Job demands, job resources, and job performance in japanese workers: a cross-sectional study

Productivity in older versus younger workers: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Worldwide ageing and thus, workforce ageing, is a concern for both developed and developing nations.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current research was to determine, through a systematic literature review, the effects of age in three dimensions that are often used to define or assess productivity at work.

METHODS

PICO framework was used to generate search strategies, inclusion criteria and terms. Scopus and PubMed databases were used. Peer-reviewed journal papers written in English and published (or in press) between January 2014 and December 2018 were included.

RESULTS

After filtering through inclusion criteria, 74 papers were included in the review. Considering productivity, 41%of the findings showed no differences between younger and older workers, 31%report better productivity of younger workers and 28%reported that older workers had better productivity than younger workers. Performance was better in older workers (58%), presenteeism generally showed no significant differences between age groups (61%). Absenteeism was the only outcome where younger workers outperformed older workers (43%).

CONCLUSION

Overall, there was no difference in productivity between older and younger workers. Older workers performed better than younger workers, but had more absenteeism, while presenteeism showed no differences. As ageing has come to workplaces, holistic approaches addressing total health are suggested to overcome the worldwide workforce ageing phenomenon.

Effort-Reward Imbalance and its Association with Health among Pluckers in a Tea Plantation in South India

Context:

Work-related stress is associated with cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, psychological ailments, and work-related injuries. Imbalance between high effort and low reward at work can lead to work stress among plantation workers.

Aims:

To assess the effort–reward imbalance (ERI) among pluckers in tea plantations in South India and its association on chronic health problems, substance abuses, and workplace injuries.

Settings and Design:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 346 tea pluckers from May to June 2015 in six selected tea plantations in Anamalai, South India.

Patients and Methods:

A short version of ERI questionnaire was used to assess the work-related stress among them. Along with ERI questionnaire, sociodemographic details, chronic diseases, substance abuses, and workplace injuries were ascertained.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Sociodemographic variables were described as frequency and measures of central tendency. Tests of association, such as Chi-square test, were applied.

Results:

Among the study population, 322 (93.1%) reported more effort, 23 (6.6%) reported more reward, and one (0.3%) had no imbalance between effort and reward. Those in older age group (≥51 years) experienced more effort compared to those in younger age group (≤50 years) (Fisher's exact = 21.905, P = 0.001). Educational status (Fisher's exact = 15.639, P = 0.027) and work experience (Fisher's exact = 23.122, P = 0.003) increased the effort rather than increasing the reward associated with work. No significant association was found between ERI and any chronic diseases, substance abuses, or injuries.

Conclusions:

Majority of pluckers in tea plantation experienced more effort compared to reward.

Relationship between sickness presenteeism and awareness and presence or absence of systems for return to work among workers with mental health problems in Japan: an Internet-based cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between sickness presenteeism and the degree of awareness of company regulations regarding financial compensation for absenteeism.

METHODS

An Internet-based survey of 258 full-time workers who had more than 28 days of sickness absence due to mental health problems was conducted. Workers were categorized as having either low or high sickness presenteeism, and awareness and presence or absence of systems for return to work and duration of financial compensation were compared between groups.

RESULTS

The following factors were significantly related to high sickness presenteeism based on logistic regression analyses: working for a private company (odds ratio [OR]=2.57; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.10-5.99); recognition of a gradual resumption system (OR=3.89, 95% CI=1.02-14.81); and awareness regarding the duration of financial compensation (OR=1.04, 95% CI=1.01-1.07).

CONCLUSIONS

No relationship was found between mental sickness presenteeism and presence or absence of systems for return to work in our multivariate analysis; however, a relationship was apparent between sickness presenteeism and characteristics of the workers' companies. These results are expected to contribute to research involving human resources and occupational health.