Employees who think their workplace is fair are reportedly healthier

Employees who believe their workplace treats them fairly are more likely to report being "healthy" and willing to go the extra mile for their organization, according to a new study.

Researchers from England’s University of East Anglia and Sweden’s Stockholm University investigated whether perceptions of fairness among workers changed their self-reported health.

The study looked at more than 5,800 workers aged 16 to 64 in Sweden between 2008 and 2014, as part of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health.

What they found was that when the workers’ perceptions of “procedural justice” improved – or the processes that dictated how rewards, pay, promotions and assignments were handed out – on average, they reported that they felt healthier.

“The findings can help raise awareness among employers and authorities that fairness at work, but also health is important to consider to increase satisfaction, wellbeing and productivity in the workplace and wider society,” said Constanze Eib, one of the paper’s authors and professor of organizational behaviour at the University of East Anglia, in a press release.

"It is important to know about these issues as there may be things that can be done to improve perceptions of fairness at work.”

The study also found that the reverse was true: workplaces that were perceived to be less fair, also saw a “deterioration” in perceived worker health.

Eib put forward a number of suggestions to improve workplace fairness, including: making an effort to show employees their opinions are being considered, consulting with them about changes and ensuring decisions are made without bias.

"People who feel fairly treated are not only more likely to be motivated at work and go the extra mile for their organization, but they are also more likely to be healthy, have an active lifestyle and feel positive,” said Eib.

Over the course of the study, researchers also found that men experienced a “faster deterioration” in self-rated health compared to women.

The authors said this accelerated decline could be explained by the fact that women with poorer health are more likely to leave their jobs.

Participants of the study rated the state of health on a scale from one to five, with one representing “very good” and five “very poor.”

They also graded their workplace’s fairness on a five-point scale, from “totally agree” to “totally disagree.”

The results were published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health.