American workers who have more flexibility and security in their jobs also have better mental health, according to a study of 2021 survey data from over 18,000 nationally representative working Americans.
The study, published Monday in JAMA Network Open, may not be surprising to those who have faced return-to-office mandates and rounds of layoffs amid the pandemic. But, it offers clear data on just how important job flexibility and security are to the health and well-being of workers.
[...] Overall, the study's findings indicate "the substantive impact that flexible and secure jobs can have on mental health in the short-term and long-term," the researchers conclude.
They do note limitations of the study, the main one being that the study identifies associations and can't determine that job flexibility and security directly caused mental health outcomes and the work absence findings. Still, they suggest that workplace policies could improve the mental health of employees.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday March 28 2024, @01:41PM
Yeah, I'm lucky enough to be left alone all but about 8-10 hours per week, so when stuff like that comes up (maybe two or three times a year, lately) I consider it part of my privilege of being so flexible the rest of the time.
The last sadistic bastard I interacted with at this job (of 10+ years now), left around 5 years ago - if we have any new ones they seem to be steering clear of me, and/or my direct manager successfully shields me from them, which IMO is my manager's most important job not just for me but for all his reports...
🌻🌻 [google.com]