Supervisors’ health-promoting behaviors and employee health in corporate health and productivity management: A cross-sectional study of large Japanese companies

This study examined associations between two types of supervisors' health-promoting behaviors- informing employees about the corporate health and productivity management initiatives and actively practicing them-and employee health outcomes in large Japanese companies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 11,484 employees. Supervisor behaviors were grouped by combinations of informing and practicing. Associations with psychological distress, work engagement, and self-rated health were analyzed using multivariable regression. Practicing alone was consistently associated with better outcomes, while informing alone showed limited effects. The combination of both yielded the most favorable outcomes (psychological distress: β = -0.78, work engagement: β = 1.70, self-rated health: β = 0.49) and demonstrated a significant interaction effect. Supervisors who both inform and practice are associated with better employee health. These findings suggest the importance of consistent communication and practices in health leadership.