Improving working conditions: concrete levers for well-being and performance

Improving working conditions is essential for productivity and talent retention. This practical guide offers concrete actions, recent data, and proven methods to sustainably transform your employees’ working environment.

Key takeaways

Start with a diagnosis: before taking any action, analyse the actual state of working conditions using surveys, quantitative indicators, and social dialogue.
Environment, management, and communication: improving conditions relies on three inseparable pillars – a suitable working environment, participative management, and transparent internal communication.
QVCT, the new framework: since 2021, QVT has become QVCT (Quality of Life and Working Conditions), strengthening the legal obligation to act on the real working environment.
Measure to adjust: each action must be followed by precise indicators (absenteeism, turnover, satisfaction, engagement) to ensure continuous improvement.
Digital tools: platforms like Eli make it possible to structure, roll out, and measure QVCT initiatives across the entire company.

What follows is a comprehensive guide with tips to improve working conditions, section by section.

1. Understanding working conditions in 2026

Working conditions are not limited to furniture or office temperature. Here is what they concretely cover in 2026:

Legal framework: the Labour Code and QVCT (updated following the law of 2 August 2021) define conditions as all elements related to working hours, workload, autonomy, physical environment, social dialogue, recognition, and the meaning of work.
New forms of work: teleworking, stabilised at around 23% of the workforce since 2024, has profoundly changed the working environment. The hybrid model – often two days remote per week – has become the norm in medium-sized and large companies.
Employees’ perception: how employees experience their workstation, their relationships with management, and their development opportunities matters just as much as objective data. An employee satisfied with their QWL is three times more likely to recommend their company.
Attractiveness: 67% of managers rank working conditions as the top criterion when choosing an employer. To attract talent in 2026, integrating strong QVCT into your company is a decisive employer-brand lever.

2. Analysing existing working conditions

Before improving conditions, you need to measure them. Here is a step-by-step approach to carry out a diagnosis at company or department level:

Map the dimensions: work organization, actual workload, physical environment, digital tools, professional relationships, stress factors, psychosocial risks.
Use concrete tools: anonymous satisfaction surveys, quarterly QWL barometers, individual interviews, focus groups with the Social and Economic Committee (CSE), workstation audits. Satisfaction surveys assess employee engagement and make it possible to quantify needs.
Digitize data collection: a platform like Eli makes it possible to quickly launch quick polls, collect quantified feedback by team and by site, and segment results by job role or language.
Combine quantitative and qualitative data: rely on measurable indicators – absenteeism rate (around 5.1% in the private sector in 2024, i.e. 117 billion euros per year), staff turnover, accidents – but also on the feedback gathered through social dialogue. The average cost of disengagement is estimated at €14,840 per employee per year. These actions directly help reduce employee absenteeism when they are followed by corrective action plans.

3. Optimize the work environment (physical, digital and organizational)

The impact of the work environment on health, quality of life and performance is direct and measurable. The goal is to make the work setting safer, more comfortable and smoother, by involving teams in layout and design decisions.

3.1 Design spaces for well-being

Providing ergonomic equipment improves employee comfort: adjustable chairs, sit-stand desks, screens at the right height, acoustic partitions for noisy open spaces.
Plan differentiated areas in refurbished premises: quiet zones for concentration, collaborative rooms, friendly relaxation areas.
Optimizing natural light and air quality improves the work environment. Poorly lit offices increase fatigue and reduce concentration. The presence of plants and a comfortable temperature are simple but effective levers.
78% of employees in a well-designed environment say they are more focused, and employees in a quality environment are 1.8 times more engaged. A comfortable workspace reduces the risk of physical pain.
To co-design the layout, involve employees through surveys and votes – for example using Eli – so that each team can take part in the choices that affect their daily work.

3.2 Adapt technological tools and the workstation

Providing high-performance tools makes work easier and increases productivity: reliable collaborative software, internal messaging, project management solutions.
Regularly check that IT equipment (PCs, screens, headsets) matches the needs of the role and of remote work. Every employee should have the right to request ergonomic equipment suited to their position.
Tool overload – “digital infobesity” – degrades working conditions and well-being. Streamline the solutions used to avoid fragmentation.
A centralized platform like Eli can unify internal communication, QWL campaigns, awareness content and feedback in the same digital environment, reducing the number of tools needed.

3.3 Rethink work organization and flexibility

Adopting flexible work solutions improves employee performance: remote work governed by a charter, flexible hours, a formal right to disconnect, 4.5-day weeks tested on certain teams.
Offering remote work options strengthens work–life balance. An Insee study shows that a 10-point increase in the share of remote workers is associated with a productivity gain of 0.7% to 1.0%.
Monitor workload distribution on a monthly basis to prevent burnout. Clearly defining roles and objectives reduces stress linked to uncertainty.
Use targeted surveys via Eli to identify organizational pain points and co-create action plans by department.

4. Strengthen health, safety and well-being at work

Risk prevention is a legal obligation for employers (Article L. 4121-1 of the French Labour Code), but it is also an investment in sustainable performance. Regular updates of the Single Occupational Risk Assessment Document (DUERP) are essential. Health and safety must be integrated into the company culture, and not managed only during crises.

4.1 Prevent physical risks and MSDs

80% of occupational diseases in France are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Analysing and preventing accident risks are essential for health and safety at work.
Implement ergonomic audits of workstations every two years, training on safe movements and postures, and mandatory breaks for jobs with high physical strain.
Adapt solutions to the context: industry, logistics, call centres and offices do not have the same risk factors.
Monitor accident and “near miss” indicators, then correct quickly. Roll out awareness campaigns (videos, quizzes, infographics) via a platform like Eli to maintain day-to-day vigilance as part of your 2026 QWL week.

4.2 Address psychosocial risks and mental health

41% of employees were in psychological distress in June 2022, and sick leave for psychological reasons continues to rise: 32% of sick leaves are linked to psychological causes.
The main psychosocial risks to monitor: overload, lack of autonomy, conflicts, lack of recognition, job insecurity, isolation when working remotely.
Offer concrete levers: listening and support units, psychological helplines, training for managers to detect early warning signs, workshops on stress management.
Conduct regular anonymous surveys on well-being, stress levels and workload. Eli can host awareness content on mental health (articles, videos, podcasts) and measure participation in dedicated programmes.

The challenge is to move from top-down information to interactive and measurable internal communication. The quality of internal communication directly influences the social climate, trust, engagement and quality of work life. Social dialogue improves employee engagement, and 43% of employees consider their colleagues more individualistic than before – a sign that connections need to be rebuilt.

5.1 Set up effective communication channels

Map existing channels and identify gaps: sites without display screens, field teams with little information, isolated remote workers.
Centralise key information (QWLC policies, remote work charter, safety instructions, HR news) on a single platform accessible to everyone. Establishing a culture of transparency improves communication within the company.
Vary formats: short articles, videos, FAQs, quizzes, instant polls to make communication more engaging. A well-designed internal communication strategy is the foundation of any QWLC initiative.
Frontline managers must be supported so they can become the primary relays of communication. Provide them with ready-to-use kits.

5.2 Encourage employee expression and social dialogue

Put in place concrete mechanisms: digital suggestion boxes, instant surveys after a change, participatory workshops, quarterly social barometers.
Involve the Social and Economic Committee (CSE) and social partners in defining action plans on working conditions: teleworking charter, QVCT agreements, gender equality.
Employee feedback helps optimize working conditions, but feedback must be followed by visible effects: share survey results and communicate the decisions made.
A platform like Eli makes it easier to collect and track feedback, by providing a view by site, by job type and by topic.

6. Managing differently: recognition, participation and skills development

Management is a major lever for improving working conditions. Good management increases employee engagement by a factor of four. Conversely, caring management fosters team cohesion, while directive and distant management leads to disengagement and stress.

Recognition: 70% of French employees feel unrecognized at work, and 47% of employees believe that the absence of feedback harms their motivation. Valuing employees’ efforts and successes increases their sense of recognition. Celebrate individual and collective achievements, say thank you explicitly, and make contributions visible.
Participation: involve employees in decisions that impact their workstation. Organize QVCT working groups, give autonomy in organizing working time. Ideas coming from the field are often the most relevant.
Skills development: training plans, internal mobility, support for job transitions. This is a factor in well-being and job security. Train your managers to become engaging leaders, especially in the era of remote work.
Welcoming new hires: effective onboarding improves employee retention. The first days for a new employee are often stressful. Introducing new employees to their colleagues facilitates integration, and a designated contact person helps new hires ask questions. Regular follow-up helps ensure that new employees are integrating well.

7. Measuring the impact of improvement actions and making continuous adjustments

How can you improve working conditions without measuring the results? Every action must be part of a continuous improvement approach.

Quantitative indicators: turnover rate, absenteeism, workplace accidents, participation in surveys, well-being or eNPS score, use of spaces. Present this data in clear, shared dashboards.
Qualitative indicators: open-ended survey responses, manager feedback, summaries of CSE meetings, return-to-work or exit interviews.
Quantified objectives: set 12- or 24-month targets (reduce turnover by 5%, increase participation in QVCT campaigns by 20%).
Real-time management: Eli makes it possible to track participation in well-being campaigns, surveys and QVCT content, and to adjust actions based on the data collected at each level of the organization.

8. The role of a platform like Eli in improving working conditions

Implementing a sustainable QWL (Quality of Working Life) approach requires a tool capable of centralizing campaigns, content and indicators in one single place.

Eli brings together articles, videos, quizzes, surveys and actions in a single platform, making it easier to manage and oversee working conditions as a whole.
Examples of use cases: 2026 wellbeing program rolled out across several sites, psychosocial risk prevention campaign, consultation on remote work, measurement of social climate after a reorganization.
Segmentation by team, language or country is a valuable asset for companies with 200 employees or more, operating across multiple sites and in multiple languages.
Thanks to real-time dashboards, HR and managers can steer their improvement initiatives using reliable data.

Do you want to structure your QWL initiatives and measure their impact? Try Eli for free or request a demo to discover how the platform can support your company.

FAQ on improving working conditions

How can you quickly improve working conditions in an SME?

In 3 to 6 months, an SME can already take action: launch a simple assessment with a short survey, improve the basic layout of workstations, clarify priorities and set up regular internal communication rituals. Small, concrete actions – active listening, recognition, more flexible hours – have a visible impact on wellbeing and quality of life. Creating a structured welcome booklet is also an accessible and effective first step.

What are the first indicators to track to know whether working conditions are improving?

Key indicators include the absenteeism rate, staff turnover, job satisfaction score, participation in surveys and qualitative feedback from one-to-one meetings. Use the same set of indicators over several quarters to observe trends rather than isolated one-off measurements. This helps validate how relevant the solutions implemented are and fine-tune how you interpret the results over time.

How can you involve frontline managers in improving working conditions?

Managers need to be trained in caring management, workload management and internal communication. Provide them with concrete tools (meeting kits, ready-to-use content, accessible dashboards) and involve them in co-designing QWL action plans. Their role is central: they are the ones who turn HR strategy into everyday practices for each team.

What is the link between internal communication and well-being at work?

The work environment deteriorates when information is lacking: rumors, stress, misunderstandings, feelings of isolation. Regular, transparent and two-way internal communication strengthens trust, clarity of expectations and the sense of belonging. It is a direct driver of motivation and engagement, particularly in multi-site organizations.

How can multi-site or remote employees be involved in the process?

Use digital tools that are accessible everywhere—engagement platforms, mobile apps—to reach remote employees. Combine digital messages, time for online discussions and periodic in-person meetings to maintain strong connections and a vibrant social dialogue. The goal is for every QVCT activity to be accessible regardless of the site or work arrangement, both in principle and in practice.