Lancaster University study - The impact of GCC on employee's mental health
Lancaster University is a world class research and teaching university shortlisted for 2010 University of the Year. In 2010, the university's Research Centre for Organizational Health and Well Being conducted an independent survey of the GCC. It is one of the largest studies ever taken into organizational wellbeing with 1,000 British Gas (BG) GCC-participating-employees agreeing to become participants in the study. Examining data from before and after the GCC, the aim of the research was to measure the impact of the GCC on mental health, stress levels, productivity and engagement. The results were quite remarkable.
Results:
The extensive study found that the British Gas employees who participated in the GCC reported significant increases in their concentration levels at work, enhanced enjoyment of day to day activities, an increase in overall confidence, a higher level of general happiness/wellbeing and a greater sense of self-esteem.
While these findings are remarkable for both the wide ranging positive effects and the specific level of increased wellbeing, the most impressive result of this increased wellbeing was a significant increase in their productivity at work, their engagement levels at work and their job satisfaction levels.
The study also looked at an employee's sources of stress at work and it was found that through their participation in the GCC employees reported a decrease in stress levels. This included both the stress relating to overall wellbeing and stress from their lives outside of work (i.e. family life).
The conclusion was that GCC participants were happier, healthier, more productive and dramatically more engaged with their work and employer as a consequence of their participation in the GCC.
In addition:
- 94% of employees said that they intended to continue this higher level of physical activity after the GCC finished.
- 80% of employees said that participating in the GCC has a positive impact on their overall health not just their emotional wellbeing.
Download the Lancaster University Study