Not having job flexibility or security can leave staff feeling depressed, anxious and hopeless

When employees don’t have control over their work schedules, it’s not only morale that suffers – mental health takes a success too. That’s what my colleagues and I discovered in a study recently published within the medical journal JAMA Network Open.

As a public health expertI do know that the best way our jobs are designed can affect our well-being. Research has shown that flexibility, security and autonomy within the workplace are strong determinants of health.

To understand how powerful they’re, my colleagues and I checked out the 2021 National Health Interview Surveya serious data collection initiative run out of the National Center for Health Statistics. We analyzed responses from 18,144 working adults across the U.S., teasing out how job flexibility and security could also be linked with mental health.

The respondents were asked how easily they might change their work schedule to do things vital to them or their family, whether their work schedule modified frequently, and the way far prematurely they typically knew their schedules. They also rated their perceived risk of losing their job in the following 12 months.

We found that staff who had more flexible work arrangements were less more likely to report feelings of depression, hopelessness and anxiety. Similarly, those with greater job security were at lower risk of mental health challenges. We also found that higher job security was linked with fewer instances of missing work over the past yr.

Why it matters

The average full-time employee dedicates a 3rd of their lifetime waking hours to work. Given that fact, understanding how job design affects mental health is essential to developing policies that bolster well-being.

It’s clear why employers should care: When staff aren’t feeling well mentally, they’re less productive and more more likely to miss work. Their creativity, collaboration and talent to meet job demands also suffer, hurting the complete organization.

The impact of job-related stress extends beyond the workplace, affecting families, communities and health care systems. People grappling with work-related mental health challenges often require multiple types of supportresembling access to counseling, medication and social services. Not addressing these needs comprehensively may cause serious long-term consequencesincluding reduced quality of life and increased health care costs.

It’s vital to notice that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened mental health disparities and that individuals in lower-wage positions, front-line staff and other people in marginalized communities proceed to face additional challenges. In this context, understanding exactly how job and work design can affect people’s mental health is all of the more vital.

What’s next

My research team plans to look at how race and gender affect the links between job flexibility, job security and mental health.

Previous research suggests that girls and other people of color experience unique workplace stressors that harm their mental well-being. For instance, women proceed to face barriers to profession advancement, unequal pay and a higher burden of unpaid care work.

Similarly, employees of color often experience discrimination, microaggressions and limited opportunities for skilled growth at work, all of which might harm mental health. Understanding gender and racial differences will help researchers and organizations develop targeted interventions and policy recommendations.

Mental health challenges are removed from rare: More than 50 million Americans, or nearly 1 in 5 adultslive with mental illness. By creating workplaces that prioritize worker well-being – through flexible work arrangements, supportive policies and access to mental health resources – organizations will help construct a healthier society.