Working conditions and state of health of employees working indoor and outdoor with varying levels of physical demand: Insights from the BIBB/BAuA employment survey 2024

BACKGROUND: The effects of climate change are posing challenges for occupational health and safety, particularly among outdoor workers performing physically demanding tasks. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study systematically examines job demands (physical, environmental, work intensity and working time location), job resources (autonomy and social support) and health outcomes (musculoskeletal and psychosomatic complaints) across four occupational groups: employees working mostly outdoor or indoor with either high or low physical demands. The analyses explore key differences between these groups and identify factors associated with health complaints within them. METHODS: Data from the BIBB/BAuA Employment Survey 2024, a nationally representative dataset comprising approximately 20,000 employees from the German workforce, was analyzed using analyses of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression models. RESULTS: Consistent with the JD-R model, findings across all occupational groups highlight the direct associations of working conditions with employee health. Employees in indoor, high-demand roles reported the highest levels of musculoskeletal and psychosomatic complaints, primarily associated with higher work intensity and lower autonomy. Although outdoor, high-demand employees faced stronger environmental and physical demands, they reported fewer health complaints than the indoor, high-demand group. CONCLUSION: This absence of a direct association between the environmental demands and health complaints suggests the influence of unmeasured protective factors, such as personal resources. While work-related demands are consistently linked to increased health complaints, job resources, such as autonomy and social support, play a beneficial role in promoting overall well-being. The results highlight the importance of strengthening job resources to safeguard employee health. Enhancing autonomy, social support and personal resources may have beneficial effects that counterbalance work-related demands.