Although the term isn't common in English and sometimes has a more restrictive meaning, I think it's still the best way to translate Arbeitskunde.

Kerndefinition der Arbeitswissenschaft
Analyse – Organisation – Gestaltung
von Arbeitsprozessen hinsichtlich
technischer, organisatorischer und sozialer Bedingungen.
Ziel der Arbeitswissenschaft

Produktive, effiziente Arbeitsprozesse durch motivierte Menschen

http://www.ku-eichstaett.de/fileadmin/120402/Einfuehrung_in_...

Arbeitswissenschaft – ergology
IAB Glossary
Ergology - The study of the psychological effects of work, or of work patterns; especially the causes of work-related stress (job stress).
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ergology
I think that real-life studies on human work must be done, if possible, not objectively, but subjectively from an ergological viewpoint. Essentially, I consider ergology as the biology of human living and work, along German biologist Haeckel's idea.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11116671
The general objectives of the Department of Ergology include promoting
a horizontal approach in order to understand the means of work in
their entirety; developing intervention tools aimed at the reorganization
and management of work and, thus, promoting efficiency, quality and
above all, improved working conditions; and driving a theoretical-practical
framework to discuss work and the transformations that are underway in all professional activities.
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/tes/v9s1/en_01.pdf