The sources
The specific sources selected for this particular work are the Public Health guidelines for Health and Wellbeing, The NHS employers and elements of workplace well being, the local Authority Initiatives Health and Wellbeing.
Reason for selecting these particular sources
There are many reasons for selecting these particular sources. The particulars sources mentioned here have served as a valuable source. It provided the proper data of the public recognition of the wellbeing at the workplaces. These sources served in providing proper record in understanding the retention issues, the issues of absence due to sickness. This gave appropriate data of the approaches adopted by the company in order to reduce the health issues of the employees and it provided adequate data of the initiatives taken by the company to introduce the wellness program in the company. It showcases the elements of building workplace well-being. It helped to have a positive outcome of the entire system.
The research approaches
In this particular work the help of primary as well as the secondary sources has been taken into account. The research approaches that have been taken in this particular assignment are the mixed-methodology research technique under which are the qualitative and the quantitative technique. The primary research in this case includes the survey of the employees and the interview of the mangers and the important persons of the organizations. The help of statistical and qualitative analysis also has been taken into account in this work. The secondary research method includes the evaluation of the laws and legislations of the companies and medical facilities that the companies have. For completing this research in different organizations and industries has been taken into account. These are the basic differences between the primary and the secondary research approaches.
However the government, the local authority and the public health sectors play major functions in providing a health security to the employees of an organization. There are many health sectors that provide health insurance to the companies for their employees. There are many governmental plans that are intended to provide security to the employees.
Advantages of the approach
There are many advantages of the primary research technique. The primary research technique gives the opportunity to do the research by going to the field itself. This gives a chance to do a firsthand research. This would enable to get a genuine data from the research and would help to extract the genuine information. The surveys that are a part of the research approach would enable to get the exact conditions of the scenario. In this case a survey of the employees has been done and the survey included the instances whether they were satisfied with the health policies that were there in the company in which they worked. The interviews that were done of the managers and the top authorities of the company served as the primary source of information. On the other hand the secondary resources helped to understand the policies and the frameworks related to the health insurance of the employees. This is evident that the secondary research approach was helpful to know about the profile of the company and about the existing medical policies.
Disadvantages of the approach
Apart from the advantages there are certain disadvantages that are there are in both the research methodologies. The surveys are lengthy process and it is time consuming. This process requires extreme cooperation in the part of the persons who are being interviewed. Sometimes it can be observed that the information provided by the interviewees is not genuine. The statistical report based on the findings of the approach might in such cases be wrong. However, the secondary approach is dependent on the primary approach and therefore they this is the biggest pitfall of the approach.
The policies and procedures set for the employee health and well being
To analyze this company that we have chosen is Bank of Riyadh. The company has set out some policies for the well being of the employee. The company understands that if an employee does not stay healthy mentally and physically they will not be able to produce quality work. Therefore in the plans and policies of the company the health insurance plans are included which is absolutely designed for a better health of the employees so that any kind of stress might not affect the employees.
Causes of sickness
The main cause of sickness of any employee can be bad health condition, degradation of the physical condition or the mental state of mind. The absenteeism can also be held responsible for bad health condition of the employees. If an employee is not physically and mentally fit he might land up to poor production. An employee can work properly only when he is out of stress. A good physical condition will allow the employee to work positively with full concentration on his work. If the employee is not physically or mentally fit he might get distracted from his work ad will be unable to produce good work. He will land up in extreme absenteeism and the organization might lose a talented employee. This would be a great loss of the organization. The entire organization will be affected because of it. The decrease in the -production will end up in great loss for any organization. Therefore the well being of the employees is of extreme importance in any organization. The employees are the pillars of the organization. It is impossible for any organization to run without the employees. Bank of Riyadh has set up certain policies that are in favor of the health care of the employees. This initiative should be taken by all the organizations. The health issues of the employees are related to the well being of the organization and the organizations must take proactive initiatives regarding this. Therefore this is in favor of the employees.
Critical review
As per previous research study, health of an employee gets affected by their stress at work and sometimes they remain absent from office due to the sickness. That is why it is important for the management to address the health issues of the employees and look for ways by which they can be improved. This will result in preventing absenteeism from their workplace which will lead to increase in productivity. In most of the cases it is seen that that the mental illness of the workers are curable and in some cases they are also preventable if it is considered from the viewpoint of the organization.
The research has been conducted in this particular topic to have an understanding of the presence of a safe and secured workplace and the way it is beneficial for the organization. Health of a worker has a direct impact on the productivity of the organization and which negatively affects the productivity. There are several organizations such as NHS where the researchers have paid visit in order to gather information. They have provided their individual feedback about the experience that they have gained by visiting these specific places.
The researcher had mentioned that the Healthy Workplace Charter always support their employees on different issues such as retention, sickness and productivity. Apart from that, he also mentioned that a member of health organization had clearly explained that the distinction between the wellbeing programs doing better works than the others due to the fact that a balance is created with good design of wellness initiatives.
Dickson-Swift has mentioned through her research that the NHS trust always put priorities on the on the health and well being of the staff members so that they can take active part in the organizational activities This will help in increasing the morale of the employees and lead them to be innovative and productive. Goetzel has mentioned about the working environment of a leading financial institution of Middle East, Riyad Bank where the employees can work in a safe and sound surroundings. They are also excited to implement some more strategies in order to keep the employees away from the physical and psychological stress so that they can increase the productivity.
Initially, in the beginning of the research it was assumed that it is important to implement the health and well being programs in the working structure of the organization which has proved to prevent absenteeism and increase retention of the employees. The research outcome has focused on the positive connection between health and well- being and the performance and productivity in the workplace and the advantage gained by the organization on account of that. The hypothesis has been similar to that of the final conclusion which shed light on the fact that a decrease in the sickness level of the employees lead to an increased productivity in the workplace. Moreover it will boost up their morale and increase their participation.
The discussion shows that health and wellbeing of workers are directly related to organizational productivity. From the report, it has been concluded that When the employee pays attention to the wellbeing of the employees, it acts as a motivator to them. The following are the justified recommendations made the grounds of the discussions:
Introduction
The relationship between work and health is a bit complex. An employee’s health can get affected by their work stress and at times, it leads to absence caused by sickness. Around forty two percent of the workers, who has a condition related to their health, felt that it affected their work to a huge extent. As per recent reports, it is evident that around fifty percent of the workers’ health has been affected by their work stress and pressure. In addition to this, the employees with adverse mental condition are more likely to report that huge work pressure has worsened their health, which led to longer absences.
Aims and Objectives
The overall purpose of this report is to identify the determinants of the productivity loss at workplaces due to sickness and absenteeism, by focusing specially on the health risks. In addition to this, the report provides with some recommendations in order to help the business improve their effectiveness of the employees’ current health status as well as wellbeing interventions. Furthermore, from the perspective of an organization, addressing health and mental issues of the employees in the workplace can improve their engagement and in turn, increase the productivity.
The well being of the employees have to be monitored closely by the organizations and the government so that they can look after the employees in a better way. This will help in increasing the level of productivity of the companies, as the employees will be willing in serving the company with the best interests. The shareholders of the company have to be satisfied so that they are willing to invest more within the organization, which will help the company in purchasing the resources so that the work can be done in a better way. The shareholders play an integral, as they finance the company by raising the necessary capital from the investors. This helps the organization in carrying out their duties so that and in exchange they provide a part of their ownership through shares to them.
They also play a significant role in looking after the daily operations of the company, as they supervise and appoint the officers so that they can lead employee well-being within the organization. This helps the company in generating better sales so that the margin of profit can be increased. They are also responsible in governing the policies of the company by providing the code of conduct and the ethics that needs to be followed within the business practice. The shareholders also have the responsibility in controlling the company as well. They make it a point that there are no attempts of hostile takeover by minimizing the vulnerability that is present within the organizations.
The suppliers have to be monitored so that the replenishment of the resources can be done when the company gets exhausted of its resources. This helps the companies in carrying on with their production so that it can help them in making profits on a constant manner. The suppliers have to be managed in a better way so that the raw materials that come in to the organization can be purchased at a cheaper rate, which will help the organization in selling the processed materials to the customers at a competitive price in the market.
The employees of the organization are the ones that help in increasing the productivity and the level of profits for the company who has to be managed in a better way. The well-being of the employees has to be managed in a better way so that they do not leave the organization, which might lead to the degradation of the company. The companies can provide flexible working shifts so that it can help in increasing the productivity level of the employees. It would also ensure that the employees can maintain a balance between their life and work.
They have to be recognized for their outstanding performance within the office premises and have to be rewarded as well so that it can help in providing a boost to their morale. This will help the employees to remain motivated in the work place and increase the productivity level as well. By providing the employees with better safety measures as well it will protect them in the hazardous conditions that they are exposed to within the organization. These will help in promoting the well-being of the employees within the organization so that they can work in a better manner and help in earning better profits.
According to research studies, it is found that anxiety and depression has been leading the cause of absenteeism, in both the developing as well as developed nations. Moreover, it is seen that in some companies, where the employees remain present despite their physical and mental conditions has reduced the level of production. According to recent surveys, in some developed countries, poor mental health has cost over $12 billion to the economy each year, which includes the workers’ compensation claim around $200 million. Along with this, there has been significant cost of human welfare as well. Researches on this topic have revealed the fact that such individuals are being marginalized from the organization’s workforce.
In contrast, majority of the workers’ health issues are treatable and even possibly, preventable. If seen from the perspective of an organization, addressing the issues of the workplace can increase the production level as well as improve employee engagement. The benefits of a mentally sound workplace are quite clear. A healthy workplace is the one in which the risk factors are well acknowledged as well as addressed by the employees. In such a scenario, the protective factors are highly maximized and fostered. Taking the department of defense into consideration, through leadership as well as individual commitment, it ensures that no workers are facing any health issues like illness or injury.
At times, the workers have to work in extreme and hazardous conditions, due to the military operations’ nature. However, the leaders ensure that the risks are properly accounted and addressed and adequate risk assessment measures are undertaken. Furthermore, according to researches, the overall responsibility of work health and safety belongs to everyone. It is the duty of the organizational leaders to take into account these factors. It is important to address the issues faced by some employees at workplace, in order to achieve a mentally and physically sound workforce. Jobs which are highly characterized by emotions or cognitive demands seem to have a high rate of absenteeism due to sickness as well as mental illness.
Employees face some issues particularly when their role involves a comparatively higher job demand and less job control. By higher job demand, it meant time pressure and less job control means the lower decision making capabilities of the workers. Typical examples of this sort of workforces are nurses, industrial workers, lawyers and also teachers. In addition to this, the roles which involve task identity, variety, appropriate and significant feedbacks are likely to get associated with the upper level of organizational wellbeing. It results into job insecurity, lack of learning opportunities, lack of adequate resources and also into disproportionate pressures. These factors, in turn create an adverse effect on to the mental health of the workers.
For instance, Bank of Riyad is one of the leading financial institutions in the Middle East, along with a retail banking and strong corporate franchise. The organization has safe and sound workplace health policies for its employees. It provides them with a psychologically and physically safe environment to work at. This also includes addressing to the environmental triggers like noise exposure and poor lighting, commitment to managing work stress and pressures, participation of management to improve safety frameworks and more. They also have proper systems of reward and recognition to acknowledge the employees’ efforts in a timely and fair manner. Such factors play a crucial role in maintaining a safe and sound workplace.
Justification of the research selected
The research has been conducted in order to understand the importance of a safe and secured workplace and to identify the determinants of the productivity loss, due to absenteeism and sickness. It also focuses on the health risks, which leads to productivity loss. The research methods selected are survey and interview. The survey was conducted among the employees. This method helped in understanding the issues of the employees, their expectations from their jobs and others. It helped in gaining useful insights.
Furthermore, it helped in gaining information from a larger population, at a very short span of time. In addition to this, interviews were conducted among the organizational managers and leaders. The questions were fully based upon the organizational policies of promoting work health and safety. It was conducted in order to understand the emotions and experiences as well as exploring the issues with greater focus. Literature review is completely based on the existing articles and theses from the secondary sources.
Advantages and disadvantages of research selected
The advantages of the survey method are that it is cheaper and faster as compared to other data collection methods, such as experiments and observations. The primary data which is collected from the survey method is relatively easier to analyze. However, with advantages come certain disadvantages. The disadvantages of the survey method are that in some cases, the respondents might be unwilling to provide with correct information. Moreover, at times, the respondents find it difficult to understand the question, and ends up giving wrong answers.
Taking the interview method into consideration, the advantages are; possibility of directing the collecting data procedure and the possibility of getting the specific data that is required. The disadvantages of this procedure are that it requires huge time to conduct and arrange interviews. Moreover, additional costs may be incurred in association with conducting and arranging interviews, travelling costs and more. Furthermore, the advantages of literature review include the possibility of getting comprehensive information. However, there are several challenges associated with the accessibility to documentation and inflexibility of the overall research procedure.
Application to the business
Riyad Bank is one of the leading financial institutions in the Middle East, which has managed to build a strong retail and corporate franchise. The company has safe and sound environment of working. However, it can implement some more strategies to ensure physical and psychologically sound workplace. Supervisors and managers play an important role for the welfare of the staff members. Moreover, the opinions and actions of the organizational leader may have an influence on the staff members and reduce the risk of mental illness. In addition to this, the company can organize regular trainings in order to understand the issues faced by its employees. Furthermore, a motivated and an inspiring leadership style can enhance the mental wellbeing of the individuals. Therefore, the company can implement a proper leadership approach in order to monitor the employees’ performance level and their issues related to it.
Findings of the research
The author had conducted a regression analysis, which has helped the researcher in establishing the empirical findings in a better way. From the analysis it can be seen that the loss of productivity within the employees is a result of the frequent absenteeism, as they are not happy in doing the work within the current work place. The lack in the level of control within the organization by the superiors led to bullying and other factors that prompted the employees in taking frequent leaves from the organization. Additionally, the nervous attitude of the employees within the work place coupled with the demands to be met within the unrealistic time has hampered the level of productivity within the work place. The researcher has also established that there was no association between the support from the line managers and the level of productivity of the employees.
Figure 1: Absenteeism and Presenteeism of employees
The factors of productivity in the organization depend on the health and wellbeing of the employees, which has to be maintained. Failure of maintaining this results in the loss of level of productivity, as most of the employees abstain from the work place. The negative relation between the interventions of health and the wellness programs has a negative impact on the level of productivity as well.
The factors according to the researcher that hampered the productivity of the employees with respect to health and wellbeing was sleep, which on being deprived caused a major lack in the level of productivity. It was seen that most of the employees who had slept for less than five hours in a day due to the increased pressure from the organization were more absent from the organization due to the health-related issues. Another factor that is established by the researcher is Body Mass Index (BMI), which showed that the BMI below 18 had a higher percentage of absenteeism from the work place.
Another factor is smoking that is prevalent within the employees, as it leads to chronic health problems and affects the productivity of the employees within the work place. Smoking and drinking has a direct effect on the employees and the illness that is caused by these things may prevent the employees to be present within the work place.
Therefore it can be concluded that the health and wellbeing of the employees play an important part in the organization, as it helps in increasing the level of productivity. It also allows the organization in increasing its margin of profit by producing better quality products that will give them a competitive advantage in the market. The organizations have to play an active role in providing all the safety measures to the employees so that they can work in a peaceful environment.
Conclusion:
Thus discussion of the two activities above shows that employee health plays a very important welfare in the performance of the organizations. The organizations must ensure that their employees work in a safe and secure environment. They must also ensure that their employees receive health benefits like sick leaves as a part of their compensation. The following are the recommendations which can be stated on the basis of the discussion
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