When we talk about QWL (quality of work life), the advantages for employees are obvious. But they’re not the only ones benefiting. A quality of work life approach offers a number of benefits that employers often do not even suspect. What are they? Allow us to explain.

What exactly is QWL?

Definition of quality of work life

According to ANACT (the French national agency for improved working conditions), the quality of work life can be seen as “A sense of well-being at work, perceived both collectively and individually. This includes the atmosphere, company culture, interest in work, working conditions, sense of involvement, degree of autonomy and responsibility, equality, everyone's right to make mistakes, recognition and the feeling that one's work is valued.” The specific aim is to turn the workplace into a place where people feel fulfilled and want to perform.

In more practical terms, this commitment to improving the quality of life in the workplace consists of individual measures and actions that promote employee motivation, commitment, performance and satisfaction. QWL thus differs from PRR (Psychosocial Risk Reduction) in its positive approach to work.

Referring to ANACT again, QWL covers a set of aspects:

• Social and professional relationships;

• The physical working environment;

• The content of the work;

• How work is organised;

• Professional development and achievement;

• Work/life balance.

What are the QWL issues in 2024?

QWL raises several issues for companies:

• Occupational health Psychological ill-being affects many employees. Taking the example of France, nearly half of employees suffer from some form of psychological distress. Urgent action is needed to do away with situations of workplace ill-being and to picture the company as a space and source of fulfilment and development.

• Attractiveness and retaining talent* These are two HR issues that have been setting the pace inside organisations on a daily basis since the health crisis. What is the link to QWL? A study by the DARES reveals that 85% of companies with working conditions that are considered to be restrictive have problems recruiting.

• Teambuilding and team spirit The rise of remote working (especially full remote) has changed interactions between work colleagues. They are increasingly rare and less spontaneous, making it difficult to create social bonds.

• Performance While a few employers remain sceptical, several studies and feedback highlight the link between a good quality of life in the workplace and performance. For example, a study conducted by MIT and Harvard reveals that happy employees are 31% more productive.

5 little-known advantages of taking a QWL improvement approach in your company

Advantage no. 1: Good QWL improves workplace efficiency

Haven’t we all experienced software that crashes regularly, poor acoustics or micro management? These situations hamper efficiency. On the other hand, when the material conditions (premises, tools, access, etc.) and human conditions (management, working atmosphere, etc.) at work are optimal, employees are more likely to be focussed and to work better.

Let’s take the example of working from home. This presupposes a fluid network connection, being equipped with the right tools for work, having an ergonomic desk chair, choosing screens that protect the eyes or training supervisors in remote management.

Advantage no. 2: Promoting QWL can reduce absenteeism

Taking positive steps to improve the quality of work life increases engagement. According to a meta-analysis carried out in 2020 by Gallup, it is a virtuous circle: engaged teams have a rate of absenteeism that is 81% lower than teams with lower engagement. This can be explained by the fact that engaged employees have better physical and mental health, which reduces the risk of common and mental illnesses, as well as workplace accidents.

When you consider that the hidden costs of absenteeism can be up to €4,059 per employee per year (Sapiens Institute study) and that replacing an absent employee represents an additional cost, employers have everything to gain from committing to a better quality of work life.

Advantage no. 3: Improving QWL reduces recruitment costs

According to the Golden Bees study, 59% of recruiters consider the applications they receive to be mismatched. The results are therefore not in line with the human, financial and technical investment in recruitment. Remember that the cost of recruitment encompasses the hourly salary of the internal recruiter and the costs associated with using an ATS. If the company outsources the recruitment, the cost increases the annual gross salary of the future employee by 15 to 25%. When the recruitment fails, the bill is steep: between €20,000 and €150,000 on average.

Offering a good quality of life at work has positive repercussions on the employee experience and the candidate experience, which has a positive impact on company attractiveness. As a result, not only will applications be more qualified and more numerous, but recruitment will also be faster and the risk of errors will be reduced. Costs are thereby kept to a minimum.

Advantage no. 4: By investing in QWL, the company takes care of its employer branding

The employer brand reflects the employee experience and the company DNA. If employees are satisfied with the perspectives for professional growth, the social relationships, the content of the work and the working conditions, then the internal image of the company is positive. External communication actions can spread the word about good QWL practices and tend to the organisation’s reputation.

Advantage no. 5: Acting on QWL means adapting to change

QWL includes an individual dimension in which employees are also stakeholders who take responsibility for their own well-being. To develop this capacity to act, one soft skill is essential: self-confidence. In other words, being self-confident means believing in your ability to act to improve your own quality of workplace life and to overcome difficulties and challenges. Doctor of psychology Albert Bandura talks about the feeling of self-efficacy. And according to a study about QWL conducted by Moodwork, the feeling of self-efficacy has a positive effect on the well-being of individuals: “It appears that the more people are conscious of their power to act in QWL matters, the greater their professional well-being”.

Developing self-confidence among employees also decreases their resistance to change (e.g.: change in governance).

To sum up, engaging in a QWL approach offers several advantages:

• Improved attractiveness and talent loyalty;

• Better team spirit and team bonding;

• Improved professional efficiency and performance;

• It supports the employer brand;

• Reduced recruitment costs;

• Reduced absenteeism;

• Adaptation to change.

Have you decided to improve the quality of work life in your company? Don't stop now that you've come this far! Read our article “QWL: where to begin to improve your employees’ quality of work life”