Sociology (Scholarly Publications)
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/110
Sociology (Scholarly Publications)2024-03-19T03:09:17ZWorker well-being and quit intentions: is measuring job satisfaction enough?
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/103177
Worker well-being and quit intentions: is measuring job satisfaction enough?
Pelly, Diane
The links between worker well-being and quit intentions have been well researched. However, the vast majority of extant studies use just one measure, job satisfaction, to proxy for worker well-being as a whole, thus ignoring its documented multidimensionality. This paper examines whether this approach is justified. Using novel survey data, I compare the extent to which alternative well-being indicators (job satisfaction, affect, engagement and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs) individually, and jointly, explain variation in the quit intentions of 994 full-time workers. I find systematic differences in the personal and well-being profiles of workers who intend quitting and those who do not. Furthermore, well-being indicators explain four to nine times more variation in quit intentions than wages and hours combined. The engagement measure performs best, explaining 22.5% of variation in quit intentions. Employing a composite model (job satisfaction + affect + engagement) significantly increases explanatory power. My results suggest that the standard single-item job satisfaction measure may be good enough for organisations who merely wish to identify categories of workers who may be most at risk of quitting. For organisations seeking to develop proactive quit prevention strategies however, supplementing job satisfaction with other indicators such as engagement should increase explanatory power and yield valuable, potentially actionable, insights.
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZSpotlight on adolescent health and well-being. Findings from the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in Europe and Canada. International report. Volume 1. Key findings
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/102287
Spotlight on adolescent health and well-being. Findings from the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in Europe and Canada. International report. Volume 1. Key findings
Cosma, Alina
This report presents key findings from 227 441 young
people aged 11, 13 and 15 years in 45 countries/regions
who participated in the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in
School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The findings highlight
some positive trends in relation to adolescents’ health
and well-being. Most adolescents experience positive
and supportive social relationships, relatively few health
problems, and good overall health and well-being.
Substance use continues to decline and eating habits
are improving. Challenges nevertheless remain.
There is some evidence of increasing pressure at school,
especially among older adolescents, at a time when
perceived support from family and teachers decreases.
The proliferation of digital media has led to problematic
use among some adolescents whose social media
behaviours affect their relationships with family and friends
and disrupt other activities. Physical activity levels remain
extremely low and increasing numbers of young people
are reporting issues that affect their mental health, such
as feeling low and sleep difficulties. Persistent social and
gender inequalities remain, and many aspects of health
and well-being worsen with age.
By helping to make young people’s lives more visible,
HBSC continues to underpin effective actions to promote
the health of adolescents across the WHO European Region,
Canada and beyond.
2020-01-01T00:00:00ZMaking homeworking work: preferences and experiences of homeworkers during COVID-19
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/102083
Making homeworking work: preferences and experiences of homeworkers during COVID-19
Pelly, Diane
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a large section of the global labour force who were
working in centralised locations to suddenly switch to homeworking. This report uses
primary longitudinal data from two surveys of 808 full-time workers in the UK which were
conducted before (Nov 2019-Feb 2020) and during (May-June 2020) the period of COVID-
19 restrictions in order to examine the impact of COVID-19 and homeworking on workers’
homeworking preferences and on their self-rated levels of stress, well-being and
productivity.
Just under three-quarters of the workers in our sample who are still engaged in paid work
are now working from home full-time, compared to 3% of workers prior to COVID-19. The
lack of a commute is the most cited benefit of homeworking (72% of respondents), while
missing socialising with co-workers is the most cited disadvantage (56%). While 84% of
current homeworkers wish to continue working from home, 58% favour a ‘hybrid’
homeworking option over full-time homeworking. Just under half of all workers report
diminished productivity due to COVID-19, with workers who have poor self-rated mental
health or low self-control particularly badly affected. The effects of homeworking during
COVID-19 on the productivity of homeworkers is mixed, with 39% of homeworkers
reporting producing less work when homeworking and 35% reporting producing more
work. While there is variation around preferences for homeworking supports, the most
frequently requested support (55% of current homeworkers) is a better physical work set-
up at home.
COVID-19 has had a relatively minor effect on average work-related affective well-being
or job satisfaction across the entire sample. This may reflect the nature of the sample
which is comprised of workers in full-time employment prior to COVID-19, who report
relatively low levels of physical exposure to COVID-19. Alternatively, workers may have
already adjusted to the ‘new normal’. There is, however, evidence of heterogeneity.
Homeworkers have experienced a significant increase in job satisfaction during COVID-19
and report significantly higher job satisfaction than non-homeworkers, in particular
homeworkers who are non-parents, single, who have poor self-rated mental health or
who score highly on Big-5 neuroticism.
Our results have important implications for public bodies and organisations seeking to
utilise homeworking longer term. They reveal considerably heterogeneity around
homeworking preferences and experiences and highlight the need to capture workers’
real-life experiences of homeworking to ensure that labour deployment plans and
homeworking supports maximise worker well-being, while preserving productivity and
profitability.
2020-01-01T00:00:00ZNudging in the workplace: increasing participation in employee EDI wellness events
http://hdl.handle.net/2262/102082
Nudging in the workplace: increasing participation in employee EDI wellness events
Pelly, Diane
Organisations are investing significant resources in promoting the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of their employees. In hybrid working environments, virtual worker wellness events are increasingly being used to combat social isolation and boost employee morale. Yet attendance at such events is often low. Using a randomised control trial, this study tests whether four behaviourally informed nudges (i) simplification, (ii) changing the messenger, (iii) using social proof and (iv) setting a default, can increase the registration and attendance rates of 6,998 public sector employees at three EDI (Equality Diversity Inclusion) wellness events. We find evidence that defaults matter. Pre-registering employees more than trebles the attendance rate, from 2.8% to 9.5%. While providing social proof and changing the messenger increase registration rates, they have no impact on attendance. We find little evidence of treatment heterogeneity, suggesting that defaults may have wide applicability. Our results have important implications for organisations seeking to enhance the impact and return on investment of their worker wellness initiatives.
PUBLISHED
2022-01-01T00:00:00Z