The island nation scored just 25% in McKinsey Health Institute’s report on the link between positive work experience and employee health.
By Maggie Mancini
Japan has the lowest employee well-being among 30 countries across the globe, according to a recent report from the McKinsey Health Institute. The report measures each of the countries based on their work experiences and physical, mental, social, and spiritual health to determine the link between positive work experiences and overall health.
While the study finds that more than half of employees from the 30 countries report positive overall holistic health, there are significant variations between countries, with the island nation ranking at 25% while Turkey ranks at 78%. Among respondents, the largest proportion of positive scores were for physical health at 70%, with two-thirds of employees reporting positive scores in physical and mental health. The lowest scores were in spiritual health (58%).
Other countries in the APAC region score substantially higher than Japan, including India (76%), China (75%), and New Zealand (45%).
Although the global level of burnout is around 20%, cognitive and emotional impairment, as well as exhaustion and mental distance, vary by country and region. Just over a quarter (27%) of respondents from Japan report burnout symptoms compared to 59% in India, 18% in China, 24% in Australia, 19% in Indonesia, 24% in New Zealand, 29% in Singapore, 18% in South Korea, and 19% in Turkey.
The McKinsey Health Institute finds that simultaneously addressing burnout symptoms and holistic health may help improve employee health and improve work experiences. However, an opportunity gap for addressing these concerns has emerged, according to the study.
Just about half (51%) of respondents globally are faring lower on holistic health and higher on burnout symptoms. Japan faces the highest opportunity gap in the APAC region, with 77% of respondents faring lower on health and higher on burnout. This is compared to India (72%), New Zealand (61%), Australia (57%), South Korea (55%), Singapore (59%), Indonesia (51%), China (33%), and Turkey (33%).
