- Research unit working on diverse projects involving NHS staff and electric car batteries
- Additional work ongoing on attracting over 50s back into employment
- Researchers trying to take “what we learn in the lab out of the door to make a difference in the real world”.
Researchers at Aston University say they are striving to ensure that present and future employees have a healthier and happier environment in which to work.
They are involved in the University’s Healthy Work Research Unit which is developing insights and recommendations to industry and the public sector on how to create healthier workplaces.
The head of the research unit is Dr Simon McCabe, a senior lecturer in behavioural science at Aston Business School, who spoke about his work in the latest episode of the ‘Aston means business' podcast, presented by journalist Steve Dyson.
Dr McCabe said behavioural science was a “synthesis of economics and psychology”, adding that one of its main features was “trying to take what we learn in the lab and actually get it out of the door and into the wild to make a difference in the real world”.
He said increasingly there had been an awareness and focus on wellbeing which had “bled over” into the world of employment, business and management.
This was at a time when the sector was facing current and future challenges such as Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, employee strikes, an increasingly ageing workforce, a possible four-day working week, and the role of artificial intelligence and technology in the workplace.
Dr McCabe said while the subject of wellbeing had been much discussed, “in some ways we are at a new frontier”. When people think about wellbeing in the workplace they think “are you providing mental health resources and an appropriate work-life balance”.
He said: “What we want to do is take a broader view of that and think about what is called the wellbeing eco-system, what other things feed into employment, things like commuting into work, is my work meaningful, does my organisation act in a way that aligns with my moral beliefs.”
The Healthy Work Research Unit currently comprises around ten researchers, all with different skill sets.
One ongoing project involves Dr Karen Maher working with colleagues at Coventry University involved in the production of lithium batteries for electric cars. Around 200 employees currently work in these specialised factories, but this is expected to grow to 2,000 in the coming years.
However, Dr McCabe said “very little is known about the health and wellbeing of these environments”, which “actively sucks moisture out of the people that work there, and so face risk of dehydration”.
He said: “Karen refers to it as potentially being the next asbestos. So, what can we do to encourage them to consume more water?” This could involve changing where water coolers are located, introducing signage, and having special training sessions.
Another project, involving Dr McCabe himself, is looking at “burn-out” among NHS nurses and midwives, many of whom will encounter death in the workplace, who regularly stay on at the end of their shift or fail to take their breaks.
He said: “If you are faced with a mortality reminder or a threat, one way to cope with that is to try and get a sense that the world is meaningful and that what you do is of value. So, perhaps counter intuitively, they are responding to these mortality reminders and throwing themselves into their work when perhaps they don’t need to, and certainly aren’t obliged to.
“The prediction is that those people who derive a sense of value and self-esteem from their job, when they are reminded of mortality, they are going to likely turn to that as a defence mechanism as a way to cope with this unpleasant reminder of mortality.”
The Healthy Work Research Unit has also been looking at the issue of attracting over 50s back to work following the “great resignation” which occurred during Covid.
Dr McCabe said rather than offer them more money, research suggested they were more focused on passing on knowledge, skill sets and training to future generations, “so highlighting that may make those job postings more appealing”.
The Aston research unit is due to launch a monthly Healthy Work and Workplaces podcast series in the near future.
- Notes to Editors
About Aston University
Founded in 1895 and a university since 1966, Aston is a long established university led by its three main beneficiary groups – students, business and the professions, and the West Midlands region and wider society. Located in Birmingham at the heart of a vibrant city, the campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Professor Aleks Subic is the Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive.
Aston University is ranked 22nd in the UK in the Guardian University Guide, based on measures including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects. The Aston Business School MBA programme was ranked in the top 100 in the world in the Economist MBA 2021 ranking.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44)7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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