Authentic leadership and employees' job performance: mediation effect of positive employee health

In light of global competition and the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are encountering an increasingly challenging and unpredictable environment. Consequently, employees are experiencing heightened levels of job strain. This study aims to explore the impact of various organizational mechanisms on promoting positive employee health within the organization, ultimately affecting employees' job performance. The findings of this study indicate that authentic leadership and the absence of organizational politics are significant predictors of positive employee health. Moreover, positive employee health has a positive influence on supervisor-rated job performance through its effect on job engagement. This study serves as a valuable resource for organizations, shedding light on the fundamental factors that contribute to positive employee health. It also raises managers' awareness of the importance of nurturing and sustaining employees' emotional and physical well-being to maintain competitiveness in the market. © 2023 Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

COVID-19 vaccination requirements, encouragement and hesitancy among non-health care, non-congregate workers in Chicago: results from the WEVax survey.

BACKGROUND: While frontline and essential workers were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination in the United States, coverage rates and encouragement strategies among non-health care workers have not been well-described. The Chicago Department of Public Health surveyed non-health care businesses to fill these knowledge gaps and identify potential mechanisms for improving vaccine uptake. METHODS: The Workplace Encouragement for COVID-19 Vaccination in Chicago survey (WEVax Chicago) was administered using REDCap from July 11 to September 12, 2022, to businesses previously contacted for COVID-19 surveillance and vaccine-related outreach. Stratified random sampling by industry was used to select businesses for phone follow-up; zip codes with low COVID-19 vaccine coverage were oversampled. Business and workforce characteristics including employee vaccination rates were reported. Frequencies of requirement, verification, and eight other strategies to encourage employee vaccination were assessed, along with barriers to uptake. Fisher's exact test compared business characteristics, and Kruskal-Wallis test compared numbers of encouragement strategies reported among businesses with high (> 75%) vs. lower or missing vaccination rates. RESULTS: Forty-nine businesses completed the survey, with 86% having 500 or fewer employees and 35% in frontline essential industries. More than half (59%) reported high COVID-19 vaccination rates among full-time employees; most (75%) workplaces reporting lower coverage were manufacturing businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Verifying vaccination was more common than requiring vaccination (51% vs. 28%). The most frequently reported encouragement strategies aimed to improve convenience of vaccination (e.g., offering leave to be vaccinated (67%) or to recover from side effects (71%)), while most barriers to uptake were related to vaccine confidence (concerns of safety, side effects, and other skepticism). More high-coverage workplaces reported requiring (p = 0.03) or verifying vaccination (p = 0.07), though the mean and median numbers of strategies used were slightly greater among lower-coverage versus higher-coverage businesses. CONCLUSIONS: Many WEVax respondents reported high COVID-19 vaccine coverage among employees. Vaccine requirement, verification and addressing vaccine mistrust may have more potential to improve coverage among working-age Chicagoans than increasing convenience of vaccination. Vaccine promotion strategies among non-health care workers should target low-coverage businesses and assess motivators in addition to barriers among workers and businesses.

(In)equality at the workplace? Differences in occupational safety and health measures during the Covid-19 pandemic and related employee health

Based on data from a supplementary survey of the German Socio-Economic Panel on the Covid-19 pandemic (SOEP-CoV), this article examines differences in the implementation of various person-related and organizational occupational safety and health measures during the Covid-19 pandemic and their relationship to individual health. We first provide a brief outline of social inequalities in workplace-related health risks before and during the pandemic and describe the implementation of different occupational health and infection protection measures during the pandemic. We argue that the infection and occupational health measures were not only successful in mitigating the risk of infection, but that their compliance may also contribute to a safety climate in the workplace, which in turn may be associated with better employee health. Accordingly, the analyses show that the mere number of organizational or person-related measures taken is not directly related to health, but perceived compliance with the measures significantly correlates with employee health (satisfaction). The OLS results also reveal social stratification in the occupational safety and health measures taken. © 2023 Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH und Co. All rights reserved.

Effects of health-promoting leadership, employee health on employee engagement: Employability as moderating variable

Purpose: Employee health is a major challenge for enterprises. Fostering a healthy work environment and promoting employee engagement are key to addressing this challenge. Health-promoting leadership and employee health are the driving forces of corporate development;at the same time, employability is the core element of employee relations. Based on self-determination theory, this study aims to explore the effects of health-promoting leadership and employee health on employee engagement in light of employee employability. Design/methodology/approach: The data of this study encompass 723 valid questionnaires from employees of MSME in China. This study focuses on health-promoting leadership and employee health, engagement relationship and the above relationship moderating by employability. Findings: Health-promoting leadership plays a key role in the workplace, results show that health-promoting leadership has a positive impact on employee health and employee engagement, while employee health did not have a positive effect on employee engagement. Employability negatively moderated the relationship between employee health and employee engagement. Research limitations/implications: This study is based on cross-sectional survey data collected at the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic rapidly and continuously changed the organizational responses to employee health. Future studies could utilize longitudinal methods or focus on measurement instruments of the culture of health, to create additional insights about health promoting. Originality/value: This study adds important knowledge regarding health-promoting leadership and employee health in Chinese MSMEs, an area for which limited research exists. The findings provide insights and knowledge about health-promoting leadership how to affect employee health and to improve engagement outcomes. The findings also identify the moderating role of employability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Insights from Government Officials on Strategies and Practices for Managing the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Background: The study focuses on the challenges faced by government officials in implementing public health interventions to control the spread of COVID-19 in the Lahore District, Pakistan. Material(s) and Method(s): This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to collect data from 45 government officials involved in implementing COVID-19 control measures in Lahore District. Result(s): The study identified several themes related to the challenges faced by government officials, including contact tracing and coordination, disease management and vaccination, public perception and engagement, international travellers management, and implementation strategies. Strategies implemented to address the challenges posed by the pandemic included the utilization of technology, provision of training to staff, coordination with other organizations, identification of high transmission areas, and targeting specific communities or populations at higher risk of infection. Conclusion(s): The effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a coordinated and multi-faceted response that incorporates various strategies and practices aimed at controlling the spread of the disease and mitigating its impact on communities. The authors recommend prioritizing clear and consistent communication, community engagement, and capacity building in pandemic management strategies.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Rural-Urban Differences in Workers' Access to Paid Sick Leave

Paid sick leave (PSL) is associated with health care access and health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of PSL as a public health strategy, yet PSL is not guaranteed in the United States. Rural workers may have more limited PSL, but research on rural PSL has been limited. We estimated unadjusted and adjusted PSL prevalence among rural versus urban workers and identified characteristics of rural workers with lower PSL access using the 2014–2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We found rural workers had lower access to PSL than urban workers, even after adjusting for worker and employment characteristics. Paid sick leave access was lowest among rural workers who were Hispanic, lacked employer-sponsored insurance, and reported poorer health status. Lower rural access to PSL poses a threat to the health and health care access of rural workers and has implications for the COVID-19 public health emergency and beyond.

Mandatory Vaccination of Medical Personnel against Covid-19: European Standards of Its Introduction

Objective: to identify the standards of the European Court of Human Rights on the introduction of mandatory vaccination of medical personnel from COVID-19 in conditions of pandemic. The analysis has been carried out on the Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights as for vaccination matters, which formed the legal position of the Court on its implementation by the State. These decisions were divided into groups according to the conditions in which the European Council launched mandatory vaccination: the situation, which is being ordinary, one (standard vaccination against diseases well known to medical science, where vaccines have been tested and investigated thoroughly). Another one is extraordinary situation within society and state, as well as in the world, for example, COVID-19 pandemic. The standards of the European Court of Human Rights for the introduction of mandatory vaccination of medical personnel against COVID-19 in conditions of pandemic have been identified: these measures must be provided by the State legislation which is to meet quality rule of law criteria;to pursue legitimate goal (protection of the population from COVID-19);to be necessary in democratic society. Mandatory vaccination of healthcare professionals against COVID-19 should be used if the goal of protecting the population from COVID-19 cannot be achieved in other ways. Mandatory vaccination of medical personnel against COVID-19 is not the same as forced vaccination. The medical employee chooses whether to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or not according to his own views, values, no matter how irrational, unreasonable, shortsighted they may be in the opinion of the state and other people. The state does not have the right to use forced vaccination, but may apply the following: a range of measures to clarify, persuade, encourage mandatory vaccination of medical personnel against COVID-19, which may be direct or indirect, but not violent;sanctions for refusal from mandatory vaccination of medical personnel from COVID-19 who have no contraindications (suspension from medical activities, fines, etc.). Conclusions. The data obtained in this way allow us to develop further proposals for improving legal regulation of vaccination in Member States of the Council of Europe and increase the effectiveness of ensuring the rights of medical personnel, reduce tensions within society.Copyright © 2022 Trylyst. All rights reserved.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Employee Health

Background: The coronavirus, which is now spreading around the world as a pandemic has caused more than 30 million cases and nearly 1000,000 deaths worldwide. No vaccine has been used against the virus so far, and there are no specific drugs to cure the patients. This paper ex-amines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees' health, either in the governmental or private sector. The aim of this study was to protect the staff against the disease in pandemic conditions by identifying the main ways to keep employees healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic in different scenarios. Method(s): This paper is a perspective article, and different scenarios were assessed for the consider-ation of employee health. Result(s): Two scenarios could be considered first, when the vaccine against COVID-19 is not available for the prevention and the second scenario is that the vaccine is available for all in the world. In both cases, maintaining the health of the staff will be different. If the coronavirus disease will continue to occur in humans till the access to a safe vaccine is not possible, emphasis on maintaining health standards, keeping a social distance, and wearing the mask are the only ways to deal with this life threatening disease. Even after the preparation of the vaccine, maintaining health stan-dards, keeping a social distancing, and wearing the mask must be continued. Conclusion(s): The high level of health for the employee must be considered by governments in dif-.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

COVID-19 Pandemic, Occupational Health and Safety Practices Industrial Companies (Case of Jordan)

This study aims to investigate the impact of occupational health and safety practices on the employees performance in joint venture located in the southern industrial development zone in Aqaba. An analytical descriptive sample study approach was used to study three vital joint ventures selected for the study, Aqaba Ports Marine Services Company, Jordan Industrial Ports Company (JIPC) and Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. (JPMC), by designing a study questionnaire to collect data, 338 questionnaires were distributed and 192 answers were retrieved. The data collected was analyzed by the SPSS 20 Program and the results were presented by tables showing the results of the study. Findings revealed that the occupational health and safety variables positively and significantly affect the employee performance, and according to these positive results on employee performance, we recommend the companies to continue and to improve the occupational health and safety practices to ensure better results and a noticeable improvement in employees' performance. © 2022 DSR Publishers/ The University of Jordan.

Mental Health, Self-Esteem, Life Satisfaction among Ethiopian Population during Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey Based Study

Background: Many people are at risk of developing mental health problems due to the current pandemic. However, little has been explored about the magnitude of the risk to psychological factors to gender and their location and designation in the context of the current pandemic. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological impact on the Ethiopian population. Method(s): An online survey using google form with 310 Ethiopian respondents was conducted. The adopted questionnaire covers the participant's sociodemographic information, and three different questionnaires (mental health inventory, self-esteem, and life satisfaction) used to collect data. The data were not distributed normally. The Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to find differences between different categories of mental health, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Result(s): The results indicate that urban males have higher mental health and self-esteem compared to females, and little difference in mental health appeared between students, academics, government employees, private employees, and business people. Females belonging to the rural area have higher life satisfaction than males. A significant difference in self-esteem and life satisfaction was found between participants belonging to different designations. Conclusion(s): The results of all these psychological factors provide a comprehensive picture of Ethiopianpeoples during the current pandemic. In such stressful situations, the concerned government, hospitals, educational institutions, organizations and individuals need to consider psychological intervention and take necessary action. In addition to educate and prepare individuals for the various mental health issues that they may face during the pandemic period.Copyright © 2020 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.

Keeping Process Safety Management Intact during Global Pandemic

Process Safety Management (PSM) is the backbone of any process industry and is fundamental to its businesses, plant reliability, safe operations, employee well-being and prevention of catastrophic events. In order to grow or sustain business and be responsible for its employees' health, good organizations never compromise on the foundation of PSM in their business and operational decisions. But what if a deadly disease alters the way how organizations and systems typically work? Can we quickly adapt to such unprecedented challenges? Are we able to fulfill all requirements of a process safety management system in this extraordinary scenario? The paper will cover this topic in detail and it will shed light on the encountered challenges and tested best practices in order to maintain PSM during a global pandemic. Effects of a pandemic on key important factors related to PSM will be discussed like management of change, employee motivation, process hazard analysis, job supervision, process monitoring, competency levels, training & development etc. Building on similar personal experience, the paper will also cover many interesting methods and suggestions for safety professionals and line managers to successfully adapt to the changes in this scenario while not compromising their process safety management systems. © 36th Center for Chemical Process Safety International Conference, CCPS 2021 - Topical Conference at the 2021 AIChE Spring Meeting and 17th Global Congress on Process Safety.

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in the home workplace in relation to mental well-being

PurposeThis paper aims to study employee mental health in relation to workplace design and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) when working from home, which has received little attention. The trend toward hybrid working urges for more knowledge. Design/methodology/approachThrough a mixed data collection method, this study analyzed potential relationships (between mental health, workplace design and IEQ) from information obtained through a cross-sectional survey, repeated point-in-time surveys and desk-based IEQ sensors at home. Data were collected in April 2020 during a national COVID-19 lockdown in The Netherlands amongst 36 subjects. They all worked full time from home in this period and together completed 321 point-in-time surveys. The three data sets were combined and analyzed using bivariate and path analysis. FindingsOutcomes indicate that subjective and objective IEQ conditions, workplace suitability and distraction affect employee mental health in the home workplace in a similar way as in the office. Being satisfied with the noise level increases concentration, self-reported well-being and engagement. High sound pressure levels (>58 dB) increased tension or nervous feelings. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to explore employee mental health in relation to simultaneously assessed (perceived and measured) multiple IEQ parameters in the home workplace.

Virtual leadership in relation to employees' mental health, job satisfaction and perceptions of isolation: A scoping review.

Background: The significant increase of digital collaboration, driven by the current COVID-19 pandemic, is resulting in changes in working conditions and associated changes in the stress-strain perception of employees. Due to the evident leadership influence on employees' health and well-being in traditional work settings, there is a need to investigate leadership in virtual remote work contexts as well. The objective of this scoping review was to assess the extent and type of evidence concerning virtual leadership in relation to employees' mental health, job satisfaction and perceptions of isolation. Method: A search was undertaken in five databases, PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX and Web of Science, as well as reference lists of included articles on 9th February 2021 and an update on 28th September 2021. The search strategy was limited to English, German and French language, peer reviewed journal articles published from January 2000 onwards. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal tools. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria for this review. Overarching review findings suggested a positive link between virtual leadership and well-being, job satisfaction, and a negative link to psychological strain, stress and perceptions of isolation of digitally collaborating employees. Conclusions: By mapping the available evidence on virtual leadership in relation to health and work-related employee outcomes, the review identified many research gaps in terms of content and methodology. Due to limited data, causal relationships were not derived. Future research is needed to examine the complex cause-and-effect relationships of virtual leadership in more detail.

COVID-19 contagious health care personnel 5-day early return-to-work program.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 contagious health care personnel (HCP) who are self-isolating for a 10-day period increases burden to workforce shortages. Implementation of a 5-day early return-to-work (RTW) program may reduce self-isolation periods, without increasing transmission risk, during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS: This observational cohort quality improvement study included newly diagnosed COVID-19 HCP at a multifacility health care system. The program allowed HCP to return to work 6 days after date of a positive test result if they were not immunocompromised, had mild and improving symptoms, and self-reported a SARS-CoV-2 antigen negative test on day 5. RESULTS: Between January 4 and April 3, 2022, 1,023 HCP self-enrolled and 344 (33.6%) self-reported negative test results. Among these, 161 (46.8%) self-reported negative test results on day 5 and were eligible for early RTW on day 6. A total of 714 days were saved from missed work in self-isolation. The number of tests purchased, dispensed, and reported per day of HCP time saved was 4.4. No transmission events were observed originating from HCP who participated in early RTW. CONCLUSION: Implementing a 5-day early RTW program that includes HCP self-reporting SARS-CoV-2 antigen test results can increase staffing availability, while maintaining a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Consequences of Nurse Presenteeism in Switzerland and Portugal and Strategies to Minimize It: A Qualitative Study.

Nurses exhibit higher rates of presenteeism than other professionals, with consequences for the quality of care and patient safety. However, nurses' perceptions of these issues have been poorly explored. This study investigated the perceptions and experiences of frontline nurses and nurse managers in Switzerland and Portugal about the consequences of presenteeism and strategies to minimize it in different healthcare settings. Our qualitative study design used video focus groups involving 55 participants from both countries. Thematic analysis of their transcribed discussions revealed six themes surrounding the consequences of presenteeism: the personal impact on nurses' health and wellbeing, on their family relationships, and on professional frustration and dissatisfaction; the professional impact on work dynamics; the social impact on the quality of care and patient safety and on society's impressions of the profession. At the individual, collective, and institutional levels, six strategies were evoked to minimize presenteeism: encouraging professionals' self-knowledge; creating a positive work atmosphere; facilitating communication channels; developing a positive organizational culture; implementing preventive/curative institutional interventions; identifying and documenting situations linked to presenteeism. Nurses' perceptions and experiences provided a deeper understanding of their presenteeism and revealed underused pathways toward preventing and minimizing presenteeism via bottom-up approaches.

Impact of less social connectedness and fear of COVID-19 test on employees task performance: A multi-mediation model.

The core objective of this study is to examine the impact of less social connectedness and testing fear on employee health. This study also investigates the mediating role of psychological strain between the relationship of less social connectedness, testing fear and employee health. Furthermore, this study also assesses the impact of employee health on employee performance. The study's target audience consisted of employees in the electronics industry in China. The convenience sample method was used in this study to collect data from respondents. Data analysis of this study was performed by using the structural equation modeling technique. The statistical software used for data analysis is Smart PLS 3. The results of this study show that less COVID-19 testing fear has a negatively significant impact on employee health, but less social connectedness has not significant direct impact on employee health. Furthermore, psychological strain was discovered to mediate the relationship between less social connectedness and employee health and testing fear and employee health. In addition, this impact of employee health on employee performance was found significant. This study provides theoretical and practical implications. In the context of practical implications, this study provides valuable insights for the organizational management to develop a healthy and positive working environment and adopt healthy behavior among their employees which ultimately foster their job performance.

Information disclosure, practical actions and dynamics of employees' health and safety issues in Chinese family businesses-Evidence based on Chinese a-share listed companies.

Introduction: Global health emergency as COVID-19 has brought unprecedented concerns to the health and safety of employees, which is important yet long-neglected. This paper studies the mechanism and influencing factors of Chinese family enterprises performance in employees' health and safety from information disclosure, practical action and dynamic change. And based on theoretical framework and empirical model, this paper provides feasible regulatory policies on the behavior of family business. Methods: This study construct a game theory framework and uses a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies. The database is provided by a third-party corporate social responsibility rating agency, SynTao Green Finance. We use empirical models to test the hypothesis from the theoretical model of game theory. Results: In practice, family businesses are less likely to fulfill the health and safety responsibilities of employees compared to non-family businesses. Family businesses are likely to be more motivated than other businesses to send signals that they are performing their responsibilities well. From the view of operation term, family businesses will be gradually inclined to better fulfill the health and safety responsibilities of their employees, while this process will show a "U" shape change over operation time. Conclusions: As there is inconsistency between the information disclosure and actual practice of family enterprises when it comes to the issue of employee health and safety, more related regulatory policies and stakeholder monitoring are needed. Although the performance of family enterprises in this regard will be better in the long run, it is still necessary to improve employees' legal and rights awareness and enhance the effectiveness of supervision over external stakeholders.

Keeping Process Safety Management Intact during Global Pandemic

Process Safety Management (PSM) is the backbone of any process industry and is fundamental to its businesses,plant reliability,safe operations,employee well-being and prevention of catastrophic events. In order to grow or sustain business and be responsible for its employees health,good organizations never compromise on the foundation of PSM in their business and operational decisions. But what if a deadly disease alters the way how organizations and systems typically work? Can we quickly adapt to such unprecedented challenges? Are we able to fulfill all requirements of a process safety management system in this extraordinary scenario? The paper will cover this topic in detail and it will shed light on the encountered challenges and tested best practices in order to maintain PSM during a global pandemic. Effects of a pandemic on key important factors related to PSM will be discussed like management of change,employee motivation,process hazard analysis,job supervision,process monitoring,competency levels,training & development etc. Building on similar personal experience,the paper will also cover many interesting methods and suggestions for safety professionals and line managers to successfully adapt to the changes in this scenario while not compromising their process safety management systems. Copyright © American Institute of Chemical Engineers. All rights reserved.

Identifying interior design strategies for healthy workplaces – a literature review

Purpose>It is widely recognized that interior office space can affect health in several ways. Strategic and evidence-based design, including explicit design objectives, well-chosen design solutions and evaluation of results, aid realization of desired health effects. Therefore, this paper aims to identify possibly effective interior design strategies and accompanying design solutions and to provide examples of effectiveness measures.Design/methodology/approach>A literature sample of 59 peer-reviewed papers published across disciplines was used to collect examples of workplace design features that have positively influenced workers’ well-being. The papers were grouped by their health objective and design scope successively and their theoretical assumptions, measures and findings were analyzed.Findings>Four main workplace design strategies were identified. Design for comfort aims at reducing or preventing health complaints, discomfort and stress, following a pathogenic approach. It has the longest tradition and is the most frequently addressed in the included papers. The other three take a salutogenic approach, promoting health by increasing resources for coping with demands through positive design. Design for restoration supports physical and mental recovery through connections with nature. Design for social well-being facilitates social cohesion and feelings of belonging. Design for healthy behavior aims at nudging physical activity in the workplace.Originality/value>By drawing complementary perspectives and offering examples of design solutions and effectiveness measures, this paper encourages workplace designers, managers and researchers to take a transdisciplinary and evidence-based approach to healthy workplaces. It also serves as a starting point for future empirical research.