Production loss among employees perceiving work environment problems

Abstract

Objectives The overall aim of this explorative study was to investigate the relationship between factors in the psychosocial work environment and work environment-related production loss.MethodsEmployees at a Swedish university were invited to answer a workplace questionnaire and were selected for this study if they reported having experienced work environment-related problems in the past 7 days (n = 302). A stepwise logistic regression and a modified Poisson regression were used to identify psychosocial work factors associated with work environment-related production loss as well as to identify at what level those factors are associated with production loss.ResultsEmployees who reported having experienced work environment problems but also fair leadership, good social climate, role clarity and control of decision had significantly lower levels of production loss, whereas employees who reported inequality and high decision demands reported significantly higher levels of production loss. Never or seldom experiencing fair leadership, role clarity, equality, decision demands and good social climate increase the risk of production loss due to work environment problems, compared to those who experience these circumstances frequently, always or most of the time.ConclusionsSeveral psychosocial work factors are identified as factors associated with a reduced risk of production losses among employees despite the nature of the work environment problem. Knowledge of these factors may be important not only to reduce employee ill-health and the corresponding health-related production loss, but also reduce immediate production loss due to work environment-related problems.

Can the Human Resources Index (HRI) Be Used as a Process Feedback Measurement in a Structured Support Model for Systematic Work Environment Management?

“…The measure can also function as an outcome measure for interventions aimed at improving organizational work environment. Factors that are linked to the work environment (leadership, social climate, opportunities for influence, requirements, social support, and noise) have a greater impact on production loss than factors that are linked to health [44].…”

A Qualitative Study on Employees’ Experiences of a Support model for Systematic Work Environment Management

“…To give one example, research has identified a positive relationship between individual, organisational and social work environment factors and job satisfaction [20]. The need to focus on work environment strategies to promote health at work [18] and productivity [21] has previously been highlighted. Furthermore, a conceptual framework for research on psychosocial work environment and health also delineates the relationship between the psychosocial work environment and worker-health [22].…”

Estimating the Effect and Economic Impact of Absenteeism, Presenteeism, and Work Environment–Related Problems on Reductions in Productivity from a Managerial Perspective

“…Productivity loss is not only a consequence of absenteeism or presenteeism, but it has also been shown that work environment-related problems are associated with productivity loss, and thus these problems need to be taken into account to estimate the total cost of productivity loss [9,10]. Earlier research has shown that work environment-related problems may not always be as prevalent as those related to presenteeism but that they have a greater impact on productivity compared with problems related to presenteeism [10]. As in the case of absenteeism and presenteeism, there is reason to believe that the cost of lost productivity resulting from work environment-related problems may be higher than the cost of wages.…”