When Drivers Step Off the Bus: Well-Being and Turnover Intention in the Public Transport Sector

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Transportation Management
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Voluntary turnover is a significant issue in public services, impacting service quality and employee well-being.
• The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model provides a framework for understanding employee well-being and turnover.
• Public transport workers face unique workplace challenges affecting retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify psychosocial predictors of well-being profiles among public transport workers.
• To examine the relationship between well-being profiles and turnover intention.
• To apply the JD-R model to understand employee retention in the public transport sector.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study with 131 Italian public transport employees.
• Questionnaires assessed turnover intention and psychosocial factors (job satisfaction, stress, engagement, meaning of work, safety).
• Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), logistic regression, and path analysis were used.

Main Results:

• Two well-being profiles identified: 'low well-being' (high stress, low engagement) and 'high well-being' (low stress, high engagement).
• Satisfaction with pay and intrinsic work tasks predicted the 'high well-being' profile.
• High well-being profile significantly predicted lower turnover intention; satisfaction with supervision, safety, and age also directly impacted turnover.

Conclusions:

• Organizational and psychological resources are vital for enhancing well-being and retention in public transport.
• Interventions should focus on improving job satisfaction, perceived safety, and work engagement.
• Findings support strategies for sustainable public transport systems through improved employee retention.