Workplace wellness programs in offices or factories are a waste of time and money for employers, according to a new scientific study.
Employees choose to pursue happiness in their own way, and it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure they have adequate work-life balance and fair wages.
According to research from the London School of Economics, employers would be better off focusing on reducing negative aspects of the workplace such as bullying, favoritism, burnout and lack of career advancement.
In-depth interviews with workers in the banking, finance and services industries in the UK found that no one supported workplace wellbeing initiatives, including things like meditation apps, free gyms and free or subsidized canteens.
A third of workers reported that the demands of their jobs, the lack of flexibility in their jobs and the way they were treated significantly worsened mental and physical health problems, suggesting that the researchers suggest that corporate wellbeing initiatives may be unnecessary.
Just over half (51 percent) of workers surveyed emphasized the benefits of an autonomous work environment in which they could decide how, when and where they did their work.
This gave them a workday that allowed them to be productive and increase their own job satisfaction. For a third of employees, greater autonomy was also associated with better work-life balance.
Dr Jasmine Virgia, a behavioral scientist at the London School of Economics and one of the lead authors of the study, said: “If employers want happy and healthy employees, they need to focus on minimizing illness.” and employee mental health.”
She said the survey results clearly showed that employees were focusing on their personal well-being “in a very individual way, outside of work.”
Co-author Dr. Grace Lordan, director of the Inclusion Initiative at the Department of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences at the London School of Economics, where the work was carried out, said: “Employers should not be expected to take responsibility for the happiness of their employees just because they are happy people.” is personal.
“Instead, they need to directly address the bad things that happen in the workplace, such as bullying and burnout, and create a psychologically safe environment so that all colleagues can contribute effectively.”
“If employers care about happiness, they should provide livable wages and sufficient work-life balance to enable employees to pursue their own happiness.”
Source: I News

I am Moises Cosgrove and I work for a news website as an author. I specialize in the market section, writing stories about the latest developments in the world of finance and economics. My articles are read by people from all walks of life, from investors to analysts, to everyday citizens looking for insight into how news will affect their finances.