The Physiological Impact of Employee Support

We have previously talked about the importance of support in the workplace, from the benefits of social support to how companies have even begun to offer more formalized support. Prior research has shown a link between support and overall employee psychological wellness. However, there has not been an established link between support and physical and physiological wellness—until now. 

Using employee data collected in three phases across six years, two researchers recently sought to explore this very linkage. During Phase 1, the research participants completed measures of supervisory and coworker support. Then during Phase 2, the research participants provided samples of cortisol—a hormone that the body produces as a stress response. For Phase 3, the researchers measured the body mass index (BMI) of the research participants—which is an overall indicator of physical health. 

After analyzing the data, the researchers found that supervisory support was predictive of healthier cortisol patterns. This, consequently, was correlated with smaller increases in BMI over time. Interestingly, this finding was not found for coworker support. 

These findings suggest that, while all support is beneficial, not all is equal. When it comes to physical and physiological wellness—supervisory support should be the primary focus of organizations.

How can organizations increase supervisory support? Supervisors can support employees in a number of different ways, including but not limited to: 

• Increasing job-related skills
• Offering education and training opportunities
• Improving team work
• Providing employee recognition and
• Practicing empathy

Reference

Gonzalez-Mulé, E., & Yuan, Z. (2022). Social support at work carries weight: Relations between social support, employees’ diurnal cortisol patterns, and body mass index. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000990