manager when she returns from maternity
leave? HR would work on a solution to this
problem.
Quality of Work Life
Quality of work life (QWL) is a concept that
refers to how the worker feels about the work
experience itself. How a worker feels depends
on many aspects of the job. Some of these
aspects include management styles, freedom to
make decisions on the job, physical surround-
ings of the job, job safety, work hours, and
meaningful job tasks. HR may be given the task
to improve QWL. The approach of a good QWL
program says that a person’s job and work envi-
ronment should meet as many of the worker’s
needs as possible.
HR finds out what workers need, what
makes them unhappy, and what would make
them happy. HR then develops QWL programs.
One QWL program might work with managers
on issues involving management style. Another
QWL might work on improving the quality of the
employee cafeteria. Common QWL programs
include courses on stress management and finan-
cial planning, wellness programs, health club
membership, and health screenings, 17-18.
Chapter 17 Human Resources
401
17-17 Temporary workers are widely used in the hospitality industry.