The Impact of Worker Health on Worker Performance
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of workplace health and fitness, with care foremployee health inside organizations finally receiving the attention it deserves. With provenlinks between physical, financial, and mental health, the adage “sound body, sound mind should be the workplace mantra for success.
People are a company’s most important resource, and businesses must take the necessary steps to provide their employees with all the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. To achieve this, company policies and practices must address employee health
needs.
Understanding Worker Health
Employee health – which encompasses physical, financial, and mental health – largelyaffects an employee’s ability to operate efficiently, effectively, and productively, especially inthis remote and hybrid environment in which stresses are compounded. To address this,
businesses should prioritize employee health in their planning, alongside other strategic decisions.
In spite of the costs of investing in employee health, prioritizing employee health is the moreeconomical option. Companies in the United States lose billions of dollars to absenteeismand reduced productivity caused by poor employee health. This is because ignoringemployee health can reduce engagement and productivity, and increase insurance claims,sick leave pay, and missed opportunity costs. This jeopardizes company profits and shareholder returns.
Correlational Effects of Worker Health on Job Performance
Several studies have shown that healthy employees are more likely to perform optimally inthe workplace than those who are not. One such experiment, Oswald et al. (2015) demonstrated that enhancements in welfare were closely linked with improvements in output of up to 12%.6 Furthermore, both human relations theory and expectancy theory posit a positive correlation between employee health and morale, with increases in employee productivity. If workplace conditions (eg benefits, management, etc) affect employee health, then prioritizing health and well-being will surely enhance job performance. While understanding the importance of employee wellness is easy, improving it as an employer can prove challenging
Workplace Culture Shown to Improve Worker Performance
Employers can take actions to promote positive worker health that leads to improved workerperformance. These actions should provide for worker physical, financial, and mental health.
Physical
According to research, 69% of employees choose not to take sick leave even when ill, potentially endangering their colleagues’ health and causing decreased productivity. Illnesses contracted in the workplace cost employers $160 billion annually. Providing healthcare benefits can improve employee satisfaction, leading to higher engagement and decreased turnover rates. Additionally, healthcare access can help workers maintain their health and their families better. By promoting employee health, companies can reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.1 Besides, offering workers paid time off can be a valuable investment for employers. It can positively impact employees’ physical and mental health and productivity. Taking a break from work can provide much-needed rest and rejuvenation for employees, especially those in stressful or demanding jobs. When they return to work, they will likely have a fresh perspective on projects, be more productive, and have improved relationships with colleagues and managers.
Employers must also focus on controlling the physical work environment rather than micromanaging.8 A company’s productivity heavily relies on the workplace environment’s impact on employees’ productivity. This environment encompasses various factors both inside and outside the workplace that affect employees’ work performance. The physical conditions of the workplace play a crucial role in determining employees’ satisfaction, social relationships, health, and overall performance.7
Financial
To build a great team, companies should prioritize offering benefits that add value to their employees’ health and financial lives. This includes ensuring that employees are fully aware of the help they can access. Being transparent about base salary and benefits is the best way to build a strong team. Additionally, providing benefits such as discounted or free gym memberships, regular catered lunches, or memberships to local children’s attractions can further promote employee health and wellness. Research has demonstrated that better health and productivity are linked with higher wages. To illustrate, Justin Wolfers and Jan Zilinsky, who are from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, discovered that “greater wages are connected with improved health, as evidenced by reduced illness and increased endurance, which consequently increase worker productivity.”4 Mental/Emotional Health We all have the right to work and are entitled to a safe and healthy working environment. While work can positively affect mental health, it can also be detrimental. Mental health problems related to work can be avoided, and efforts can be made to safeguard and enhance mental health and support those with mental health issues, ensuring their full and fair participation in the workplace. The World Health Organization has created guidelines for mental health in the workplace and a policy brief developed with the International Labour Organization to promote mental
health and help workers with mental health conditions succeed.5 These guidelines aim to encourage the use of evidence-based recommendations for mental health in the workplace. In addition, the 2021 Work and Well-being Survey by the American Psychological
Association indicates that flexible hours could enhance mental health, as 34% of workers reported.
Research has long supported providing employees with control over their work environment. Studies have shown that an individual’s sense of autonomy can increase motivation and performance, positively impacting an organization’s bottom line. Furthermore, the scope of disability inclusion in the workplace extends beyond recruiting personnel with disabilities. Incorporating people with disabilities in the workplace extends beyond just employing them. Disability inclusion guarantees that everyone has an equal shot at succeeding in their work and obtaining comparable compensation. Embracing disability inclusion is ethical and advantageous for businesses, as it broadens the pool of job seekers and elevates workforce satisfaction, especially when inclusivity is a priority among employees.
Conclusion
Positive worker health greatly increases employee engagement and collaboration, lowers absenteeism and burnout, and increases worker performance (eg productivity).3 To establish a healthy and productive company culture, it is necessary to create a culture of
transparency, empathy, and support, eliminate stigma, and support employees’ health and well-being inside and outside the workplace.
To improve workers’ level of performance, companies should focus on key drivers of well- being, such as social relationships and work-life balance (Krekel et al., 2018). These efforts should be rigorously evaluated.
Authored and Researched by Sarah Dosunmu
Commissioned and Edited by Hason Greene
References
1. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/11/15/1652374/0/en/Poor-Health-Costs-US-Employers-530-Billion-and-1-4-Billion-Work-Days-of-Absence-and-Impaired-Performance-According-to-Integrated-Benefits-Institute.html
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0033354919878434
3. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1000/RR1084/RAND_RR1084.pdf
4. https://fordschool.umich.edu/news/2015/justin-wolfers-research-how-pay-increases-influence-and-increase-productivity
5. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-09-2022-who-and-ilo-call-for-new-measures-to-tackle-mental-health-issues-at-work
6. https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/employee-wellbeing-productivity-and-firm-performance-evidence-18-million-employees
7. https://www.grin.com/document/412794
8. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/workplace-health/mental-health/index.html