Good workplace environment means fewer cases of health-related problems

WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that the way people’s work is organised is related to their health.

According to the research, a poor way of working can harm workers’ health by causing a range of ailments, from cardiovascular disease to problems with mental health.

The new study has shown that the best way of working allows employees a greater level of participation, as well as providing greater possibilities for adapting working conditions to their needs, greater recognition of their work and fair treatment.

“We have studied the relationship between exposure to psychosocial risks and the kind of labour management practices used to hire, use, develop, hold onto or dismiss workers”, Clara Llorens Serrano, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Trade Union Institute of Labour, Environment and Health (ISTAS-CCOO), said.

The study shows that a good working environment is related to participatory employment methods that enable employees to learn new skills, work under permanent contracts that do not make them feel easily expendable or at risk of being fired, salaries paid according to the number of hours worked and tasks carried out, as well as a working week of between 31 to 40 hours, finishing at 2pm.

The survey, carried out between October 2004 and July 2005 on 7,612 people employed by others in Spain, showed that “the better the labour management practices used in organising work, the better the psychosocial environment of the workplace will be, with fewer cases of health-related problems”.

“Our analysis and previous evidence shows that psychosocial risks are related to the labour management practices used. These can be a key factor in the link between psychosocial risks and health, and are a prime target in terms of preventing the appearance of workplace stress and making changes to the organisation of work”, Llorens said.

The study has been published in the journal Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. (ANI)