The Importance of Quality of Work Life

Quality of Work Life is becoming an increasingly popular concept in recent times. The term “Quality of work life” has appeared in research journals and the press in USA only in 1970s. There is no generally acceptable definition about this term. However, some attempts were made to describe the term quality of work life (QWL). It refers to the favourableness or unfavourableness of a job environment for people. QWL means different things to different people. J. Richard and J. Loy define QWL as “the degree to which members of a work organization are able to satisfy important personnel needs through their experience in the organization”. The organisations take different steps to improve the quality of work life. How to Increase the Quality of Work Life of Employees?

Having a work environment that promotes wellness and happiness not only increases mood, but productivity. The same study reported that happy workers reported spending 80% of their week on work related tasks, while less happy workers spend only 40% of their time on work related tasks. What boss doesn’t want employees spending more time on work related tasks? The idea of having fun at work isn’t new. What is important is addressing the direct connection to an employee’s quality of work and life and their work performance without dramatically impacting your company or department’s bottom line.. Set goals, reward if met - Have production goals that need to be met by the end of the day. Set a goal and do something fun if the goal is met.

Giving your employees a challenge throughout the day will give them something to work towards and generally they will go above and beyond to meet the goal. For example, focus on production goals or deadlines that have to be met. If they meet them ahead of schedule, go out for happy hour on the company, extend their lunches, or if viable, let them take half a day. These simple rewards will revitalize your employees and give them more drive to produce the same results outside a rewards system. Challenge your employees - To go one step further on setting and meeting goals, challenge your employees with new tasks that might be outside their job function. Do you have a problem within your organization that needs fixing? Challenge an employee to head a taskforce or committee to identify, evaluate, and come up with a solution. Making employees feel like they are a part of a bigger change will encourage them and keep the quality of their productivity up.

Manage your workforce, but avoid micromanaging - No one likes their employer looking over their shoulder every minute of every day. More than ever there is a large pool of employees who don’t need managing. Self-starters are in abundance and work a whole lot better without a micromanager. Employees need to be given freedom to think for themselves and work in a space that isn’t constrained at every turn. In order to produce exceptional results, quit micromanaging. Recognize good work - How can something so simple improve quality of work life? As GenY starts to become one of the largest demographics in the workforce they rely on constant recognition. You must ensure that as an employer you always have something positive to say about your employees and their work. Don’t rely on the old principle if you don’t say anything that means everything is fine, because GenY will take that as things being worse. Rewards, and other ways of keeping employees happy will make them feel that their effort is being recognized and that the company needs them.