Advance Employability - PositiveEffects of Work

Introduction

As humans, we spend close to forty years of our adult lives at work. Realistically, one must enjoy what one is doing, because we spend so much of our lives working. It would be sad to spend that much time in a career that is disliked. It is therefore wise to understand the importance of work, so that one can base one's choices on this understanding.

Work defined

Looking at the historical view of work, we see that "work" has meant different things across cultures and eras, but these meanings also have something in common. Undeniably, work is an activity — a process that requires physical or mental effort and can cause fatigue. Work is also a service. "Work" can be described as any activity linked to an existing purpose or achievement. The term "work" is probably one of the most commonly used words in the world. People talk about going to work, coming home from work, not being happy at work, or looking for work. People worldwide leave their families and homes, and are even willing to leave their children in the care of others, in order to go to work. Some people give work so much attention that they might not even have time for other activities. Work has become a "culture" with its own rules and norms.

Through work, people become aware of the environment around them and are able to create a habitat or living environment for themselves and their family. It is largely through work that an individual chooses the community, the town and the city in which to live, in order to satisfy their social and personal needs. Work provides recognition from others when something is achieved. Therefore, work becomes rewarding on both an external level (materially) and an internal level (in terms of ego needs). Work has the basic purpose of providing for our financial needs and enhancing a sense of usefulness and belonging. It also serves as a social mechanism supporting individual and community identity. There have been three important needs that working has the potential to fulfil: the need for survival, the need for relatedness, and the need for self-determination.

Need for survival

One primary need that working fulfils is that it provides resources that ensure our survival. The need to survive is at the core of the human experience. If there is no work, people struggle to obtain money, which provides resources such as food, clothing and shelter.

Need for relatedness

Another important need that work fulfils is that it provides access to social connections. This is also known as relational connectedness. The working environment involves structured and informal interactions with co-workers, which links people to the social and cultural fabric around them. Those who work also feel connected to the economic and social wellbeing of their communities.

Need for self-determination

The third need fulfilled through work is that of self-determination. Self-determination refers to human motivation and the key factors that trigger it. Self-determination is an important element of human functioning, as it refers to a person's ability to manage their own life and be responsible for their own psychological wellbeing when the conditions are right. Self-determination depends on two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation comes from the satisfaction of completing a task that is enjoyable and interesting in itself — it deals with a love for performing a task that is rewarding in itself. People who are intrinsically motivated do not view their jobs as a chore.

Extrinsic motivation comes from the rewards or consequences associated with performing a task. Here, the individual performs a task not because they enjoy doing it, but because they are motivated by recognition, bonus payments, or impressing colleagues. On the other hand, they might perform a task simply because they do not wish to be reprimanded.

The importance of work cannot be overstated, as it plays a role in determining an individual's sense of self and community. Work is therefore seen as a pillar of social organisation.

Additional benefits of working

- Work gives one a sense of identity.

- A regular salary.

- The satisfaction of being independent.

- Adding more people to your social network.

- Developing your skills.

- Affording one the stability and privilege of enjoying meaningful relationships.

- Providing for retirement.

- Enjoyment of company benefits.

- Leave encashment (being paid out for unused leave).

- It gives you meaning and purpose.

The importance of work at the individual and societal level

For the individual, work plays an important role in structuring their reality. This structure includes personal and social identity, social bonds, financial security, access to goods and services, a routine to follow, self-worth, self-preservation, and a feeling of oneness with the community.

For society, work has a role in promoting community cohesion and civic participation, safety, reduced reliance on welfare support, promoting economic and social development, and organising social and cultural life at a macro level. We have looked at the importance of having work, and we now understand that work is much more than just a means to an income. It has a function for every area of life. Therefore, it must be understood what impact being unemployed has on the millions of South Africans currently without work.

Unemployment has been known to take its toll on mental health. Scientific evidence shows that unemployed people have lower levels of psychological wellbeing than those who are employed.

Unemployment has been linked to a number of psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and dangerous or risky behaviour, including suicidal ideation and violence towards family members or others. Unemployment also has negative implications for communities, as high unemployment rates within a community lead to a drop in socio-economic status. Finding meaningful work is one important way to help address the effects of unemployment, as having a job has many positive benefits for the human psyche — it plays a role in our happiness, helps us build self-esteem and confidence, and often rewards us financially. Work also provides the following:

- Work keeps us busy, gives us the means to develop ourselves, and challenges us.

- It provides a sense of identity, personal achievement and pride.

- Work enables us to build contacts and find support.

- Work allows us to earn money to support ourselves and explore our interests.

- It opens our minds to new possibilities and different worldviews.

- Employed people tend to be healthier and happier than those who are not working.

- Work improves our reaction to stress, and we recover from setbacks faster.

- Work improves our mental and physical health, and we recover from illness faster.

Conclusion

Work does indeed have great benefits for our health and mental wellbeing. The view that work is "similar to a punishment" could not be further from the truth. Through working, people tend to find meaning in life. They can make contributions to their families and society as a whole, and are defined by a sense of worth and purpose.

This section discusses unemployment and its links to mental health, including references to anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, as this is relevant background for career development practitioners supporting clients. If you or someone you are working with is struggling with these issues personally, please encourage them to seek support from a suitably qualified mental health professional.