The impact of healthy workplaces on employee satisfaction, productivity and costs

Exploring midwives' perceptions of the multisensory birthing room work environment: A qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Multisensory birthing rooms are specially designed and integrate elements such as sound, light, and visual stimuli to create an immersive atmosphere.

AIM

To investigate how implementing multisensory birthing rooms affect midwives' perceptions of their working environment.

METHODS

The data material consisted of 16 semi-structured interviews. The population was midwives employed before and after the implementation of multisensory birthing rooms and the setting was a labour ward unit at a Danish regional hospital. A qualitative description of the midwives' perceptions of their working environment in multisensory birthing rooms was performed and a thematic analytical approach was applied. Findings Four major themes were identified. 1. "Sensing the environmental transformation" in which the midwives experienced that the multisensory birthing rooms helped to create a safe and less risk-focused atmosphere. 2. "Navigating new norms" describing the espoused beliefs and values regarding new practices within the rooms in which the implementation of the rooms creates a commitment among midwives for further involvement and development of the maternity ward. 3. "A supportive atmosphere", which addresses how the multisensory birthing rooms capture different levels of affective attunement and how the calm atmosphere helps to support the work of the midwives. 4. "A sense of pride and empowerment", which addresses how the environment creates a sense of pride and empowers the midwives.

CONCLUSIONS

The physical transformation from traditional to multisensory birthing rooms has led to a cultural transformation supporting the midwives' sense of professionalism through the improved working environment.

A Qualitative Analysis of Workers Perceptions on the Role of Management in Promoting Health Behavior, Informed by the COM-B Model

BACKGROUND

The primary objective of this study was to explore the viewpoints held by employees at a pharmaceutical manufacturing workplace in a middle-income country regarding management's role in promoting health behaviors in the workplace.

METHODS

This study used transcripts of focus group discussion from an original study that investigated employee perceptions of factors associated with healthy behaviors among South African pharmaceutical manufacturing factory workers.

RESULTS

Participants felt that workplace managers could improve capability through health promotion strategies, supportive leadership, and promoting a culture of health. They could provide opportunity through employee engagement programs and resources, and physical activity opportunities were specifically identified.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that managers in a middle-income country have the potential to contribute to workplace health in a range of ways that include addressing capability, opportunity, and motivation of their workers.

Surgical trainee experiences from 2013 to 2023 within the United Kingdom as reported by the General Medical Council National Training Survey

INTRODUCTION

The General Medical Council (GMC) issues annual surveys to all doctors within the United Kingdom (UK) in a formal postgraduate training scheme. This facilitates the monitoring of experiences for quality assurance purposes. Low job satisfaction has been associated with heightened levels of burnout and staff turnover, alongside deteriorating clinical care and productivity levels.

METHODS

We gathered and extracted data from the publicly available online GMC reporting tool. Data ranged from 2013 to 2023 and spanned 12 postgraduate surgical training programmes across all 18 indicators available. In total, 198 individual metrics were recorded, in addition to burnout. We conducted trend analysis and yearly average mean scores for individual metrics, burnout and geographical differences for 141 individual training programmes within the 16 training regions.

RESULTS

Of the 198 metrics analysed, 83 (42 ​%) were found to have statistically significant negative trends (P ​< ​0.05), in comparison to 24 (12 ​%) with positive trends. 5 specialities had over 50 ​% of metrics showing a significant negative trend. Overall satisfaction was negative in all 12 programmes, with eight reaching significance (P ​< ​0.05). Of 141 individual training programmes, 29 ​% showed a significantly negative trend in overall satisfaction, with 1 ​% demonstrating a significant positive trend (P ​< ​0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first to explore long-term trends in trainee reported surgical training experiences within the UK. Our data have revealed widespread worsening trainee reported experiences and dissatisfaction across multiple specialities and geographical regions, especially in key areas of overall satisfaction, self-development, and clinical supervision.

Evaluation of physical and mental health conditions related to employees' absenteeism

Background

Employees' health conditions are issues for not only employees themselves but also companies and society to keep medical costs low and productivity high.

Data and methods

In this analysis, 15,574 observations from 2,319 employees at four operational sites of a large corporation were used. The dataset contained physical and mental health conditions obtained from annual mandatory medical checkups, the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), and work record information. Health and other factors related to long-term absenteeism (over three days in a quarter) were analyzed. Data were collected between February 2021 and January 2022, and we converted into quarterly observations. A logit (logistic regression) model was used in the analysis.

Results

Age and gender were identified as important basic characteristics. The estimates for these variables were positive and negative and significant at the 1% level. Among the variables obtained from the medical checkups, the estimates for diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c, anamnesis, heart disease history, smoking, increased weight, and frequency of alcohol consumption were positive and significant at the 1% level, further those for taking antihypertensive medications and kidney disease history were positive and significant at the 5% level. In contrast, the estimates for systolic blood pressure and amount of alcohol consumption were negative and significant at the 1% level. The estimate for taking antihyperglycemic medications and health guidelines were negative and significant at the 5% level. Among the variables obtained from the BJSQ, the estimates for amount of work felt, fatigue and support from family and friends were positive and significant at the 1%, and the estimate for irritation was positive and significant at the 5% level. The estimates for controlling job and physical complaints were negative and significant at the 1% level, and those for usage of employee's ability to work and suitability of the work were negative and significant at the 5% level. As all four operational sites were located in the northeastern region of Japan (cold and snowy in winter), the seasonal effects were significant at the 1% level. The effect of year was also significant and significant differences were observed among the sites at the 1% level.

Conclusion

Some physical and mental health conditions were strongly associated with long-term absenteeism. By improving these conditions, corporations could reduce the number of employee absence days. As absenteeism was costly for corporations due to replacement employees and their training costs to maintain operations, employers must be concerned about rising healthcare (direct and indirect) costs and implement investments to improve employees' health conditions.

Limitations

This study's results were based on only one corporation and the dataset was observatory. The employees were primarily operators working inside the building and most of them are healthy. Therefore, the sample selection biases might exist, and the results cannot be generalized to other types of jobs, working conditions, or companies. As medical checkups and the BJSQ are mandatory for most companies in Japan, the framework of this study can be applied to other companies. Although we used the BJSQ results, better mental measures might exist. Similar analyses for different corporations are necessary.

Vision Zero for industrial workplace safety innovative model development for metal manufacturing industry

This study target is to investigate Vision Zero strategy & develop a model that contributes to the reduction of injuries, accidents, and fatalities. In turn, this model aims to enhance the well-being, safety, and productivity of the manufacturing sector. The study has conducted comprehensive theoretical reviews from reputable journals that are relevant to Vision Zero, manufacturing industries in general, and specifically the metal manufacturing industries. The study also underwent a validation of the Vision Zero strategy model by discussing with a selected professional team in this field from the industry. The results of this study shows that research related to the Vision Zero strategy has not been widely disseminated or popularized. It further reveals that manufacturing industries predominantly operate based on traditional work environmental principles, rather than actively embracing the concepts and principles of Vision Zero. The study has also uncovered that previous research on Vision Zero primarily focused on road accidents, injuries, and fatalities. In contrast, studies conducted in the manufacturing sector primarily examined aspects related to safety, health, and worker well-being. However, these studies often failed to sufficiently align their objectives with the overarching priority of enhancing productivity, especially within the context of the industrial revolution. Due to the limited studies related to Vision Zero and a new area for the research database, setting comparative goals and developing a stringent strategy may not be the final outcome here with the developed model. The results of this research could provide valuable insights to policymakers & lawmakers in order to enhance workplace health and safety regulations which support industries' productivity. This study represents a pioneering effort in developing a new Vision Zero strategy model that aligns with productivity goals and emphasizes knowledge-based approaches for reducing or eliminating injuries, accidents, and fatalities.

Occupational resource profiles for an addressee orientation in occupational health management: a segmentation analysis

Introduction

In order to make sustainable decisions in precision prevention and health promotion, it is important to adequately assess people's demands and resources at work. To reach them in an addressee-oriented way, a segmentation of employers and employees based on occupational resources is a promising option. We identified profiles based on personal and perceived organizational resources. Furthermore, we used job demands for profile descriptions to obtain a deeper understanding of the profiles, characterizing people with similar occupational resources.

Methods

Personal occupational resources (occupational health literacy and self-efficacy) and perceived organizational resources (job decision latitude and participation in health at work) were assessed among employers and employees (n = 828) in small- and medium-sized enterprises in Germany. Job demands, socioeconomic status, and hierarchy levels in the company were used for further profile descriptions.

Results

A six-profile solution fitted best to the data based on cluster and profile analyses. One profile was characterized by above-average occupational resources, and another profile was characterized by below-average resources. The other four profiles showed that the individual and perceived organizational resources contrasted. Either organizational resources such as job decision latitude existed and personal resources were not highly developed or people had high individual motivation but few possibilities to participate in health at work. People with medium or high job demands as well as people with low socioeconomic status were most frequently in below-average resource profiles. Employers with high hierarchy levels were overrepresented in the above-average profiles with high organizational resources.

Discussion

Following the segmentation of the addressees, organizations might be supported in identifying needs and areas for prevention and health promotion. Interventions can be optimally developed, tailored, and coordinated through a deeper understanding of job demands and resources. Especially employees with low socioeconomic status and high job demands might profit from an addressee-orientated approach based on resource profiles. For example, employees obtain an overview of their occupational resource profile to recognize the development potential for safe and healthy behavior at work. Follow-up research should be used to examine how this feedback to employers and employees is implemented and how it affects the sustainability of tailored interventions.

Teleworking Impact on Wellbeing and Productivity: A Cluster Analysis of the Romanian Graduate Employees

The COVID-19 pandemic has already had an enormous impact on numerous aspects of human society such as health, education, economy, business, or work and created favorable conditions for the expansion of teleworking. The aim of the paper is to identify and analyze five teleworking impact factors that affect thewellbeing and productivity of employees. The data were gathered by a quantitative research method through a questionnaire applied to 327 Romanian employees who hold a Bachelor or Master degree. Firstly, they were analyzed and interpreted through a factorial analysis focusing on the five teleworking impact factors. Secondly, the authors carried on cluster analysis, followed by multiple linear regression, using R statistical software. This study shows that there is a plethora of factors that influence the wellbeing and productivity of employees: individual and societal factors, organizational and work-related factors, technological factors, social factors at home, and social factors at work. Also, the cluster analysis brings to light significant differences between various Romanian employees such as: their gender, income, age, education, and city size.