Well-being and enough recovery, is this possible to achieve in today’s working life

In a perfect world, there would only be happy people who enjoy their work and have enough time to recover and enough time for themselves too.Unfortunately, we all know that this is not the case today and several studies show that the well-being of employees is suffering to some extent.

How come people in today´s working life feel more drained and exhausted as before? Why is it so hard to find a balance between working- and private life that helps our recovery after a workday? These are questions that interest me a lot, especially when it comes to the well-being of employees. Therefore, it was obvious that my master thesis study would focus on these issues and questions.

I am working with HR questions within a company in Ostrobothnia and have somewhat experience and knowledge about this. As there are a lot of studies and information concerning well-being, I wanted to focus mostly on the recovery part in my master thesis study. I also focused my studies on a specific group of employees, the work management as their role and workload can be seen higher than other employees. The answers were received through a questionnaire and there were many answers received, which also shows that the employees find this subject important as well. This makes me happy to realize that talking about well-being is essential for many of us and should therefore be emphasized enough!

Conclusion of my study

The answers I received from the questionnaire were overall good, and their perception of their well-being and recovery is at a good level. However, their workload was seen high on occasions which affects their feeling of well-being. Too much burden or workload during the day is a mutual challenge for many organizations. In a hectic working environment and always being available, causes stress at many times which affects recovery. Especially if you need to respond to phone calls or emails after working hours also. Due to that it can be hard to find the right balance between work and private life and one should know when to stop working. This was also shown in the study where many answered they wished for more time for activities that are of interest to them. Promoting physical activities is important as it helps to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. The study did not ask why it was hard for them to find balance between work and private life, is it due to their role as managers and too heavy workload or their family situation? This could be something for further studies as well.

In my study I used Marja-Liisa Manka´s work well-being model as base and theoretical framework for my studies and received many insightful thoughts. The well-being model describes what affects the well-being of an individual. Physical well-being is related to a person’s health and condition such as exercise, sleep, rest, healthy eating habits and good ergonomics at work. Psychological well-being can also be seen as an inner strength that individuals may use when facing difficulties and prevent the feeling of anxiety and feeling of insecurity. (Manka & Manka, 2016)
The mental me is related to own identity, personal growth, and own attitudes towards the organization. Every individual interprets the organization from their own personal perspective and attitudes which affects all parts of the well-being model. Our attitudes are based on previous experiences and education and have a great impact on how we perceive our surroundings.

To answer the question in the topic given, “well-being and enough recovery, is it possible to achieve in today’s working life”? My answer to this is YES. This is possible and something every organization should try to achieve! However, the organizations are not alone in making this happen. This is done together with employees by creating a culture that emphasizes well-being and is respected by everyone. A question of company values! It does not need to be complicated, listening and being attentive to employees with a supporting work environment is a very good start. Prioritizing well-being and finding new innovative ways to work that helps employees recover and to find the right balance between work and private life can be done and achieved.

Theres has been published an article in OTERAN (other infrastructure company) where studies show that employees in the infrastructure branch brought up the challenges many infrastructure companies are facing today, long working hours with tight timetables, difficulties arranging annual leaves due to the seasonal work etc. The results of the study showed that employees put the balance with work and free-time primary, salary was set as a fourth priority. This can show some changes in employee attitudes, where other values than money are of importance for many employees. This is another reason for organizations to emphasize well-being and finding tools and ways that support an employee at their work!

Biography

Heidi Tärnvik is working within HR within an infrastructure company and interested in questions related to work well-being, recovery, and mental health.Her ambitions with this study were to receive information and thoughts about the recovery and well-being concerning the work management within the company. The study helps HR to support work management and find ways that promote their recovery and well-being.

Pictures: 

• https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/happy-people
• https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/handstogether

Reference

• Manka, M.-L., & Manka, M. (2016). Työhyvinvointi. Helsinki: Talentum Media