In China, researchers conducted a study on the well-being of bus drivers. They found that when employers had a little attention for employees, the number of depressions was reduced.
A small gesture can mean a lot. In the workplace, this would improve employee health and performance. From Pennsylvania State University researchers show that the attention paid by employers to their employees has positive consequences on their state of health and therefore on their productivity.
“The ideal solution to improve performance and health at work would be to increase salaries or reduce workloads, explains Bu Zhong, the research director, but when these solutions are not feasible, we have found that small gifts could make a big difference.”
Good to know our research is reported in the Science Daily. https://t.co/F3H9b48e7Z…/2019/…/190910154708.htm pic.twitter.com/f2n11xAZ3Q
— Bu Zhong (@zhongbu) September 11, 2019
Fresh fruit for lunch
As part of their research, Bu Zhong and his colleagues worked with Chinese bus drivers. Every noon, they receive a meal tray from the employer, for the study, fresh fruit has been added for 3 weeks. The 86 bus drivers completed surveys before, during and after the test.
“The bus drivers reported significantly fewer symptoms of depression one week after the experiment compared to what they had reported one week before the start of this experiment,” says Bu Zhong. They also had more confidence in themselves and their ability to get things done. “This study shows that employees can be sensitive to all the improvements in their working conditions”, insists the director of the study. Small steps that should in principle be followed by more concrete improvements in working conditions. In France, 36% of working people have already burned out according to a CFDT survey published in 2017.
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