Ellen Ernst Kossek, professor at MSU’s School of Labor and Industrial Relations, has joined with a colleague from Portland to create a training program for supervisors to help them improve worker health. The scientific-based program is featured in the upcoming August edition of the Journal of Management.
Now, the pair have won a $4.1 million federal grant to refine and expand the program. The grant is part of a $30 million initiative of the Work, Family and Health Network. It is jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) to examine how company policies affect the health and well-being of employees and their families.
The new training program outlines measures for supervisors including emotional support, assistance with day to day needs such as scheduling flexibility, and team approaches such as cross-training within and between departments to enhance flexibility.
“Businesses are searching for new ways to manage in a tough economy,” says Kossek. “Our study shows that just teaching managers to be more supportive can have cost savings for turnover and lower stress, which affects the bottom line.
“Managing in a more supportive way that recognizes how important flexibility is to today’s work force is a win-win economic proposition that benefits employers, workers and families,” Kossek says.
“Employees no longer leave their family needs at the company doorstep.”
Source: MSU
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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