Study finds link between safety, health and employee performance

September 30th, 2013 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

According to a recent study, there is a significant link between a positive health and safety culture and overall employee performance. The study, conducted by the Integrated Benefits Institute, found that employees at companies with a strong emphasis on health, safety and well-being tend to work more carefully and with a greater level of focus than those at organizations without comprehensive worker health and safety plans.

The IBI gathered responses from 1,268 employees and 53 employers, determining the relationship between health culture and job performance. The study asked workers to rate their organization's investment in creating a healthy workplace, measuring job performance and the level of difficulties employees had faced during the month prior to the survey.

Around 86 percent of respondents rated their employers' health policies as good or excellent, while 14 percent said their organization's health cultures were just fair or good. The study found a strong correlation between health environments and performance - workers at organizations with poor health culture said they were frequently not careful at work nearly "all" or "most of the time." Employees at companies with a weak health structure reported low concentration and productivity levels - 31 percent of these respondents said they were unable to concentrate on work tasks all or most of the time, while 44 percent said they do not work as often as they should all or most of the time.

IBI research director and main author of the report Kimberly Jinnett, PhD,said workplace culture reflects the priorities of company leadership and has a direct tie to office performance.

"If a workplace sets a high priority on the health of employees - who, in turn, are healthier and have better job performance - then it can reasonably be said that an employer's culture gives it a competitive advantage," Jinnett said.

According to the study, more employers are increasing their focus on the link between health and job performance in order to foster company success.