Health and wellbeing question library

Health and wellbeing

Health and wellbeing are closely linked: studies indicate that wellbeing promotes health (Howell et al., 2007). The World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." In the workplace, wellbeing is the "positive and sustainable characteristics which enable individuals and organisations to thrive and flourish" (University of Cambridge Wellbeing Institute).

Health and wellbeing outcome

Productivity

Balance

Health and wellbeing directly impact productivity and performance at work (Miller 2016; Nielsen et al., 2017). Poor mental and physical health can lead to absenteeism. In organizations where employees feel compelled to work despite feeling unwell, employees are often less productive. However, when employees feel like their organization cares about their wellbeing, they're likely to increase their efforts at work, reflecting the norms of reciprocity (Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011). Health and wellbeing also improve productivity by increasing employees' intrinsic motivation, or the motivation to do something because it’s fulfilling. People tend to be intrinsically motivated when they feel autonomous, competent, and connected to their coworkers. A work environment that supports health and wellbeing naturally helps to fulfill these needs, boosting intrinsic motivation (Demerouti et al. 2001). Ultimately, wellbeing strengthens the relationship between engagement and performance (Robertson & Cooper 2010).

People with higher wellbeing are less likely to respond negatively to changes in their work or personal lives. They’re more likely to feel effective at work and like they can maintain a healthy work-life balance (Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011). Improved wellbeing enables people to cope with the demands of work and their personal lives, reducing work-life conflict (Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011).

Mental wellbeing

Competing demands

Role-related stress

Involvement

Mental wellbeing at work assesses the psychological and emotional quality of an individual's life in relation to their work, including their ability to cope with work-related stress, take care of their mental health, and realize their full potential and productivity. Organizations can support employees' mental wellbeing by maintaining a healthy psychological climate at work (Shuck & Reio, 2014).

An imbalance between work demands and the resources the organization provides can lead to role-related stress. According to Job Demands-Resources theory (Demerouti et al., 2001), employees become stressed when they're overwhelmed by the demands of their job or have insufficient resources to manage demands. Example: They have a large workload and insufficient time to complete their work. Over a sustained period, role-related stress can cause burnout. Symptoms of burnout include exhaustion, withdrawal behavior, and even depression. Bakker et al. (2003) observes that job demands impact employee exhaustion more when job resources are low.

When employees juggle competing demands, they can experience role conflict. Example: An employee works on multiple teams and has overlapping deadlines for each. Clashing role expectations causes stress by reducing an individual’s sense of effectiveness in their role. Role conflict can lead to mental strain (O’Driscoll & Beehr 1994). Employees can also experience role ambiguity when they’re uncertain or lack information about expected responsibilities and performance. According to the Job Demands-Resources model, role conflict and role ambiguity can lead to burnout, particularly when resources are low (Demerouti et al. 2001).

You can prevent demands from becoming overwhelming by involving people in decisions that affect them (Karasek, 1979). When you provide employees with decision latitude, or the ability to decide how to meet the demands of their role, they gain a sense of control and fairness, which can reduce stress (Karasek, 1979). When people perceive that decision-making and resource distribution processes lack procedural fairness, it can negatively impact health (Kivimäki et al., 2003).

Physical wellbeing

Taking sick leave

Physical environment

Physical wellbeing concerns an individual’s ability to perform daily activities without physical limitations and whether they have enough energy to perform optimally. Health promotion programs can directly affect employee wellbeing, and the work environment can indirectly impact wellbeing. The work environment includes both the physical environment and the organization's culture and policies around topics like sick leave. A healthy workplace is free from hazards and enables employees to thrive.

A hazardous work environment can negatively impact employee health when the organization doesn't properly manage risks. Example: fall risks, loud noises, extreme temperatures, chemical hazards, ergonomic hazards. Musculoskeletal injuries such as neck and back strain are some of the most common causes of short- and long-term illness. A study showed that musculoskeletal disorders as responsible for 29% of all working days lost to work-related ill health (HSE, 2019). Extensive research exists on the impact of workplace hazards on health and on the occurrence of occupational disease. Research shows that exposing employees to multiple hazards simultaneously has a bigger overall impact than the cumulative impact of individual hazards.

An organization’s culture also impacts an employee’s physical wellbeing. Presenteeism, or when employees go to work despite feeling sick, results in greater productivity loss over time than employee absences (Johns, 2010). Presenteeism can also worsen some health issues and lead to longer recovery times. It also lowers employee satisfaction and employees’ perceptions of their own effectiveness (Johns, 2010). In a study of workers with chronic health conditions at a US chemical company, researchers found that the costs of presenteeism exceeded the combined costs of employee absence and medical treatment (Collins et al., 2005). This points to the importance of effective rehabilitation programs for employees following illness or injury, including any appropriate adjustments to the employee's role and a focus on their needs.

Organizations can promote physical wellbeing with healthy policies around sick leave and encourage employees to take care of their physical health through workplace health promotion programs. These programs are designed to influence employee health practices and improve health indicators, such as weight, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Although programs vary between organizations, research shows they have an overall positive impact on health outcomes (Hutchinson & Wilson, 2012; Conn et al., 2009; Shröer et al., 2014).

Social wellbeing

Change support

Coworker support

Personal support

Social wellbeing relates to the social interactions and connections employees have with others at work, including the depth of relationships and the availability of social support. According to Job Demands-Resources theory, social support from supervisors and coworkers can improve wellbeing by reducing stress (Demerouti et al. 2001). Poor relationships at work increase employee stress, and bullying and abuse is linked to burnout and decreased wellbeing (Yagil, 2006; Hackney & Perrewé, 2018).

Evidence shows that certain leadership styles, such as transformational leadership, can improve employee wellbeing. Transformational leaders demonstrate social support, empower their employees, and are considerate of employee needs (Skakon et al. 2010). Leaders can extend social support for problems outside of work by showing empathy and care.

Social support from managers and leaders can reduce stress when employees are facing uncertainty or too many demands (Viswesvaran et al., 1999; Karasek, 1982). It can also reduce the stress associated with organizational change (Mackay et al. 2004). Research shows that the way managers coordinate organizational changes has a significant impact on employee experience and perceptions. Managers can help employees adapt by ensuring they understand the reasons and implications of the changes and by giving them the opportunity to ask questions.

Organizational support

Role-modeling

Benefits

Financial support

Organizational support measures whether employees feel the organization makes formal and informal efforts to support their wellbeing. Research shows that, in addition to the individual-level resources an organization provides, organization-level resources have a significant impact on wellbeing (Nielsen et al. 2017). Organizational support positively correlates to perceived organizational support (POS), an employee’s perception of how much the organization values their contribution and cares about their wellbeing (Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011). Research links high POS to positive outcomes such as higher employee engagement and performance and higher self-reported levels of wellbeing (Baran et al. 2012; Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011).

Senior leaders at an organization play an important role in boosting POS. They can be a resource to combat stress and help improve employee wellbeing by providing information, offering support, and showing positive behaviors such as empowerment and feedback (Skakon et al., 2010). Leaders can also help foster employee trust that the organization genuinely supports wellbeing by role-modeling healthy behaviors (Eisenberger & Stinglhamber, 2011). Example: Using health and wellbeing benefits and showing that they value maintaining a work-life balance. Role-modeling increases healthy behaviors in employees. When employees perceive that leaders are stressed, they can become more stressed (Skakon et al., 2010).

Organizations can support employees with benefits such as access to mental health programs, financial aid, or support from qualified mentors. Health and wellbeing benefits can improve employee health, job satisfaction, and productivity, and reduce absenteeism (Grawitch et al., 2006). It's important to align benefit offerings with employee needs, ensuring that employees feel satisfied with the offerings and both capable and motivated to use them (Grawitch et al., 2006).

Financial concerns can impact employees' mental and physical health (Selenko & Batinic 2011; Brüggen et al. 2017; Chou et al. 2016). Organizations can offer benefits such as pension advice and debt counseling to support employees' financial wellbeing (CIPD 2017). They can reduce stress by helping employees make informed financial decisions and ensuring that they feel fairly compensated for their contributions.