Quality of life at work (QWL) is an essential element in any company. A happy employee is more motivated, more efficient and more effective. What’s more, it’s no secret that, not only in France but internationally too, there’s a huge problem of worker disengagement. Studies show that 50% of employees are stressed at work. The figure rises to 60% for the 35-44 age group: enough to worry management in terms of psychosocial risks, but also talent retention. Opting for an excellent QWL strategy can help limit disengagement within your organization.
What is QWL?
It refers to the programs put in place to improve employee comfort. The 2013 Accord National Interprofessionnel sur l’égalité professionnelle et la qualité de vie au travail(ANI) defines it as “the conditions in which employees perform their work” and “their ability to express themselves and act on the content of that work”.
The aim of QWL is therefore to improve working conditions, life at work and, by extension, company performance, through a variety of individual and collective actions.
It’s interesting to note that in 2020 (with an application date of March 31, 2022), QWL actually became Quality of Life and Working Conditions (QVCT), in order to clarify the notion of improving working conditions.
QWL encompasses six essential elements, as shown in the chart below:
Why invest in QWL?
Improving QWL (or QWL) has many positive impacts, both for employees and for the company itself.
It can limit physical and psychological risks, enable employees to feel at ease and listened to, thus facilitating communication within the organization, and enable each person to flourish in roles and tasks that are aligned with their needs and values, thus boosting their motivation and efficiency.
With happy, aligned employees, the company benefits from better work organization, lower turnover and a better recruitment process, and therefore, in turn, better performance and output.
How can we improve it?
You can choose who implements quality of working life in your organization. It can also involve training your teams to communicate and collaborate better, as with WILL ACADEMY‘s training, designed to improve workers’ lives and commitment.
In all cases, you must
carry out a serious, unbiased assessment to identify areas for improvement
draw up an action plan
discuss and exchange with employees! QWL is not something that can be decided alone in an office; it’s essential to communicate with and involve employees.
implement measures and monitor their impact
The actions to be implemented depend very much on the company, the problems it faces and the needs of its employees. However, typical actions are often implemented, such as :
improving the rest area
organizing meetings and improving communications
greater freedom for employees in choosing and managing their assignments
greater flexibility in work organization
greater employee involvement in decision-making
more training
comfortable office space
etc.
So we invite you to go further, get informed, get trained and implement quality of working life measures to improve and sustain your business!
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