Work Environment is Critical
“Our research in 2008 has shown that workers in high quality work environments, while not immune to the effects of the economy, are cushioned from the substantial declines in well-being that have been observed in the general populace. Top economists are predicting a tough first six months [of 2009].” (my emphasis)
So ends the interview with Gallup scientist James K. Harter, Ph.D., Gallup’s Chief Scientist for Workplace Management and Well-Being.
Why You Should Care About Your Employees’ Well-Being
I’ve written here about Gallup’s definition of what makes high-quality jobs versus low-quality ones.
But what does it matter to a business owner whether their employees are “cushioned from the substantial declines in well-being” that people in low-quality jobs are experiencing?
Consider this:
- ‘[Gallup's survey] data suggest the change in percent struggling is highly associated with changes in how people view their personal standard of living, more than how they view the economic conditions of the overall country’;
- ‘Among full-time workers, those that have felt the effects of the economy, in addition to those with children, are those with lower quality workplaces’;
- ‘About two-thirds of working people have one or more type of disease burden (from high blood pressure to high cholesterol to chronic pain, etc)’;
- ‘When you combine disease burden with a poor work environment, the chances of having sick days multiply significantly. There is an important compounding effect of disease burden and the quality of the work environment.’ (my emphasis)
Here’s what I take away from Gallup’s information – let me know if you see it differently:
- First, it’s personal – it’s not just about the fact that there are challenging economic conditions for the entire country. While that is an influencing factor, the key is your perception of your personal standard of living (you might even say, regardless of the macro-economic issues occurring around you).
- Second, it has to do with how you feel – physically, health-wise – and how you feel you are treated at work. It’s not just about whether your pay is enough to meet the bills (that is vitally important), but it’s more about how you feel you are physically able to perform your work, and how you are treated when you do perform your work.
- Third, the relationship between how you are treated and how you feel is complex, but the lower you feel in those areas, the more likely you are to underperform, or not even show up for work.
- Finally, as a business leader, understanding that every lost minute is lost production, and every lost effort, even if someone is on the job, is lost production is critical to business today.
What Can You Influence?
There will be people in your workforce who are impacted by challenges that make them think their personal standard of living is not what they want it to be. Can you affect this? Probably not, unless your salary budget is growing.
There will be people in your workforce who have challenges of health and other physical burdens. Can you manage these? Probably not; you can support people through various programs or benefits plans, but it is unlikely you can directly impact their health. Unless…
Are there people in your workforce who feel they have a “low-quality work environment”? Can you do something about that? Absolutely! You can improve the quality of the workplace. This may decrease some of the work-/stress-related health problems people face. More importantly, this is the one area where you do have a great amount of influence over how people perceive their situation, and how much it impacts your business.
Focusing on the things you can influence – a high-quality work environment – is one significant way you can manage the costs of your workforce in today’s economic environment.
Workforce Expertise:
Create a high-quality work environment by:
- Encouraging an open and trusting environment,
- Focusing employees’ activities on their strengths, and
- Understanding and working to increase employees’ general level of satisfaction with their work.
You will benefit from:
- Increased commitment and effort from your employees,
- Greater satisfaction and loyalty from your customers/clients, and
- Improved profitability.
Also, remember you are one of these individuals as well. Remember to take care of yourself.
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