A flexible work schedule can help improve your heart health: why
Reducing stressful workplace conditions and workplace-family conflict showed a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease among the most vulnerable employees, without any negative impact on their productivity.
A recent study reveals that a friendlier and more reflective work environment could have a positive impact on the cardiovascular health of older employees. According to researchers, the implementation of interventions aimed at reducing work-family conflict led to a significant decrease in risk factors for heart health in this group.
The scientists, whose work was published in the Nov. 8 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, noted that older employees experienced similar heart risk factors as people 5 to 10 years younger when their work environment offered greater flexibility and support.
The co-director of the study, Lisa Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, stressed the importance of working conditions as social determinants of health.
“The study illustrates how working conditions are important social determinants of health,” Berkman said. “When stressful workplace conditions and work-family conflict were mitigated, we saw a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease among the most vulnerable employees, without any negative impact on their productivity.”
The study involved two collaborative companies: a technology company with 555 employees and a long-term care company with 973 participating employees.
The key between health and work
Supervisors at both companies were trained in strategies aimed at supporting employees’ personal and family lives, and entire teams participated in hands-on sessions to identify new ways to increase control over their schedules and workflow.
Although the workplace changes did not have a significant effect on all employees’ heart health risk factors, significant improvements were seen in those who entered the study with high heart risk scores. Employees at the technology company experienced a reduction in their heart risk scores equivalent to 5.5 years of age-related changes.
The results were even more striking at the long-term care company, where employees experienced a reduction equivalent to 10.3 years. Additionally, age influenced the results, as employees over 45 with higher heart risk scores were more likely to see an improvement than younger workers.
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“The intervention was designed to change workplace culture over time, with the intention of reducing employees’ work-life conflict and ultimately improving their health,” explained Orfeu Buxton. , director of the Sleep, Health and Society Collaboration Study at Penn State University, who also participated in the study.
“We now know that these changes can improve employee health and should be implemented more broadly.”
