Gerontology & Geriatric Research

Job Performance in Relation to a Sustainable Working Life

Joyce Simard^* Department of Health, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia
^*Correspondence: Joyce Simard, Department of Health, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia, Email:

Received: 15-Nov-2022, Manuscript No. JGGR-22-18776; Editor assigned: 18-Nov-2022, Pre QC No. JGGR-22-18776 (PQ); Reviewed: 02-Dec-2022, QC No. JGGR-22-18776; Revised: 08-Mar-2023, Manuscript No. JGGR-22-18776 (R); Published: 15-Mar-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2167-7182.23.12.664

Introduction

One well known socio-demographic phenomenon of our century is the ageing of the world's population. In order to promote a society that is inclusive of people of all ages, the United Nations designated the period from 2021 to 2030 as the "Decade of Healthy Ageing" (DHA). Governments are starting to adapt policies for an increasing number of older people as they become more aware of this demographic transformation [1]. For instance, the Department of Family Policies (DFP) in Italy provided funding for a large scale national project (2019-2022) to develop multilevel and participatory coordination of active ageing policies.

Due to the rising proportion of older workers, ageism is a significant social transformation in the workplace. The workforce is getting older as a result of companies are interested in learning how to maintain a good balance between work and health because it is very expensive to reassign workers who are physically unable to perform their jobs [2]. At both the individual and organizational levels, businesses and managers, particularly direct supervisors, can actively help to ensure a sustainable balance between work and health. In order to promote long term employability for older workers, it is crucial to evaluate whether supervisors' support and the organizational health climate play a role in the relationship between work ability and job performance [3].

Supporting older workers to maintain satisfactory job performance is a crucial management concern. One of the most crucial metrics for businesses is job performance although studies have shown that ageing has a range of effects on the connection between job performance, work health balance, and work ability.

There is growing interest in examining the dynamics that connect deteriorating physical and mental capabilities with ageing and organizational outcomes as a result of the ageing of the workforce. This interest is also a result of growing academic awareness of health at work as a complex phenomenon that involves a number of personal, organizational, social, and relational factors in addition to health status [4]. The most recent advancement in work ability introduced a holistic perspective of health promotion e.g. work ability house. However, the index still only evaluates health and mental status in the majority of academic studies and workplace interventions.

Description

In Italy, a further measure was introduced in addition to work capacity to evaluate the health. The study was based on a steel manufacturing company in Italy, and the survey that was presented as part of the company's "age diversity" actions to evaluate and enhance the organization's age inclusivity [5]. The study was conducted from January to April of 2018. Following its definition, the survey was administered to the intended audience using pen and paper with the aid of line managers. The sample is not randomised and the study is cross sectional. Employees in manual roles who were 50 years of age or older at the time of the study were given the survey. They were dispersed among three different plants in Italy and included all so defined older workers who held a manual job position. To take part in the research, the WHB Questionnaire (WHBq) was used to assess Work Health Balance (WHB). Three subscales and 17 items make up the tool: Work Health Incompatibility (WHI) is a measure of how much one's job related activities interfere with their ability to manage their health. There are six items total, including "your job is a hindrance to your health" (cronbach's alpha: 0.88). Health Climate (HC) refers to how employees perceive management's commitment to their wellbeing. It consists of 5 items, such as "senior management takes prompt action when employee health issues arise" (cronbach's alpha: 0.91) [6]. The perception of the supervisor's support for one's health needs is known as external support, or ES. It has six items, including "your supervisor permits you to arrive and leave work when you wish for health reasons" (cronbach's alpha).

In a sample of older manual workers in an Italian steel factory, this study sought to determine the role of work health balance as a mediator in the relationship between work ability and job performance as assessed by the employee and the supervisor. Our research demonstrated that the relationship between work ability and self-rated job performance can be partially mediated by work health balance. One of our hypotheses, however, was not supported, and work health balance could not be regarded as a mediating factor between work capability and job performance as assessed by supervisors.

By concentrating on the dynamics surrounding the balance between health and work demands for older manual workers, this study adds to the body of literature on extending working lives. We discovered that work ability influences how well employees think their jobs are going.

This study emphasizes that for older manual workers, work health balance acts as a mediating factor between work ability and self-reported job performance. Contrarily, work health balance does not mediate the impact of work ability on job performance as determined by supervisors [7]. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between work ability and work health balance and both measures of job performance; however, work ability is more highly correlated with supervisor rated job performance than work health is with self-assessed job performance. These findings imply that there are various ways to improve job performance, depending on whether it is self or supervisor assessed.

The work ability index and work health balance questionnaire are helpful tools to use in organizational health promotion, according to the study's first practical implication.

Conclusion

Researchers and occupational health professionals have focused on extending working lives by improving the health of older workers. Health is more than just physical or mental problems or the evaluation of one's ability to work. The ability of employees to manage the demands on their health at work and maintain an active, sustainable, and responsible balance between various spheres, including work and health, is another aspect of employee well-being. This study demonstrates that management attention to employee well-being and widespread organizational support for health management are important factors in enhancing older workers' performance. The literature on healthy ageing at work and the viability of long working lives can both benefit from this study. It offers a fresh viewpoint on sustainability.

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