Workplace productivity owes a lot to the health, both physical and mental, of its employees and the support the employer provides to employees.

That's according to a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Educational Medicine by researchers from Vitality Group, in partnership with Cambridge University and Charles University, which finds that health-related issues cause employees to lose the equivalent of 31.2 working days each year.

Among the factors considered in the survey were the influence of employees' lifestyle, commuting time, physical and mental health, well-being, and job and workplace environment on productivity levels. And when controlling for personal characteristics, the study finds, mental and physical health account for more than 84 percent of the direct effects on productivity loss.

Not only that, 93 percent of the indirect influences are filtered through mental and/or physical health, so that even job or workplace factors, such as job satisfaction, support from managers or feeling isolated will exert their own influence on productivity via mental and/or physical health.

“At first glance the results may not be surprising as we've known for some time that the way companies operate has a direct impact on employee health, but also that employee health directly impacts the success of companies,” Francois Millard, SVP and chief actuarial officer at Vitality Group, is quoted saying.

Millard adds, “What's concerning is that despite these identified issues, organizations continue to spend billions of dollars on addressing the symptoms related to physical and mental health rather than the causes.”

The report cites a finding from health and productivity research organization the Integrated Benefits Institute that in the U.S., poor health costs employers $530 billion and 1.4 billion workdays of absence and impaired performance.

Such findings were recently bolstered by the World Health Organization's report on burnout as an occupational phenomenon, underscoring the need for employers to keep a handle on employee health and well-being.

Read more:

Instant Insights /

Employee physical, mental health and employer support drive productivity

More From HR Executive

Related Stories

Recommended For You