QWL: impacts on employees and companies
QWL, or quality of working life, is one of the key performance drivers for employees and companies alike. To understand it, we need to focus on its impact.
What is the impact of a poor quality of life at work?
QWL refers to the level of satisfaction an employee feels at work. It varies according to the environment in which it evolves. According to this framework, quality of life at work can be good or bad. In both cases, it has impacts that need to be taken into account. A poor QWL can lead to many problems related to employee malaise:
– Employee malaise can lead to increased absenteeism. Employees are less and less motivated. They will find various excuses not to work.
– De-motivated, employees who suffer from a mediocre quality of life at work end up quitting. This results in higher recruitment costs.
– Psychosocial risks are higher in companies that have not implemented a QWL approach.
What is the impact of a good quality of life in the workplace?
The impacts of a good QWL can be categorized into two aspects:
– For employees ;
– For companies.
For employees, a good quality of working life is a source of motivation and satisfaction. They feel valued, which makes them want to come back to work. Still linked to satisfaction, the higher it is, the better employees feel. In other words, a good quality of working life helps to preserve employees’ physical and mental health.
For the company, happy employees improve business performance. They work better and more efficiently, which improves results. Motivated employees stay with a company longer. This reduces recruitment costs.
Who should improve quality of life at work?
Quality of working life is not just a corporate responsibility. It also depends in part on employees.
Companies can improve the quality of working life by creating a healthy environment. There are several ways of doing this, such as hiring an agency specializing in this field. In the meantime, the company can also set up a break room or games room for employees.
The company can also propose continuous improvements based on employee recommendations. Another effective way is to enable employees to achieve a good work-life balance. Telecommuting from time to time or flexible working hours are just some of the ways to achieve this.
As far as employees are concerned, the best way to achieve a good quality of life at work is to get involved. Among other things, employees are asked to share their apprehensions when necessary. They need to forge links with their colleagues to strengthen team cohesion. It also creates an environment conducive to mutual support and excellent QWL.
