Dive Brief:
- A new study conducted by researchers from Harvard and Stanford found that the amount of life lost to a stressful work situation varies significantly by race, ethnicity, education level and gender, according to an article by Gallup.
- Those same researchers found that in certain U.S. locations, people with less education and lower incomes have up to a 30% difference in life expectancy than people with more education and higher incomes.
- At the same time, a recent Gallup survey found that after controlling for gender, education, income, race and job category, the difference between an actively disengaged worker and an engaged worker accounts for the same number of unhealthy days per month as can be explained by people with approximately 30 years' age difference. Basically: actively disengaged workers are often less healthy.
Dive Insight:
While workplace policies and benefits are important, workplace leaders should not ignore the substantial effect the work environment can have on health and well-being, according to Gallup.
In the Gallup survey, for example, 56% of "actively disengaged" workers report they experienced a lot of stress, compared with 32% of engaged workers. Also, self-reported "actively disengaged" workers are nearly twice as likely as engaged workers to have been diagnosed with depression. Engaged workers are also less likely to have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and designated as obese.
One possible reason for these differences in health outcomes is that Gallup found that engaged workers are 28% more likely than their actively disengaged peers to get involved in company-sponsored wellness programs. That means employers taking a "holistic approach" to worker well-being -- that is, paying attention to social, financial, and physical well-being -- have a greater chance for success with health outcomes.
Although HR policies and employee benefits obviously impact employee well-being, the work environment and whether it is engaging or disengaging "dwarfs the effect of the policies alone," according to Gallup.