The Benefits of an Employee-Friendly Company on Job Attitudes and Health of Employees: Findings from Matched Employer-Employee Data

Raphael M Herr; Luisa Leonie Brokmeier; Joachim E Fischer; Daniel Mauss

doi:10.3390/ijerph19159046

The Benefits of an Employee-Friendly Company on Job Attitudes and Health of Employees: Findings from Matched Employer-Employee Data

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 25;19(15):9046. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159046.

Authors

Raphael M Herr^{1

2}, Luisa Leonie Brokmeier^{1

2}, Joachim E Fischer¹, Daniel Mauss¹

Affiliations

¹ Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health (CPD), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
² Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany.

Abstract

Background: This study explored the association of an employee-friendly work environment with employees' job attitudes (engagement, commitment, turnover intentions, and job satisfaction), and health (mental and general health), applying matched employer-employee data.

Methods: The German Linked Personnel Panel (LPP; n = 14,182) survey simultaneously captures the data of employees and the human resources (HR) management of companies. A two-step cluster analysis of 16 items of the HR valuation identified relatively more- and less-employee-friendly companies (EFCs). Logistic regressions tested differences between these companies in the assessment of job attitudes and health of their employees.

Results: Compared to less-EFCS, more-EFCS had a reduced risk of poorer job attitudes and substandard health of their employees. For example, the risk for higher turnover intentions was reduced by 33% in more-EFCS (OR = 0.683, 95% C.I. = 0.626-0.723), and more-EFCS had an 18% reduced chance of poor mental health reporting of their employees (OR = 0.822, 95% C.I. = 0.758-0.892).

Conclusions: More-EFCS have more motivated and healthier employees. The most distinct factors for more-EFCS were: the existence of development plans for employees, opportunities for advancement and development, and personnel development measures.

Keywords: company level; employee-friendly company; health; human resources (HR) management; job attitudes; matched employer–employee data.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Attitude
Humans
Job Satisfaction
Personnel Management*
Personnel Turnover
Workplace* / psychology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The funders had no role in the analyses, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.