Workplace Ergonomics, Well-Being, and Employee Retention: Assessing the Role of Organizational Support and Work-Life Balance

This study investigates the effects of ergonomics and workplace practices on talent retention with the intention to uncover organizational factors contributing to employee satisfaction and commitment. The paper extends structural equation modeling to investigate several potential predictors, such as workstation design, lifting methods, task variation duration between tasks, anti-fatigue mat use, ergonomic tools use, scheduled breaks, and, in general, work-life balance. Results indicate that ergonomics factors play an important role in retention, while lifting actions and availability of ergonomics equipment are the most common predictors. The research displays that employees placed in low physical effort and high comfort offices remain longer. The relationship is also reinforced by work-life balance as a moderator; indeed, workers who feel that their personal well-being is taken into account by the firm are more satisfied. The strength and appropriateness of the developed framework are also validated by testing several model fit indices (i.e., RMSEA, CFI, TLI, SRMR, GFI). The study highlights the need for organizations to invest in ergonomics and supportive policies that optimize physical comfort and overall well-being. Nevertheless, limitations of this study exist, such as a cross-sectional design and subjective reports being used to measure interactions and the type of context in which data were collected. Subsequent research may expand on these findings by introducing further dimensions of the workplace and also conducting longitudinal investigations across industry areas, which could yield additional knowledge about retention.