Does the health of the employees reflect the health of the Quality Management System?

There is no need to complicate matters. I think we all know that people both feel better and produce better results, when there is a bit of order around them?

I have worked in poorly as well as well managed environments. There is no doubt in my mind that the latter put less strain on my health.

Besides, even though ISO may be a modern thing, a QMS (or should we drop the Q and just call it a Management System?) is nothing new. Such systems have existed all through recorded history, and probably even before that. They were just as real in old Egypt or Babylon as they are now. It may be that they were not always on print, but they certainly existed.

/Claes
 

Steve Prevette

Deming Disciple
Leader
Super Moderator
I'd say the health of the employees is related to the overall health of the corporation - Quality, Safety, and Operations.

We've been running several "leading indicators" in our Safety and Health program, and we have an employee survey that is taking during the annual employee refresher training. The survey results and the recordable injury rates track very closely together.

I also recently helped a person with the statistical analysis of her Phd dissertation. This involved surveying workers for their perceive levels of work related pain, and several factors about their work, including their perception of control over their work. There was a very strong correlation between self reported pain and self reported control over their work. This fits in with several theories that have been put forth in the literature. I found it very fascinating.
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
I think that's interesting too, Steve. It's time there was some improvement to "that feeling" people like me get, which convinces us that safety leads to wellness, which greatly assists in reaching objectives.

The Navy has understood the relationship for quite some time, and strengthened Family Services as well as physical wellness. (Too bad they sacrificed the hobby centers to do it though) The old saying "Your family didn't come in your seabag" faded as correlations were drawn between wellness and work quality. Safety and physical wellness was the first part, but I played a tiny role in financial wellness after the Command Financial Specialist program was established, and as a customer of it I quite understand how hard it is to function well when under mental stress.

And so an organization could conform to element 6.4 in a variety of ways; whatever is most appropriate.
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Personally, I have an easier time believing stress is engendered by lack of personal control over a situation than whether that situation is orderly or "sloppy."

I have visited workplaces that were micromanaged and looked "neat as a pin" where employees were unhappy and nonproductive.

I have also visited comparatively messy workplaces where employees were indifferent about how full wastebaskets were but who took immense pride in the work product. The difference being the priority was for good product and satisfied customers and the employees took care of clutter AFTER the work was on the shipping dock.

(I am making a unfair generalzation, I realize, but I think it IS fair to say only a small minority of people relish having every moment and movement of their workdays micromanaged by someone else.)

Stress-related illnesses AND other illnesses transmitted by germs or viruses plus injuries on the job usually have an "unhealthy" effect on operations. They result in either absence or reduced capacity on the job. This seems reason enough to provide health care services and protective policies throughout the organization to ameliorate the loss of effective workers. This may mean special effort to identify causes of stress in the workplace because the mechanism for causing health woes is not universally understood.
 

qualprod

Trusted Information Resource
Re: Does the health of the employees reflect the health of the Quality Management Sys

I Think health problems may come form different sources, e.g. stress to comply with QMS compromises, projects to be finished on time,etc. a boss who always is pushing people under him,etc.

I have seen QMS systems with a lot of uncompliments, and people is very relaxed, most of the time because the General manager is not interested in the system.
 
Re: Does the health of the employees reflect the health of the Quality Management Sys

Too many variables involved here, so many different businesses and processes, some inherently more stressful and uncomfortable than others. Running a drop forge operation in a steel mill in summer is much different than two dozen extruders spitting out vinyl fence and much different than an IT operation or sales and service. Compounding that are the multitudinous management paradigms which can range from great to horrendous, and the type of employees and attitudes (culture). You might be able to compare similar jobs and management styles, but even that is questionable.
 

Ettore

Quite Involved in Discussions
Re: Does the health of the employees reflect the health of the Quality Management Sys

Wow!!!!! I never put that correlation together. I guess I can say that because of our healthy QMS/BOS system we can try to lower our insurance premiums. Very interesting topic!
You have to be really interested in the topic. A so long "Wow!!!!! " is the second exclamation that i have had the opportunity to listen.. The first one was from a women when we have dance Imdio Manso (by Carlos Di Sarli)
 
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