Workplace factors affect Health and Work related outcomes but Meaningful work doesn’t protect against burnout symptoms !
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
?? Employees who had positive work experiences reported better holistic health, are more innovative at work, and have improved job performance.
Enablers defined as aspects of work that provide positive energy such as meaningful work and psychological safety, explain the most variance in holistic health. In a model of holistic health, enablers are 14 times more predictive than demands are.
?? There is a relationship between demands, enablers, and an employee’s holistic health. Holistic health uniquely contributes to the prediction of several work-related outcomes, over and above related concepts such as burnout symptoms, engagement, and happiness at work.
?? The underlying components of health, while correlated with other workplace measures, are not equivalent to engagement or happiness at work. Also burnout symptoms are driven almost entirely by team and job demands. Meaningful work buffers the effect of toxic workplace behavior on holistic health but isn’t sufficient to stop burnout symptoms in a toxic environment, according to a new very interesting research published by McKinsey Health Institute using data from a survey of 30,392 employees across 30 countries between April to June 2023.
? Relationship between demands and enablers for employees
This research explored a wide set of demands, which are workplace factors that require sustained cognitive, physical and/or emotional effort, and enablers, which can offset job demands.
Researchers believed that demands can be thought of as challenges in the workplace, and enablers help to effectively offset challenges, allowing employees to move forward and experience positive growth and development.
Researchers tested following health and work-related outcomes:
?? Health-related outcomes: holistic health; burnout symptoms; depression symptoms; distress symptoms; anxiety symptoms; sleep hours; sleep satisfaction; happiness at work; loneliness at work; Financial instability
?? Work-related outcomes: work engagement; organizational advocacy; job satisfaction; work–life balance; intent to leave; absenteeism because of health; absenteeism because of caregiving; task performance; “presenteeism”; innovative work behaviors
?? This research model predicted a large proportion of the variance in holistic health, at 49%, well exceeding traditional research models’ predictions regarding variance in outcomes. Interestingly, researchers found that as scores on one subdimension of health increase, scores on all subdimensions of health rise.
Researchers found that enablers - aspects of work that provide positive energy such as meaningful work and psychological safety - explain the most variance in holistic health.
?? Those who find meaning in their work and feel they can raise new ideas or objections with their coworkers are more likely to feel they are in better health across all four dimensions.
Researchers noticed that in a model of holistic health, enablers are 14 times more predictive than demands are.
?A positive overall holistic health for employees
Researchers found that more than half of employees across 30 countries reported positive overall holistic health but there are substantial variations between countries, with the lowest overall percentage of positive scores in Japan (25%) and the highest percentage of positive scores in Türkiye (78%).
? The Global level of Burnout is about 20% !
Researchers classified burnout symptoms into 4 dimensions:
1?? Exhaustion: sever loos of energy that results in mental and physical tiredness
2?? Mental distance: Strong aversion or reluctance to work
3?? Cognitive impairment: Attention and concentration deficits, memory problems, and poor mental performance
4?? Emotional impairment: intense emotional reactions and feelings of being overwhelmed by emotions
?? Researchers noticed that more than a third of employees in 29 of the surveyed countries reported exhaustion. Comparatively, only three countries had a third or more respondents reporting mental distance or reluctance to work.
领英推荐
When examining burnout symptoms, researchers noticed that demands such as toxic workplace behavior, role ambiguity, or role conflict are seven times more predictive than enablers are.
Researchers found that in a model of burnout symptoms, demands are seven times more predictive than enablers are.
Researchers also found that burnout symptoms are driven almost entirely by team and job demands.
Researchers noticed that demands, aspects of work that require energy such as dealing with toxic behaviors or role ambiguity, explain the most variance in burnout symptoms.
Researchers found approximately half of employees (49 %) are “faring well”, well functioning across the dimensions of holistic health and simultaneously experiencing low rates of burnout symptoms.
However, an average of 9 % of employees are “stretching”, well functioning across the dimensions of holistic health and simultaneously experiencing high rates of burnout symptoms.
Researchers believed that looking at holistic health and burnout symptoms together could help employers in different sectors better differentiate the true drivers of outcomes.
?The three drivers of Holistic Health
Researchers discovered the 3 main drivers that affect holistic health.
?? Team
?? Job
??Individual-level
?? This result shows that workers who have confidence in their ability to do good work, are adaptable during changing working conditions, and feel as though they belong to a community at work have improved holistic health.
?Meaningful work doesn’t protect against burnout symptoms
Interestingly, researchers noticed that while holistic health can be maintained in a highly toxic work environment if an employee finds their work meaningful, meaningful work doesn’t protect against burnout symptoms in highly toxic environments.
?? Finally researchers conclude that having employees with strong holistic health has implications beyond short-term business performance. Employees who have strong holistic health may want to and are better able to work longer, which will be important for how employers approach an aging workforce.
Also employers have a critical role to play in addressing a range of negative (mental) health outcomes at work beyond burnout. Employers need to support the health of all employees supporting those in ill health, taking preventative measures to avoid negative health outcomes, and actively building a work environment where more employees have positive holistic health.
Thank you ?? 麦肯锡 McKinsey Health Institute researchers team for these insightful findings: Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN ??? (née Schouten) , Brad Herbig Barbara Jeffery Drew Ungerman
?? Follow me on?LinkedIn, and click the ?? at the top of my profile page to stay on top of the latest on new best?HR, People Analytics, Human Capital and Future of Work research, become more effective in your HR function and support your business, and join the conversation on my posts.
???Join?nearly 12,000+?people and subscribe to receive my?Weekly People Research
Everyday, I share a new research article about?People Analytics, Human Capital, HR analytics, Human Resources, Talent,…
HRBP | Empowering Organizational Success Through Strategic People Management | Championing Talent Growth, Engagement & Inclusive Cultures | Employee Relations | Advocate for High-Performance Workplaces | Top HR Voice
1 年Very Insightful!!
Driving Performance, Solving Challenges, and Elevating Employee Experiences
1 年Nicolas BEHBAHANI Thank you for the post ??Embracing wellness a part of the organizational culture is the key. It's not about ticking off a wellness day on the calendar; it's about infusing well-being into the daily rhythm of work. From job design to the overall work experience, when wellness becomes intrinsic, it creates a positive and vibrant workplace. It's a mindset shift that fosters sustained employee health and satisfaction.
Strategic HR Leader | People Analytics | Strategic Workforce Planning | Employee Experience | Digital HR
1 年Thomas Tchako Nowe Neve Gunwhy
Industry Veteran | Exploring Future of Work | Great Manager’s Coach & Mentor
1 年Absolutely, Nicolas BEHBAHANI. This research resonates deeply. Despite the focus on meaningful work, the challenges persist. Yes, building a workplace that prioritizes psychological safety, health, & meaningful work (Holistic workplace) is indeed essential for sustained employee well-being & optimal performance. I propose “Manager by Walking (incl. zoom) Around” a concept for check-in’s on employee wellbeing, to avoid challenge & personalised support. The journey continues!
Business Intelligence Head | Data driven insights into decisions
1 年Great insight that continues the work of McKinsey Nicolas BEHBAHANI. A couple of years ago WEF has filmed a reel that I have framed (attached below). Glad they have continued the search in-depth. Meaning of work should be coupled with the meaning of self. Toxic environment (compliance breach, bulling, ghosting, gaslighting, etc.) actively dismantles trust & respect among people, introducing cancel culture. No work could be done if the performer is cancelled.