Work-related Well-being Research Articles

A randomized controlled trial to improve psychological detachment from work and well-being among employees: a study protocol comparing online CBT-based and mindfulness interventions

BackgroundThe changing landscape of the work environment, which often encompasses expectations of employees being continuously available, makes it difficult to disengage from work and recover. This can have a negative impact on employees’ well-being, resulting in burnout, depression and anxiety, among other difficulties. The current study will test the effectiveness of two different online interventions (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy; CBT and mindfulness-based stress reduction; MBSR) on employees’ psychological detachment, burnout and other variables related to general (e.g., life satisfaction) and work-specific (e.g., work engagement) well-being.Methods/designThe study is designed as a randomized control trial with two intervention groups (i.e., CBT, MBSR) and a waitlist control group. Participants will be full-time employees from a wide range of organizations from Slovenia, who report moderate difficulties with psychological detachment from work and burnout and are not receiving any other form of treatment. The online interventions will encompass 12 sessions over 6 weeks (2 sessions per week); each session will include 1) an active audio-guided session and 2) home assignments, accompanied by handouts and worksheets. The study outcomes (i.e., psychological detachment, burnout, general and work-specific well-being), potential mechanisms (i.e., work-related maladaptive thinking patterns, mindfulness) and moderators (e.g., supervisor support for recovery) will be assessed immediately before and after the interventions (pre and post measurement) and 3 months after intervention completion (follow-up). Additionally, participants will fill out questionnaires for the assessment of the central mechanisms and study outcomes each week.DiscussionWe expect that the CBT-based intervention will lead to greater improvements in psychological detachment from work and burnout compared to the MBSR and the waitlist control group. Additionally, we expect that the CBT-based intervention will also lead to greater enhancement of both general and work-related well-being.Trial registrationhttps://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN98347361 [May 19, 2020].

Job satisfaction at specialized eating disorder units in Norway.

Patients with an eating disorder are frequently referred to as a particularly challenging group to treat. As a consequence, it is important to understand how working with eating disorders affects workplace well-being. Job satisfaction is a key indicator of workplace welfare. The aims of the current study were to (a) measure overall job satisfaction among healthcare providers working at specialized eating disorder units in Norway, and (b) to investigate possible differences in job satisfaction between professional groups and between staff working fixed versus rotating shifts. This cross-sectional study is part of a larger study investigating work-related well-being at specialized eating disorder units in Norway. The total sample was composed of 186 participants from 11 specialized eating disorder units. Overall, high job satisfaction was found across all professional groups. There were significant differences between daytime and shift workers on several dimensions of job satisfaction. Medical doctors and clinical psychologists scored significantly higher than nursing staff on several aspects of job satisfaction. This study suggests high job satisfaction across all professional groups among healthcare providers working at specialized eating disorder units, contrary to commonly-held beliefs that working with eating disorders is very demanding.

Beware of side effects on quality! Investigating the implications of home working on work-life balance in educational services

PurposeTelecommuting from home is back up on the agenda as a result of the unforeseen challenges brought by COVID-19. Working from home permits to avoid disruption in the ordinary functioning of educational institutions triggered by social distancing. However, home-based telecommuting may have some side effects on employees, especially in terms of work-life balance. Soft Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives are needed to address these side effects. The article intends to shed light on these issues, providing some food for thought to scholars and practitioners.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data about the working conditions of 2,046 people employed in the education sector across Europe were investigated. A serial mediation analysis was designed to examine the direct and indirect implications of working from home on work-life balance.FindingsThe study suggests that home-based telecommuting may trigger work-to-life and life-to-work conflicts, due to the blurring of boundaries between work and everyday life. Soft tools, such as organizational meaningfulness (OM) and work-related well-being (WB), mediate the relationship between working from home (HW) and work-life conflicts (WLC), lessening the negative implications of working from home on work-life balance.Practical implicationsThe design and the implementation of home-based telecommuting arrangements should include a special concern for soft TQM practices. Among others, OM and WB are likely to minimize the disruption of remote employees' jobs and interpersonal relationships. Failure to do so impairs the ability of home-based employees to make sense out of their working arrangements and to achieve a sustainable work-life balance.Originality/valueThis is one of the first attempts to illuminate the side effects of home-based telecommuting and to investigate the role of soft TQM in addressing these side effects.

Coaching for primary care physician well-being: A randomized trial and follow-up analysis.

Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) are integral to the health of all people in the U.S. Many PCPs experience burnout, and declines in well-being. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of a six-session positive psychology-based coaching intervention to improve PCP personal and work-related well-being and decrease stress and burnout. Fifty-nine U.S.-based PCPs were randomized into a primary (n = 29) or a waitlisted control group (n = 30). Outcome measures were assessed preintervention, postintervention, and at three and six months post-intervention. Hypotheses 1a-1h were for a randomized controlled trial test of coaching on PCP burnout (a), stress (b), turnover intentions (c), work engagement (d), psychological capital (e), compassion (f), job self-efficacy (g), and job satisfaction (h). Results from 50 PCPs who completed coaching and follow-up assessments indicated significantly decreased burnout (H1a) and increased work engagement (H1d), psychological capital (H1e), and job satisfaction (H1h) for the primary group from pre- to postcoaching, compared to changes between comparable time points for the waitlisted group. Hypotheses 2a-2h were for stability of positive effects and were tested using follow-up data from participants in the primary and waitlisted groups combined. Results from 39 PCPs who completed the intervention and the six-month follow-up indicated that positive changes observed for H1a, H1d, H1e, and H1h were sustained during a six-month follow-up (supporting H2a, H2d, H2e, and H2h). Results indicate that coaching is a viable and effective intervention for PCPs in alleviating burnout and improving well-being. We recommend that employers implement coaching for PCPs alongside systemic changes to work factors driving PCP burnout. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Return to work after maternity leave: the role of support policies on work attitudes of women in management positions

PurposeThis study aims to expand our knowledge on the processes through which work–family policies relate to work–family conflict as well as work–related attitudes among women in management positions returning to work after maternity leave.Design/methodology/approachA total of 238 women in management positions who recently have returned to work after maternity leave completed a self-reported questionnaire.FindingsResults show that the availability of policies was either directly or indirectly positively related to work attitudes among female managers. Also, findings show that work–family conflict partially mediates the relationship between the availability of communication and psychological support and flexible time management policies with work engagement, and policy availability moderates the relationship between work–family conflict and work engagement.Originality/valueManagers have a crucial role in conveying the value of work–family policies and in creating a culture supporting the management of work and family. By investigating the processes underlying the role of work–family policies in influencing work attitudes of women in managerial positions, this study sheds light on how the awareness of the available policies might be an important determinant of work-related well-being and organizational commitment.

Exposure to animal suffering, adult attachment styles, and professional quality of life in a sample of Italian veterinarians.

Contextual and individual risk factors of veterinarians’ professional quality of life are being debated. Research suggests that attachment styles are relevant predictors of professional quality of life; however, their role in work-related well-being of veterinarians is yet to be ascertained. In the present study, self-report measures on exposure to animal suffering, adult attachment styles, and professional quality of life were administered to 1,445 Italian veterinarians (70% females) aged 24 to 74 years old; sociodemographic information and information on workload were also collected. Female gender, higher levels of ordinary workload, on-call hours per week, exposure to animal suffering, together with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles were significantly associated with lower levels of veterinarians’ quality of life. This suggests that work-related factors may combine with individual psychological features in promoting or disadvantaging the professional quality of life of veterinarians. Implications of these findings for promoting veterinarians’ quality of life and directions for future research are discussed.

Authentic Happiness at Work: Self- and Peer-Rated Orientations to Happiness, Work Satisfaction, and Stress Coping.

The authentic happiness theory covers three basic orientations to happiness; namely, the life of pleasure (via hedonism); engagement (via flow-related experiences); and meaning (via eudaimonia). There is broad evidence for a positive relationship between these three orientations and indicators of positive psychological functioning in a variety of life domains. However, their contribution to well-being at work is understudied. The main aim of this study was testing the relationship between self- and peer-rated orientations to happiness, work related well-being (work satisfaction, work stress), and coping strategies. Further possible mediating effects of the coping strategies on the relationship between orientations to happiness and well-being at work were also examined. The sample consisted of 372 German-speaking Swiss adults (60.3% female), aged between 18 and 65 years (M = 38.9, SD = 10.8) with a minimum of 40% full-time employment. For 100 persons, peer-ratings of the orientations to happiness were available. Our results showed that the life of engagement and, to a lesser extent, the life of meaning are related to work satisfaction. The life of pleasure was associated with lower levels of reported work stress. Further, positive associations between self- and peer-rated orientations to happiness (particularly pleasure) and adaptive coping strategies with stress were also found. Mediation analyses showed that the effects of engagement in general and content-related work satisfaction were mediated mainly by control and negative coping, while the association between meaning and resigned work satisfaction was mediated by positive coping. Negative coping fully mediated the association between the pleasurable life and work stress. Overall, our results indicate that employees’ orientations to happiness are of importance for experiencing well-being at work.

Work beliefs, work-role fit, and well-being of judges in South Africa: Effects on intention to leave and organisational citizenship behaviour

This study explored work beliefs, work-role fit, well-being, intention to leave, and organisational citizenship behaviour in a sample of judges in South Africa. We employed an exploratory, multi-method design to survey South African judges (n = 25 for the qualitative study and n = 28 for the quantitative study). Findings from qualitative analyses indicated that most judges were flourishing in their roles, with a strong calling orientation to their work. The judges perceived serving the public, making a difference to people’s lives, and contributing to justice as more rewarding than financial compensation. Results following multidimensional scaling indicated two work-related well-being dimensions; namely subjective well-being versus behavioural intention, and fitting in and doing good versus discontented withdrawal. Concerning fitting in and doing good, work-role fit among the judges was strongly related to organisational citizenship behaviour. Regarding discontented withdrawal, judges’ intentions to leave was strongly related to reduced emotional well-being. The findings imply that both dimensions of work-related well-being are relevant to the optimal functioning and retention of judges.

Well-Being of Public Servants Under Pressure: Analyzing the Causal Demands and Buffering Traits

As the health-impairment process from job demands to lower well-being among public servants is still understudied, this article fills this gap by analyzing this process using the increasingly applied Job Demands-Resources model. To test the health-impairment process, we asked ourselves the question: What is the relationship between sector specific job demands and work-related well-being (work engagement and emotional exhaustion) of public servants and which big five personality traits ensure that either the hindering effect of these demands is lowered or the challenging effect enlarged? We analyzed four public sector demands including organizational restructurings, technological innovations, aggression from citizens, and integrity pressure. Based on the analysis of two representative subsamples of the Dutch public sector (respectively 8.537 and 8.310 respondents) it can be concluded that all job demands negatively relate to well- being. However, the results show that organizational restructurings is the strongest hindering job demand, as it worsens well-being while the experiences with the demand are predominantly negative. At the same time, technological innovations is the least hindering demand due to the rather positive perceptions. Moreover, some personality traits turned out to be demands instead of resources, opening new doors for future research in the health-impairment process of public servants.

Employee Well-Being: The Role of Perceived Competence

Competence is a meaningful factor for coping in working life in continually changing work environments. Incompetence is not just a factor for poor performance, but also a potential threat for employee well-being. The purpose of the study is to gain more understanding of how competence might matter from the perspective of well-being at work. We explore how perceived competence is connected to perceived work-related well-being among Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Generation Y employees. The frames of reference of the study is based on literature on employee well-being (measured with work engagement and overcommitment) and competence, as well as on generational discussions. The quantitative, questionnaire-based study was conducted in 88 companies in Finland the total number of respondents being 4418. The main finding was that perceived competence related to current duties are a statistically significantly connected to employee well-being. The results indicate that high competence results in high employee well-being in all generational groups. Further, Generation Y estimated their work well-being, both in terms of work engagement and overcommitment, lower than Baby Boomers or Generation X. On a practical note, developing competence of employees in organizations seems to be a mean to support work well-being among other benefits. It is especially important to pay attention to that among generation Y, who take their first steps in working life.

Evaluating the psychometric properties and factor structure of the general self-efficacy scale in China

The General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale is commonly used in epistemological studies to explain human behaviours, particularly those related to motivation, academic and work-related performance, well-being and quality of life. Yet, few studies have systematically evaluated the psychometric properties and dimensionality of the scale in the context of mainland China. Three cross-sectional studies were conducted with a total of 9578 respondents from primary schools, secondary schools and a university in China. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the dimensionality and factor structure of the 10-item GSE scale. The internal consistency and criterion validity of the scale were also evaluated. The results indicate that the GSE comprising two-factor structure, namely action self-efficacy (items 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9), and coping self-efficacy (items 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10), possess good psychometric properties. The scale demonstrates good internal consistency, with a = .91. The findings also demonstrate that the GSE has good criterion validity related to other well-established measurements of well-being, self-esteem and mental health. In addition, the results of the confirmatory factor analysis also suggested that the scale shows a good model fit, as χ2 (1001.197), p = < .001, SRMR = .030, CFI = .997, TLI = .997 and RMSEA = .055. The 10-item General Self-Efficacy scale with a 2-factor structure has good psychometric properties. This scale is suitable for scholars or practitioners seeking to further conduct further studies to investigate issues related to self-efficacy in Chinese society.

The Requirements for New Tools for Use by Pilots and the Aviation Industry to Manage Risks Pertaining to Work-Related Stress (WRS) and Wellbeing, and the Ensuing Impact on Performance and Safety

Work is part of our wellbeing and a key driver of a person’s health. Pilots need to be fit for duty and aware of risks that compromise their health/wellbeing. Recent studies suggest that work-related stress (WRS) impacts on pilot health and wellbeing, performance, and flight safety. This paper reports on the advancement of new tools for pilots and airlines to support the management of WRS and wellbeing. This follows from five phases of stakeholder evaluation research and analysis. Existing pre-flight checklists should be extended to enable the crew to evaluate their health and wellbeing. New checklists might be developed for use by pilots while off duty supporting an assessment of (1) their biopsychosocial health status and (2) how they are coping. This involves the advancement of phone apps with different wellness functions. Pending pilot consent, data captured in these tools might be shared in a de-identified format with the pilot’s airline. Existing airline safety management systems (SMS) and flight rostering/planning systems might be augmented to make use of this data from an operational and risk/safety management perspective. Fatigue risk management systems (and by implication airline rostering/flight planning systems) need to be extended to consider the relationship between fatigue risk and the other dimensions of a pilot’s wellbeing. Further, pending permission, pilot data might be shared with airline employee assistance program (EAP) personnel and aeromedical examiners. In addition, new training formats should be devised to support pilot coping skills. The proposed tools can support the management of WRS and wellbeing. In turn, this will support performance and safety. The pilot specific tools will enable the practice of healthy behaviors, which in turn strengthens a pilot’s resistance to stress. Healthy work relates to the creation of positive wellbeing within workplaces and workforces and has significant societal implications. Pilots face many occupational hazards that are part of their jobs. Pilots, the aviation industry, and society should recognize and support the many activities that contribute to positive wellbeing for pilots. Social justice is a basic premise for quality of employment and quality of life.

The effects of emergency medical service work on the psychological, physical, and social well-being of ambulance personnel: a systematic review of qualitative research

BackgroundHigh rates of mental distress, mental illness, and the associated physical effects of psychological injury experienced by ambulance personnel has been widely reported in quantitative research. However, there is limited understanding of how the nature of ambulance work contributes to this problem, the significant large toll that emergency medical response takes on the individual, and particularly about late and cumulative development of work-related distress among this first responder workforce.MethodsThis study examined peer-reviewed qualitative research published from 2000 to 2018 to outline the effect of emergency medical response work on the psychological, psychosocial, and physical health of paramedics, ambulance officers, ambulance volunteers, and call-takers. Databases searched included: Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Ovid EMcare, PsychInfo and Scopus. The systematic review was organised around five key areas: impact of the work on psychological wellbeing; impact of psychological stress on physical wellbeing; how work-related well-being needs were articulated; effects of workflow and the nature of the work on well-being; and, effects of organisational structures on psychological and physical well-being.ResultsThirty-nine articles met the eligibility criteria. Several factors present in the day-to-day work of ambulance personnel, and in how organisational management acknowledge and respond, were identified as being significant and contributing to mental health and well-being, or increasing the risk for developing conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Ambulance personnel articulated their well-being needs across four key areas: organisational support; informal support; use of humour; and individual mechanisms to cope such as detachment and external supports.ConclusionsInteractions between critical incidents and workplace culture and demands have an overwhelming impact on the psychological, physical and social well-being of ambulance personnel. These include day-to-day managerial actions and responses, the impact of shift work, poorly-managed rosters, and long hours of work with little time between for recovery. Mental health issues result from exposure to traumatic events, and the way managers and peers respond to worker distress. Ambulance personnel suffering from work-related stress feel abandoned by peers, management, and the service, during illness, in return-to-work, and post-retirement. Policy, programmes and interventions, and education need to occur at an individual, peer, organisational, and government level.

The Interplay of Compassion, Subjective Happiness and Proactive Strategies on Kindergarten Teachers' Work Engagement and Perceived Working Environment Fit.

Background: The current cross-sectional study examines a model that was designed to advance understanding of the interplay between compassion towards teachers expressed by teaching colleagues, subjective happiness, proactive strategies and kindergarten teachers’ levels of work engagement, and perceived working environment fit. Methods: The research was conducted with a sample of 319 full-time in-service kindergarten teachers at Italian public preschools—a context in which a few previous studies have been carried out. Self-report questionnaires were administered: The Subjective Happiness Scale, the Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Proactive Strategy Scale, and the Teacher-working environment fit scale. Data were analyzed by using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. Results: Results show that compassion and subjective happiness have a direct positive total effect on work engagement, whereas the effects of compassion and subjective happiness on experienced working environment fit suggest that the association among constructs is mediated by the role of proactive strategies. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we strongly advocate that educational policy makers and head teachers’ pay close attention to the areas of personal and collective resources and work-related well-being, with a view to effectively address the promotion of early childhood teachers’ work engagement and working environment fit.

Job strain, gender and well-being at work: a case study of public sector line managers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of public sector line managers' work-related well-being and health in relation to job strain, gender and workplace social support.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was sent to all senior and middle line managers (N = 357) in three administrative departments of Iceland's largest municipality. The response rate was 64.7%. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the data.FindingsA minority of respondents experience high job strain. However, for these managers, the risk of experiencing emotional exhaustion is about fivefold, compared to those not experiencing high job strain. Social support is an important buffering against job strain and enhances well-being. Female managers are more likely than their male counterparts to report myositis, back or shoulder pain and sleeping difficulty.Practical implicationsThe study emphasises that workplace social support attenuates the negative impact of job strain on line managers' work-related well-being. Furthermore, it demonstrates that in a society at the forefront in gender equality, gender differences in health symptoms exist among line managers in the public sector – a finding that highlights the importance of studying all aspects of workplace well-being by gender. This calls for future research using a more comprehensive survey data and interviews to shed light on the pathways through which female line managers' health is negatively affected.Originality/valueKnowledge relating to well-being and health of line managers in the public sector is scarce. This study contributes to filling that gap. As work-related well-being is often gender-blind, the value of the study is also the investigation of the gender patterns in the authors’ data.

Doing Good, Feeling Good? Entrepreneurs\u2019 Social Value Creation Beliefs and Work-Related Well-Being

Entrepreneurs with social goals face various challenges; insights into how these entrepreneurs experience and appreciate their work remain a black box though. Drawing on identity, conservation of resources, and person–organization fit theories, this study examines how entrepreneurs’ social value creation beliefs relate to their work-related well-being (job satisfaction, work engagement, and lack of work burnout), as well as how this process might be influenced by social concerns with respect to the common good. Using data from the German Public Value Atlas 2015 and 2019 and the Swiss Public Value Atlas 2017, a three-study design analyzes three samples of entrepreneurs in Germany and Switzerland. Study 1 reveals that entrepreneurs report higher job satisfaction when they believe their organization creates social value. Study 2 indicates that these beliefs relate negatively to work burnout; entrepreneurs’ perceptions of having meaningful work mediate this relationship. Study 3 affirms and extends these results by showing that a sense of work meaningfulness mediates the relationship between social value creation beliefs and work engagement and that this mediating role is more prominent among entrepreneurs with strong social concerns. This investigation thus identifies a critical pathway—the extent to which entrepreneurs experience their work activities as important and personally meaningful—that connects social value creation beliefs with enhanced work-related well-being, as well as how this process might vary with a personal orientation that embraces the common good.

A Mindfulness Program to Improve Resident Physicians\u2019 Personal and Work-Related Well-being: a Feasibility Study

ObjectivesMany resident physicians suffer from mental distress. This endangers the individual physician as well as the quality of patient care. This study tested the feasibility of a novel 8-week mindfulness program tailored to improve resident physicians’ personal and work-related well-being.MethodsParticipants were nine resident physicians from a major hospital in southern Germany. Feasibility was assessed in seven domains (demand, acceptability, implementation, practicality, adaptation, integration, and preliminary effectiveness), using self-reports, attrition, attendance, and daily home practice. Using a pre-post within-subjects design, changes were assessed in hair cortisol as a biomarker of stress as well as in self-reported personal and work-related well-being.ResultsThe program is feasible in all domains. Participants positively rated the program regarding satisfaction, helpfulness, usage, and personal and professional benefit. All participants indicated to recommend the program. There was no study attrition, high attendance, and an average daily home practice of 13.5 min. A medium reduction was observed with hair cortisol secretion (d = 0.64). In terms of personal well-being, medium-to-large improvements were observed with perceived stress (d = 0.58), mental health (d = 0.77), self-attributed mindfulness (d = 0.92), and self-compassion (d = 1.21). In terms of work-related well-being, small-to-medium improvements were observed with self-reported job strain (d = 0.58), effort-reward imbalance (d = 0.36), work-related burnout (d = 0.32), thriving at work (d = 0.24), and physician empathy (d = 0.21).ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that a tailored mindfulness program is feasible and may be effective in reducing hair cortisol secretion and improving resident physicians’ personal and work-related well-being. These promising findings warrant further investigation within a randomized controlled trial.

The prevention of musculoskeletal complaints: long-term effect of a work-related psychosocial coaching intervention compared to physiotherapy alone\u2014a randomized controlled trial

PurposeResearch shows that psychosocial factors play a significant role in the emergence of musculoskeletal complaints (MSC). The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects on unspecific MSC by a combined physiotherapy and coaching intervention compared to physiotherapy alone. The coaching intervention focussed on enabling better strategies for coping with work stressors.MethodsThe participants of a previous randomized controlled intervention were invited to participate again in a third follow-up survey 22 months after the end of the intervention. In 2014, 65 nurses completed a 10-week personalised physiotherapy. Additionally, the intervention group (n = 33) passed five individual coaching sessions, plus an opening and closing session. 44 nurses (IG: n = 24; CG: n = 20) passed again a physical examination as well as another questionnaire assessment in 2016. The primary outcome was MSC, secondary outcomes were work ability and work-related well-being. Due to missing data, multiple imputations were conducted using the mice package in R. Data were analysed by ANOVA with two-way repeated measures, t tests for independent samples and Chi-squared tests.ResultsIn respect of MSC, stronger improvement of movement in the vertebral column was observed in the IG compared to the CG. No differences between the IG and CG regarding other long-term effects were observed.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the combined intervention of work-related coaching and physiotherapy had only a marginally stronger long-term effect with respect to MSC than physiotherapy alone.

Well-Being in Life and Well-Being at Work: Which Comes First? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study.

Understanding reciprocal relationships between specific arenas in life and at work is critical for designing interventions to improve workplace health and safety. Most studies about the links between dimensions of well-being in life and at work have been cross-sectional and usually narrowly focused on one of the dimensions of the work-life well-being link. The issues of causality and feedback between life and work well-being have often not been addressed. We overcome these issues by measuring six aspects of well-being for both the work arena and life in general, using longitudinal data with a clear temporal sequence of cause and effect, and by explicitly accounting for feedback with potential effects in both directions. Nine hundred and fifty-four Mexican apparel factory workers at a major global brand participated in two waves of the Worker Well-Being Survey. Data on life satisfaction and job satisfaction, happiness and positive affect, meaning and purpose, health, and social relationships in life and at work were used. Lagged regression controlling for confounders and prior outcomes was employed. Sensitivity analysis was used to assess the robustness of the results to potential unmeasured confounding. For the relationships between life satisfaction and job satisfaction and between happiness in life and happiness at work effects in both directions were found. Nevertheless, indication of a larger effect of life satisfaction on job satisfaction than the reverse was obtained. For depression and meaning in life, there was evidence for an effect of life well-being on work-related well-being, but not for the reverse. For social relationships and purpose, there was evidence for an effect of work-related well-being on life well-being, but not the reverse. Relationships based on the longitudinal data were considerably weaker than their respective cross-sectional associations. This study contributes to our understanding of the nature of the relationship between aspects of well-being in the arenas of life and work. Findings from this study may facilitate the development of novel workplace programs promoting working conditions that enable lifelong flourishing in life and at work.

A Multilevel Person-Centered Examination of Teachers' Workplace Demands and Resources: Links With Work-Related Well-Being.

Teachers’ healthy and effective functioning at work is impacted by the demands they face and the resources they can access. In this study, person-centered analysis was adopted to identify distinct teacher profiles of demands and resources. We investigated teachers’ experiences of two job demands (barriers to professional development and disruptive student behavior), two job resources (teacher collaboration and input in decision-making), and one personal resource (self-efficacy for teaching). Using data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013, the study involved 6,411 teachers from 369 schools in Australia and 2,400 teachers from 154 schools in England. In phase one, latent profile analysis revealed five teacher profiles that were similar across the two countries: the Low-Demand-Flourisher (12%), Mixed-Demand-Flourisher (17%), Job-Resourced-Average (34%), Balanced-Average (15%), and Struggler (21%). The profiles were differently associated with two background characteristics (teacher gender and teaching experience) and two work-related well-being outcomes (job satisfaction and occupational commitment). In phase two, we extended our analysis to the school-level to identify school profiles based on the relative prevalence of the five teacher profiles within a school. Indeed, a yield of large scale datasets such as TALIS is that there are sufficient units at the school-level to enable institutional insights, beyond insights garnered at the individual teacher-level. Two school profiles that were similar in both countries were revealed: the Unsupportive school profile (58%) and the Supportive school profile (42%). The Supportive school profile was associated with higher school-average teacher job satisfaction and occupational commitment than the Unsupportive school profile. Taken together, the findings yield knowledge about salient teacher and school profiles, and provide guidance for possible interventions at the teacher- and school level.