Do better workplace environmental conditions improve job satisfaction?

Abstract

Using data from the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey collected in 2015, estimates of the contribution of workplace environmental factors to the job satisfaction of about 44,000 Europeans from 35 countries are presented. Workplace environmental conditions are shown to play an important role in explaining job satisfaction, comparable to contract conditions such as pay increases and contract duration. Interestingly, the results are not driven by the perception of health or safety risks associated with worse environmental conditions.