A new questionnaire and model for research into the impact of work and the work environment on employee health

The research questions of this study were “Are there other organizational conditions or dimensions that generate ill health and that can complement the work-environment dimensions previously employed, and, if so, what are they, and how do they relate to earlier dimensions and employee health? A new survey questionnaire was built on a critical analysis of the demand–control–support model and the effort–reward imbalance model. Interviews carried out in eight strategically selected focus groups, along with one expert interview and one case study, made up the qualitative basis for the development of the new questions. The results from a pilot study involving a nationally representative sample provided the basis for the work and workplace dimensions studied and the construction of the hypothetical “causal” model. Factors of work and the workplace had an impact on employees’ stress symptoms and health. However, only “demands” and “humanity and social support” had a direct connection.