-based activities both during school and leisure time are increasing. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep duration of girls and boys aged 6-9 years in Europe using data from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). Method: The fourth COSI data collection round was conducted in 2015-2017, using a standardized protocol that included a family form completed by parents with specific questions about their children's PA, screen time, and sleep duration. Results: Nationally representative data from 25 countries was included and information on the PA behaviour, screen time, and sleep duration of 150,651 children was analysed. Pooled analysis showed that: 79.4% were actively playing for >1 h each day, 53.9% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 50.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 60.2% engaged in screen time for 1 h/day, 8.2-85.6% were not members of a sport or dancing club, 17.7-94.0% walked or cycled to school each day, 32.3-80.0% engaged in screen time for <2 h/day, and 50.0-95.8% slept for 9-11 h/night. Conclusions: The prevalence of engagement in PA and the achievement of healthy screen time and sleep duration are heterogenous across the region. Policymakers and other stakeholders, including school administrators and parents, should increase opportunities for young people to participate in daily PA as well as explore solutions to address excessive screen time and short sleep duration to improve the overall physical and mental health and well-being of children. ; The authors gratefully acknowledge support from a grant from the Russian Government in the context of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. Data collection in the following countries was made possible through funding. Albania: WHO through the Joint Programme on Children, Food Security and Nutrition "Reducing Malnutrition in Children" (the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund) and the Institute of Public Health; Bulgaria: Ministry of Health, National Centre of Public Health and Analyses, WHO Regional Office for Europe; Croatia: Ministry of Health, Croatian Institute of Public Health and WHO Regional Office for Europe; Czechia: grants AZV MZČR 17–31670 A and MZČR – RVO EÚ 00023761; Denmark: Danish Ministry of Health; Estonia: Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and Research (IUT 42–2), WHO Country Office, and National Institute for Health Development; France: Sante Publique France, the French Agency for Public Health; Georgia: WHO; Ireland: Health Service Executive; Italy: Ministry of Health and Italian National Institute of Health; Kazakhstan: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and WHO Country Office; Kyrgyzstan: WHO; Latvia: Ministry of Health, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; Lithuania: Science Foundation of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Lithuanian Science Council and WHO; Malta: Ministry of Health; Montenegro: WHO and Institute of Public Health of Montenegro; Poland: National Health Programme, Ministry of Health; Portugal: Ministry of Health Institutions, the National Institute of Health, Directorate General of Health, Regional Health Directorates and the kind technical support from the Center for Studies and Research on Social Dynamics and Health (CEIDSS); Romania: Ministry of Health; San Marino: Health Ministry, Educational Ministry, Social Security Institute and Health Authority; Spain: Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN); Turkmenistan: WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan and Ministry of Health; Turkey: Turkish Ministry of Health and the World Bank. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion