Workstation design for organizational productivity - National ...

Workers’ health and well-being can also affect organizationalproductivity. Sick employees cannot work to their full cognitive capacityand may be absent. They may also require paid sick leave or make additionalclaims on health insurance. Statistics Canada reported that the average workerlost seven days due to illness or disability in 2001. In addition to physicalsickness, Hardy and colleagues showed that employees with lower jobsatisfaction and psychological well-being (depression, anxiety) were morelikely to be absent. The cost of employee absence includes not only lost workfrom the individual, but also disruption and performance losses forco-workers. The amount of work lost can be significant. P.5Relationships, like those above, demonstrate the importance of employees’attitudes and behaviours to the organization’s productivity. Employees areoften the organization’s most valuable asset, and it is in the organization’sinterest to safeguard this investment. Initiatives that support employees, suchas providing a suitable physical environment for them to work in, are verylikely to promote organizational productivity.Improving the Indoor EnvironmentEmployee attitudes and behaviours are affected by numerous differentfactors, including management practices, employee-employer relations, salary9