Did you know that working at job you hate can actually be worse on your mental health than being unemployed? A major study suggests that a poor working environment can have detrimental effects on your overall well-being, especially when it comes to your mental health.
About the Survey
The survey comes courtesy of the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics of Australia (HILDA), which was published by Peter Butterworth and the Centre for Mental Health Research, the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, and the Australian Demographic & Social Research Institute – all at the Australian National University. The data was collected by 7,155 respondents of working age who participated in a national household panel survey.
The Results
We’ve known for quite some time the mental health benefits of working at a job where you are engaged, but it turns out working for a place you hate can really take its toll on your mental health. According to the HILDA survey, the psychosocial quality of a bad job is worse than unemployment.
Specifically, the report shows that people who moved from unemployment to an optimal job experienced significant improvement in mental health. Respondents who moved from unemployment to poor-quality jobs displayed a worsening in their mental well-being.
This isn’t the only report that suggests working at a job you dislike has negative side effects. Research from the journal Human Relations found that working at a job you dislike can cause severe exhaustion and stress, which leads to the worker becoming burnt out.
How Can You Create a Better Working Environment?
When employees hate their jobs, it doesn’t just affect them – it also affects your company. After all, workers do not hate their jobs until they have become fully disengaged. From significantly reducing productivity to lowering employee morale and increasing turnover, disengaged employees wind up costing companies billions.
Luckily, there is something you can do to combat this dangerous mindset – create a Culture of Engagement. If you’re interested in learning more about how your company can engage its employees, then we recommend downloading our “7 New Rules of Employee Engagement” wall chart.
C.A. Short Company partners with companies to manage, drive and facilitate increased employee engagement to increase financial performance, productivity, quality, and core performance outcomes. Our process and research-based platform enables executives and managers to engage their teams to increase the bottom line, motivate staff, and incentivize positive behavior. To request a Complimentary Consultation, please click here.