Workplace Climate & Employee Well-being
We celebrated Labor Day in the US this week, so let’s look at some research on well-being in the American workplace.
Leaders who strive to enhance organizational success are interested in the intersection between employee well-being and performance. Three professors at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and the vice president of data science and innovation for Great Place To Work, conducted a study of employee well-being in the US, examining data from 2023 on mental, emotional, and personal support; sense of purpose; meaningful connections; and financial health.
Because managers often experience less stress than their employees, some leaders may not fully appreciate employee needs. The report discusses recent research that found:
22% of employees are experiencing burnout,
35% of employees are concerned about their mental health or well-being, and
about 1/3 of Americans are suffering from anxiety and depression.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy identified workplace well-being as one of the most important public health concerns in 2022, citing significant stressors on employees such as heavy workloads, long commutes, rapid change, uncertainty, and toxic employment cultures.
This study found:
Men report greater well-being than women;
Well-being by ethnicity and gender revealed the following spectrum, from highest well-being to lowest: Asian men, White men, White women, Asian women, Hispanic/Latino men, Hispanic/Latino women, Black men, and Black women;
Older Americans (55 years and older) report the greatest sense of well-being, with each successive younger age group reporting lower rates of well-being, resulting in the youngest group (25 years and younger) reporting the lowest rates of well-being;
The highest-ranking leaders (Executives and C-Suite) report the uppermost degree of well-being, with each successive drop in management responsibility reporting lower well-being, and the lowest employees in the hierarchy report the lowest degree of well-being; and
Workplaces that offered the most remote work flexibility scored considerably higher on workplace climate assessments than those workplaces that offered fewer or no remote work opportunities.
Takeaway: This study indicates that improving workplace well-being may require customized interventions for employees. Men report greater well-being than women; older employees report greater well-being than younger employees; employees with greater remote work opportunities report greater well-being than those with fewer remote work opportunities; and senior leaders report greater well-being than junior employees. Perhaps leaders should ask employees what might make their work easier to accomplish and what might improve their well-being.
Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.
The Legal Brain: A Lawyer’s Guide to Well-being and Better Job Performance is available on Amazon.
One reviewer said:
In The Legal Brain, Dr. Debra Austin—a passionate educator and lifelong learner—masterfully demystifies brain science and neuro-intelligence. Steeped in rigorous research yet highly accessible, this reassuring guide offers practical tips for all members of the legal profession to nurture cognitive wellness and cognitive fitness, cease languishing, and start flourishing.
Heidi K. Brown, Author of The Introverted Lawyer, Untangling Fear in Lawyering, and The Flourishing Lawyer
Sources
Richard Smith, Michelle Barton, Christopher Myers, and Marcus Erb, Well-Being at Work: US Research Report | Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (jhu.edu), US Research Report 2024.
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