Workplaces around the world have introduced a variety of safety measures to keep workers safe during Covid.  New research from Washington State University suggests that these measures influence our behavior even when we clock off.

The study found that employers who adopted measures such as regular health checks and developed a culture that encouraged sick workers to stay at home, ended up with fewer cases of workers going into work when unwell.  What’s more, this behavior spread into workers’ personal lives, as they would also be less likely to go to the shops or the gym when under the weather.

Similarly, employees of firms with strong Covid prevention measures were also found to be more supportive of measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The workplace COVID-19 climate had a direct effect on shaping employee attitudes towards the personal, preventative health actions that the CDC recommends,” the researchers say. “Public health officials and employers should be aware of the impact that organizations and workplaces can have on stemming the tide of the pandemic. It’s not just that employers have an impact on transmission that occurs within the workplace, but they are also influencing those same employees’ attitudes and behaviors outside of the workplace.”

Worker behaviors

The findings emerged after several hundred adults were surveyed during autumn 2020 and winter 2021 about how they behave and their attitude towards the guidelines when they’re either sick with Covid or exposed to the virus.

The results reveal a clear correlation between the culture in their workplace and their attitude towards Covid prevention measures.  The sample included an approximately 50/50 split of those working remotely and those working onsite during the study period.  Interestingly, however, even those working remotely were influenced by the Covid climate of their employer, with remote workers less likely to visit shops or other public spaces after exposure to the virus when their employer had strong protective measures.

The authors argue that such measures are not widespread, however, and indeed many organizations have cultures that stigmatize sick leave, which results in people coming in even when unwell.  It’s a culture that they hope the pandemic will go some way towards changing so that a healthier attitude towards health and sickness is adopted at work.

“One of the more enduring consequences of the pandemic might be that organizations not only offer more sick leave but also encourage employees to stay home if they’re sick,” the researchers conclude. “Frankly, prior to COVID-19, a lot of our culture has been: ‘unless you’re gravely ill and can’t get out of bed, you should be at work.’ That behavior spreads diseases and ultimately reduces productivity. We’re hopeful that the pandemic might institute a re-thinking of this norm moving forward.”