Employment, Productivity and Work
Employment and health have an interconnected relationship, where employment can impact health, and health can impact employment.
Stable and secure work can improve health and wellbeing through regular income, social interaction, and sense of purpose. In comparison, those in poor-quality jobs or unemployment are known to suffer worse health than those in good quality work. To benefit health and wellbeing, ideally work should be well paid, safe, and supportive, with opportunities for training and development and benefits such as paid sick leave, access to employer pensions, and maternity and paternity leave. Employers should support those with long-term sickness or caring responsibilities to reduce risk of unemployment, and have policies in place to protect employee health for example if work involves manual labour or exposure to excessive levels of work-related stress.
Many people suffering from poor health leave work due to lack of support from their employer. Increased access to occupational health services and better support from line managers regarding physical and mental health could improve job satisfaction and keep people in employment.
Employees feeling fulfilled and supported at work are likely to be more productive, and less likely to take time off sick and may retire later, which in turn can also benefit society as a whole by positively impacting the health of employees and boosting the economy.
This podcast hosted by Alliance Manchester Business School explores the lessons learnt from Protect, a major UK government study into the transmission of the COVID-19 virus and the wider UK research programme around COVID-19.
Debating the findings of the nationwide study are Professor David Fishwick, Chief Medical Advisor at Health and Safety Executive GB, Sheena Johnson, Professor of Work Psychology and Wellbeing at Alliance Manchester Business School, and Martie Van Tongeren, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health at The University of Manchester.
Employment, Productivity and Work
Prof Sheena Johnson, Professor of Work Psychology and Wellbeing
Prof Martie van Tongeren, Professor of Occupational & Environmental Health
Case studies
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Influencing employment policies
Research from the Work and Equalities Institute has provided an evidence base that has had a major impact at the national and international level, informing employment debates and policies.
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Racism at Work
Explore reports, videos, blogs and graphics on racism at work from the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE).
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Young people transitioning into education and employment
Examining how labour market inequalities are rooted in the differential experiences of young people in the education system.
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Workplace violence and aggression – employees on the frontline
Dr Kara Ng and Professor Sheena Johnson outline their work with the Violence and Aggression Research Network (VARN) and make proposals for updated policy to support employers and individuals.
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Institutes
Work and Equalities Institute
The agenda of the Work and Equalities Institute is to identify and promote the conditions for more inclusive and fair work and employment arrangements.
Thomas Ashton Institute
Drawing on the combined knowledge and experience to deliver research, learning and regulatory insights to enable a better working world.
The Productivity Institute
Exploring what productivity means for business, for workers and for communities, how it is measured and contributes to living standards and well-being.