Dangers Of The Daily Grind

Study highlights how employees are feeling the negative physical impact of the workplace

Employee well-being is a vital part of any business strategy, but unfortunately, the current state of well-being at work is low.
 
O.C. Tanner recently surveyed 3,600 employees from around the world (United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Singapore) to explore the current state of employee well-being and its impact on company culture.

 

Just over half of employees (52 percent) felt that their organization cared more about productivity and the bottom line than their employees, while 38 percent agreed their situation at work is hurting their ability to be happy in other aspects of their life. Employees don’t feel they are living their best lives, and many are negatively impacted by their work environments. Over a third (36 percent) went so far as to say that their job has a negative effect on their physical health.
 
According to the data, employees were more likely to report negative effects on their physical health if they worked in customer service, they worked at the executive level or if they identified as a millennial. The study suggests that customer service reps, company executives and millennials experience higher stress levels than other employees, which may lead to an increase in experiencing negative physical health.
 
The link between customer complaints and physical duress inspires the question: In addition to emotional stress, are customer problems actually causing employees physical harm? And if so, is the harm real or psychosomatic? Have younger employees been more conditioned to place blame here? And it’s not just unhappy employees who are claiming negative physical effects—many of those who are satisfied with their current job and company are claiming they’re victims. So at this point, even if it’s a job that you like, is there now simply an expected level of negative physical effects? Is it unavoidable?
 
With all the negativity, it’s no wonder that companies are turning to employee wellbeing programs to try and address these issues. Strong wellbeing programs involve more than just counting steps and tracking sleep. Companies who take care of the whole employee, and not just their physical health, will see higher wellbeing in their people and in turn, a positive impact on the bottom line.

● More than a third (36 percent) of respondents agreed that their job has a negative effect on their physical wellbeing

■ Customer Service: 40 percent
■ Executive/General Administration: 34 percent
■ Finance/Purchasing: 35 percent
■ Human Resources: 36 percent
■ IT: 39 percent
■ Marketing: 27 percent
■ Operations: 38 percent
■ Sales: 36 percent
■ Training/Learning: 32 percent
■ Other: 34 percent

■ Executive (C- -Suite): 50 percent
■ Vice President: 34 percent
■ Director: 37 percent
■ Manager: 38 percent
■ Individual Contributor: 35 percent

■ Millennial: 39 percent
■ Gen X: 36 percent
■ Baby boomers: 32 percent

■ Feel they’re fairly compensated at work: 33 percent
■ Don’t feel they’re fairly compensated at work: 49 percent

■ Feel their basic financial needs are met: 35 percent
■ Don’t feel their basic financial needs are met: 44 percent

 

● 82 percent of respondents noted that they’re satisfied overall with their job

● 39 percent of respondents noted that they aren’t likely (less than a 50 percent chance) to leave their job if were offered a job at a different company with a similar role, pay, location, and benefits TODAY

● 67 percent of respondents noted that they think their organization positively affects the lives of others

 

● Companies with a formal wellbeing program see:

○ A 20 percent increase in employees who see a doctor for a general checkup
○ A 13 percent increase in employees who see a doctor when they are ill
○ A 14 percent increase in employees’ overall feeling of wellbeing
 

● Employees at companies with formal wellbeing programs feel healthier (78 percent compared to 62 percent of those at companies without a wellbeing program)