Individual, Workplace, and Combined Effects Modeling of Employee Productivity Loss.

OBJECTIVE

Systematically and simultaneously investigate a wide range of influences on workplace productivity loss.

METHODS

Data were collected from 31,950 employees in the UK. Influences of employees' socioeconomic characteristics, lifestyle, commuting, physical and mental health, well-being, and job and workplace environment were assessed using structural equation models, allowing systematic decomposition of the complex network of influences and creating new, deeper insights.

RESULTS

Mental health, physical health, job characteristics, and support from organization are the most important (direct or indirect) determinants of employees' productivity. 93% of the indirect influences are mediated through mental and/or physical health. Some influences that appear as strong predictors in simple models lose most of their explanatory power in more complex models with additional explanatory variables.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for a more tailored strategy to improve employees' wellbeing as well as the overall organizational, work, and management culture.