Quality of worklife

Quality of worklife (QWL) says us everything about the pleasant and propitious environtment at the place where the employees work. The correct application of quality of worklife principles results in greater satisfaction among employees, which translates into better work and increased efficiency. QWL has different definitions and different meanings depending on the position occupied by the employees. For example, to a cashier at a shop it means good salary, safe conditions and fair boss. For a student on internship the most important is the opportunity to develop and gain experience in the profession, also the possibility of further education is important - flexible work hours. A sales representative feels better riding a working car and spending free time in a comfortable hotel travelling around country. QWL is an idea of creating work environment as friendly as possible(Inda S.S. 2013, p. 1-24).

Functions of Quality of Worklife

QWL contains four primary elements/functions: First one is about promoting human dignity, Second one is related to good changes in our working environment. Next one says everything about working together - cooperating, not on your own. Last one is good cooperation between company goals and employees.

Different ideas for Quality of Worklife programs: All programs should be considered and selected according to the profile of the company. They should be based on several principles:

• Healthy employee means wealth company, there is nothing worse than lack of employees because of illnesses.
• Provide an individual or professional career development path - well educated employee is priceless employee.
• Let employees take part in management, they might have brilliant ideas which might affect company's development. They might feel responsible for it.
• Remember about work-life balance - employee needs free time for family or hobby.
• Do not limit the fun - table football and ping pong is now a must. Take care of a nice atmosphere(Inda S.S. 2013, p. 1-24).

Types of benefit

Nowadays HR departments are coming up with more and more interesting no-wage benefits for employees to make them feel appreciated:

• Long Term Care/Pension - regardless of what the public pension system provides
• College tuitions - for employees who wants to educate.
• Vacation - part or full paid vacation
• Transport - environment friendly, commuting using public transport - tickets paid by employer, promoting riding bicycles or providing them
• Daycare - especially for parents, when their kid is ill, or need other care.
• Pet day - Possibility of coming with pets to office.
• Convenience features - like car washing, grocery delivery, free housecleaning.
• Housing - provided and founded when employee is outside a city or country.
• Generous Parent Leave - longer and well paid.
• Company discounts - special prices and offers for employees for goods provided by company
• Scheduling - work hours up to employee with light impact of employer.
• Food and Beverages - coffee, tea, water or a canteen with free meals.
• Health activities - in-company activities like yoga classes or massage by the desk done by a specialist.
• Entertainment - tickets to cinema, concerts, sport events. Organising company integration meetings, annually summary event
• Time for refreshment - birthday day off, or for example closing whole company for Christmas holiday week.
• Profit sharing - not only for management and shareholders
• Insurance - all kind of: Health, Dental, Life - important in countries without free public healthcare.
• Work-at-home - new and more and more popular benefit. Always with expectation to high productivity.
• Nanny/Kindergarten - when it is impossible to leave kid alone(Gaurav K. 2012, p. 2-16).

Advantages of introducing or developing quality of worklife

Better cooperation - Among disabled, just before retirement employees there are the best employees. They can improve their effectiveness and flexibility. Easier recruitment and retention of employees - more employees stays in the job or comes back after longer breaks, its easier to convince to work with the company. Benefits are non-wage arguments during job interviews. Better employee well-being - Good employer knows that the well-being of the employee, humour and strength translate into a good job, the disorder of this harmony is reflected in every part of a person's employee life Fewer absences - Starting a working day later is better than taking a leave for the whole day. Less stress and less unwanted emotions result in higher disease resistance. Better cooperation with families and communities - Good cooperation creates a sense of belonging to the company. It is more than just a work 8 hours a day (Inda S.S. 2013, p. 1-24).

Examples of Quality of worklife

• Developing a flexible working schedule - A flexible working schedule is one of the most important elements of a quality work life. It allows employees to have a better work-life balance and reduces stress. Flexible working schedules can include part-time, job sharing, working from home and other arrangements that allow employees to create the work-life balance that best suits their lifestyle.
• Offering training and development opportunities - Employees need to feel that their skills are being developed and that their knowledge is being kept up to date. Offering training and development opportunities in the form of seminars, workshops and even online courses is a great way to ensure that employees have the skills to do their job and to keep up with the ever changing technology and industry.
• Encouraging team building activities - Team building activities can help to create a more cohesive and productive workplace. It gives employees an opportunity to get to know each other better and to build relationships with their colleagues. Team building activities can include anything from team sports to team building exercises.
• Offering employee benefits - Offering employee benefits is another great way to ensure that employees are feeling valued and appreciated. Benefits can include anything from healthcare plans to retirement plans. Benefits can help to make employees feel that their employer cares about their wellbeing.
• Creating a positive work environment - Creating a positive work environment is essential for any business. Employees need to feel safe and respected in the workplace in order to be productive and efficient. This can include anything from implementing a zero-tolerance policy for harassment to providing a healthy and safe work environment.

Limitations of Quality of worklife

Quality of worklife (QWL) is an important concept for creating a positive workplace environment and improving job satisfaction and productivity. However, there are several limitations of this concept. The following are the main limitations of QWL:

• The implementation of QWL can be costly and time consuming. As QWL requires changes to the current processes and procedures, it can be expensive to implement. Additionally, it requires a lot of time and resources to effectively implement the changes.
• The success of QWL depends on the employees and their willingness to accept the changes. If the employees are not willing to accept the changes and follow the new processes and procedures, then it is difficult to make the QWL successful.
• QWL requires a certain level of trust between the management and employees. If there is a lack of trust between the two, it can be difficult to make the QWL successful.
• QWL can also lead to a sense of entitlement among the employees. If the employees get used to the comfortable and pleasant working environment, they may start taking it for granted and become less productive.

Overall, Quality of Worklife is an important concept for creating a positive and productive workplace. But, it has its limitations, which need to be taken into consideration for a successful implementation.

Other approaches related to Quality of worklife

One of the main approaches related to Quality of Worklife is the focus on employee welfare and satisfaction. These approaches include:

• Empowerment - giving employees the authority to make decisions and take action that will positively impact their work environment and job performance.
• Job satisfaction - creating an environment where employees feel appreciated and have an opportunity to grow and develop professionally.
• Work-life balance - creating a balance between work and home life, and providing employees with the support they need to meet their personal and professional goals.
• Health and safety - providing a safe and healthy work environment and promoting practices that encourage physical and mental well-being.
• Employee recognition - recognizing employees for their hard work and achievements to help motivate them and increase their loyalty to the organization.

These approaches to Quality of Worklife aim to create an environment where employees feel valued and empowered, and can perform to the best of their ability. This in turn leads to higher employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.

Quality of worklife — recommended articles

Motivation system — Organizational commitment — Non financial motivation — Extrinsic reward — Motivation — Career pathing — Health and wellbeing — Atmosphere at work — Promotion policy

References

• Gaurav K. (2012), Quality of Work Life (QWL) & Employee Satisfaction, Grin p. 2-16
• Inda S.S. ( 2013), Quality of Work Life, Canadian Academic Publishing, p. 1-24
• Lokanadha Reddy. M. (2010), Quality of worklife of employees: emerging dimensions , Asian Journal of Management Research, p. 827-837
• Singh P. (2014), An exploratory study on quality of work life and its impact on organizational effectiveness , Asian Journal of Management Research, p. 312-320
• Straw, R.J., Heckscher C.C. (1984). Quality of Work Life - Linkage with Job Satisfaction and Performance , Labor Studies J., 9, p. 261-274
• Van Schoor A. J. (2002), The Quest for Quality of Work Life: A TQM Approach, JUTA, p. 167-184

Author: Angelika Zając