How workwear practices impact wellbeing and reflect employee values
Employee survey in the manufacturing industry
This study explores how daily workwear practices affect employee comfort, satisfaction and productivity — and how these practices mirror the growing importance of sustainability.
Study content
This survey was conducted by Norstat, a leading independent European market research data collector, in February 2025 across 11 European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Türkiye. A total of 2,276 workwear users in the manufacturing industry participated.
Key findings
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52% of workers cite salary and compensation as the main factor influencing their wellbeing at work, followed by workload (30%), work–life balance (27%), and job security (26%).
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86% of respondents said that the comfort, functionality, and cleanliness of their workwear affects their overall satisfaction.
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19% reported that workwear fit for the job directly impacts their productivity.
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30% of workwear is discarded when damaged, with a large share ending up in landfill.
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80% of employees consider sustainability important.
For more insights – including expert recommendations on what to consider when selecting workwear for employees and how to improve its sustainability – please refer to the full study.