# The Effect of Treatment of Employees on the level of Work Engagement: School Context

Damianus Abun, Frelyn B Ranay, Jesus Reyes, Russel I Menor

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Damianus Abun, Frelyn B Ranay, Jesus Reyes, Russel I Menor. The Effect of Treatment of Employees on the level of Work Engagement: School Context. Divine Word International Journal of management and Humanities, 2023, Divine Word International Journal of Management and Humanities, 2 (1), pp.148-165. 10.62025/dwijmh.v2i1.17. hal-05141327

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Research in Management and Humanities

DWIJMH VOL 2 NO 1 (2023) ISSN: 2980-4817

Available online at www.dwijmh.org
Journal homepage: http://www.dwijmh.org

# The Effect of Treatment of Employees on the Level of Work Engagement: School Context

DAMIANUS ABUN (a) FRELYN B. RANAY (b) JESUS B. REYES (c) RUSSEL I MENOR (d)

a) Ph.D.: Professor, School of Business and Accountancy, Divine Word College of Laoag, Ilocos Norte Philippines.

b) PhD. Dean, School of Business and Accountancy, Divine Word College of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

c) CPA, MBA: Instructor, School of Business and Accountancy, Divine Word College of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

d) CPA, MBA: Instructor, School of Business and Accountancy, Divine Word College of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

## ARTICLE INFO

Article history:

Received December 15, 2022
Received in rev. January 30
Accepted: March 10, 2023

Keywords:

Employee treatment, work engagement, workers' rights, cognitive, affective, conative, respect, and care.

JEL Classification:
HR 23; O15

## ABSTRACT

Lack of fairness in the workplace creates implications far beyond the emotional well-being of employees. The study determined the correlation between employee treatment and work engagement of the employees of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region. The related literature and studies were reviewed to establish the premise of the study. All employees were respondents who come from the two colleges located in the locos region. Moreover, the descriptive correlational research design was used. The data was gathered through validated research questionnaires while weighted mean and Pearson r were used in tabulating and interpreting the data. The study found a correlation between employee treatment and work engagement of employees, therefore the hypothesis of the study was accepted.

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee DWIJMH. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Introduction

The success of an organization has never been separated from the individual employee's performance contribution which can be caused by many factors, not a single factor. Oftentimes, the top management misconstrued that individual employees' performance is caused solely by salaries and benefits so that it focuses on their improvements (Abun, et.al. 2017). Studies have proved that salaries and benefits enhance work engagement, job satisfaction, and employee performance (Sudiardhita, et.al. 2018). Earlier, Hamid, et.al. (2014) presented a similar result that compensation is positively correlated to employees' performance. However, other studies claimed that monetary reward is not the only factor that influences individual employee performance. Premuzic (2013), for example, reviewed research work related to this and concluded that pay alone is not sufficient to improve the job performance of employees, Premuzic (2013), Judge, et.al. (2010) found that the level of pay is slightly related to job satisfaction. Blacksmith and Harter

<footnote>* Corresponding author. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9693-1541
© 2022 by the authors. Hosting by DWIJMH. Peer review under responsibility of Divine Word International Journal of Management and Humanities.</footnote>
(2011) as cited in Premuzic (2013) found no significant difference in employee engagement and salary level which imply that there are other intervening factors.

Contextually, treatment refers to the way how management behaves or deals with their employees which can affect the employee's job satisfaction/dissatisfaction and work engagement/disengagement. Rai's study, for instance, (2013) found a correlation between organizational justice and job satisfaction, commitment, and turnover intention of employees. Hassan (2012) specifically pointed out that employees' perceptions of procedural and distributive justice influence job satisfaction and turnover intention of employees.

There have been no studies done, however, related to employees' treatment in terms of *workers' rights, respect in the workplace, and caring relationships* that affect the work engagement of employees in the school context Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the effect of employees' treatment, along with justice or workers' right, respect, and caring relationship, towards the employees' work engagement of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region, Philippines.

This paper is divided into five parts. The introduction primarily discusses the rationale of the study. The review of related literature and studies is secondary in discussing the theories of the study particularly the concept of employee treatment, justice, respect, caring relationship, and work engagement of employees. Thirdly, the research methodology covers the research design, the population of the study, the locale of the study, data gathering procedures/data gathering administration, research instruments, and statistical treatment of the data. This is followed by the presentation of empirical data and analysis and wraps up with the results, discussion, and conclusion.

## Literature Review

The purpose of the literature review is to gain more understanding of the concepts of the study and establish the theories as the basis for the statement of the problems.

### Employee Treatment under the Labor Code of the Philippines in Terms of Workers' Rights

Concerning employee treatment, the government through the Department of Labor and Employment has written laws that are called the Labor Code of the Philippines. This has prescribed workers' rights, management prerogative, and dialogue mechanism between labor and management (CBA). For example, the government recognizes management prerogatives without violating the workers' rights in hiring, firing, promotion or demotion, laying off, laying down policies, discipline, working hours, and working structure. Instituting management prerogatives and workers' rights balances the power between labor and capital or management (Jimenez, n.d). In case of conflict between labor and management, the Labor Code of the Philippines provides a mechanism called Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in which the labor, through its representative and the management representative, can discuss their differences and come to an agreement.

Under the Labor Code of the Philippines, workers' rights include security of tenure, self-organization, collective bargaining, just and humane conditions of work, strike/concerted effort, participation in decision making, just share
in the fruits of the production, living wage, labor standards and CBA rights (Jimenez, n.d). These rights emanated
from the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, article XIII on Human Rights and Social Justice
(GOVPH, 1987). These are the rules or laws that guide the management on how they should deal with their employees,
violation is considered illegal. Security of tenure recognizes that though the management has the prerogative power,
every employee should be assured of security in the sense that an employee cannot be dismissed from the work at any
time without just cause or authorized cause, and this can be done only after following the due process, such as an
investigation. This right is found in Article 294 of the Labor Code entitled, "Security of Tenure". It states that the
"employer shall not terminate the services of an employee except for a just cause or when authorized" (Jimenez, 2002,
Calayag, 2018). After the security of tenure, the labor also has the right to self-organization which means that the
employee has the right to join, assist and form a labor organization for collective bargaining and/or for mutual aid and
protection (Jimenez, n.d). The right to self-organization is found in the Republic Act, No. 875, Section 3 (Republic of
the Philippines, 1953). The constitution also empowers employees with the right to bargain. Jimenez and Jimenez
(n.d, 2002) contended that a result of the right to self-organization is the right to collective bargaining in which the
employees have the power to negotiate with the management for better terms and conditions of employment and this
right is written in the R.A. 875, Section 12-14.

Under the labor code, employees also have the right to have humane conditions of work. This right includes equal pay for equal work. The Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines has set the standards for minimum wage, working hours, holiday pay, overtime pay, night differential, service incentive leave, service charge, separation pay, 13th-month pay, maternity benefits, paternity benefits, social security system, employee compensation commission, Phil health, and Pag-big. These are aimed to protect the workers from exploitation (Jimenez, 2002, Busto, 2013). It is also guaranteed by the 1987 constitution that employees have the right to participate in decision-making related to matters that involve employees' rights, interests, benefits, and welfare (Jimenez, n.d, Busto, 2013). Further, the Constitution which is reflected in the Labor Code of the Philippines also provides standards for the living wage. The wage should be commensurate with the living standards in a particular region.

This reminds the management that the laborers have the right to be given shares in the fruits of productivity,
particularly incremental proceeds based on the extra effort of the workforce (Jimenez, 2002). Under this law, any
forms of discrimination are illegal (Jimenez, n.d, Busto, 2013).

Implementing the workers' rights stipulated in the Labor Code is considered the legal and moral ground for the employers' treatment of the employees. It is the legal and normative norms of employer behavior toward employees' fair treatment in their workplace which can affect their economical and psychological well-being(Lind & Tyler, 1988, Hassan, 2012). Studies have shown that fair treatment toward employees can improve their trust in the management, job satisfaction, and work engagement, and their intrinsic motivation, prevent employees from leaving the company (Choi, 2011, Kim & Rubyanti, 2011, Rubin, 2011 as cited by Hassan, 2012).
Respect in the Workplace

People are taught to respect animals because they can feel pleasure and pain (Singer, 1974) as cited in Cochrane, (n.d). They are protected or respected because they have inherent value in themselves (Regan, 1983). Regan (1983), as cited in Cochrane, (n.d) argued that all entities who are “subject -of-a life” possess inherent value, in the sense that they have value in themselves even though they are not good for human beings. Respect for other people is considered a categorical imperative (CI) according to Emmanuel Kant. All human beings have a moral obligation to obey the law and not following it, is immoral (Allison, 2011). The command to respect and obey is because of humanity. The humanity principle is “the collection of features that make us distinctively human and these include capacities to engage in self-directed rational behavior and to pursue our ends” (Johnson, 2016). The principle of humanity would state that human beings are not treated as the means to an end but treat them as an end. The principle of humanity would remind people not to engage in the pervasive use of humanity in which one treats others as a mere means to an end (Johnson, 2016). This principle is concerned with the humane treatment of human beings. Humans are not objects to be used by other people as they have dignity, therefore, they must be respected. Kant argued that all persons are respected because they are free rational beings, distinctive human beings with dignity (Dillon, 2018).

The Catholic church places human dignity as the foundation of all its social teaching. It views human beings to possess inherent dignity as persons who are created in the image and likeness of God. Dignity is independent of race, gender, age, religion, color, or ability. It is simply based on its belief that human beings are created by God, therefore, no human dignity should be compromised (Caritas Australia, n.d). It is based on this teaching, that the Catholic church calls for social actions that can restore human dignity through its activities that promote integral human development (Development and Peace, 2000). The social actions of the Catholic church are born out of respect for human dignity. The Church has the moral responsibility to respect and restore human dignity. The Church has its moral obligation to respect and restore its dignity as created beings.

Studies on human respect in the workplace and how it affects job satisfaction have been conducted. Edery (2017) explores the influence of organizational respect on job satisfaction in human service. The study found that respect in the workplace is a key predictor of employees' job satisfaction. Gurchiek (2016) also surveyed respect in the workplace and its correlation to job satisfaction. Her survey indicated that respectful treatment in the workplace of all employees at all levels is considered an important contributing factor to the job satisfaction of employees. A similar study was also conducted by Ghaffari and Burgoyne (2017) on the influence of respect for employees and job satisfaction and the study confirmed that respect for employees in the workplace predicts job satisfaction of employees. The same line of study on the effect of respect and violence on job satisfaction was conducted by Boafo (2018). His study again strengthened the previous findings that verbal abuse and perceived respect in the workplace are significant predictors of job satisfaction. A comparative study on job satisfaction and respect among the abled and disabled persons was conducted. It was found that there was little respect given to disabled persons which affected their job satisfaction. The study further recommended a policy to implement disability awareness training for all employees (Brooks, 2018).
Caring Relationships in the Workplace

The philosophical and moral foundation of caring relationships in the workplace is the ethics of care which was
originally developed by Noddings (1984). The ethics of care is an ethical theory that argues that moral actions should
be based on interpersonal relationships (Staudt, 2016). Actions and decisions must be based on caring. Though
originally the ethics of care was an approach to education later, her ethics of care is also developed and applied to
different fields of life, at home, and in the workplace specifying that caring is the moral foundation of a relationship.
For Noddings (1984), a caring relationship is a fundamental aspect of education or the moral foundation of teaching
and the basis for student-teachers relations. The teacher is the carer, and the student is cared for. Her ethics of care
which was used as the basis for student-teacher relationships were applied to all kinds of relationships including in
the workplace. Her decision-making should be based on the ethics of care, in turn, caring should be the basis for
decision-making (Smith, 2020). Her position on the ethics of care is based on the fact of life that care is basic for
human life because everyone wants to be cared for (Noddings, 2002, cited by Smith, 2020). In caring, there is
sympathy. Burton (2015) defined sympathy as a "feeling of care and concern for someone, often someone close,
accompanied by a wish to see him/her better off or happier". In this case, the carer is deeply involved in the situation
of the cared-for and joins the feeling of the cared-for to get out of her troubled situation. To feel what the cared-for is
feeling, the carer must be receptive or open to what the cared-for is revealing or saying. Through listening, the carer
can react in a way that is helpful for the cared for and only then, the cared-for feel that he/she is cared for by the carer
(Smith, 2020).

Concerning workplace relationships, the manager is the carer and the cared for is the employees. Using the concept
of Noddings (1984, 2002) the basis for action and decision-making of the carer must be caring for the cared-for or the
employees. The management must show compassion and concern for the well-being of employees, feel what the
employees feel, and respond to the needs of the employees. Through caring, the management shows sympathy with
the employees and responds in a way that can help the employee become better. The study of Eldor and Shoshani
(2016) on the caring relationship between school staff and teachers' work engagement found that compassion
expressed by colleagues and the principal on the teacher is correlated positively to organizational commitment and
job satisfaction. Houston (2020) as cited from Moynihan, and Pandey (2008) and Hodson, (2004) argued that positive
interaction in the workplace can improve job satisfaction and prevent turnover. When the employees feel support from
the leader or the management, the employees prefer to be loyal to the company. This was also found in the study of
Tran, et.al (2018) that high-quality workplace relationships improve the job performance of employees and
commitment and lower job stress. Earlier, Barsade and O'Neill's (2014) study found that an employee who was loved
performed better. It is along with these findings, Rosanne (2014) claimed that it is all about relationships. She pointed
out that relationship-based care is a successful model for success in any organization. Caring indicates that
management is kind-hearted and shows compassion toward partners or employees and is generous in the sense that
the leader or management gives time, energy, and effort to reach out to the employees or work team (Brenner, 2017).
Mental Health Foundation (2016) pointed out several benefits of caring relationships in the workplace such as job
satisfaction, low turnover, and improved positive and productive workplace. Such an environment can have an impact
on the mental health of employees and can also decrease absenteeism. It is suggested that management and co-employees should be able to constantly investigate the welfare of their employees or colleagues.

## Work Engagement as a Multidimensional Construct

Work engagement and work performance become a single continuum that cannot be separated. The two concepts are interrelated, and one can affect the other. Studies have been conducted about work engagement as one of the key factors in improving work performance (Kim & Kim, 2013, Bakker, 2010, Jackson, 2014). The study on work engagement has been studied for many years so researchers came out with different concepts of work engagement and made it difficult to measure and characterize (Thomas, 2009 as cited by Kuok & Taormina, 2017). The pioneer researcher on work engagement was Kahn (1990) with a multi-dimensional concept. He understood work engagement as the immersion of organizational members' selves into the work physically, emotionally, and cognitively. In his concept, work engagement involves the whole self, unfortunately, this was not pursued by other researchers. Notably, some researchers understood work engagement as an antonym of job burnout (Maslach & Leiter, 1997) and proposed Maslach Burnout Inventory or MBI to find preventive ways. One of their recommendations is to see the employees' work as a challenge. However, this concept was not enough to measure work engagement; Schaufeli, et al. (2002) proposed a different one wherein work engagement is seen as a positive state of mind characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (p.74). If one takes a closer look at their proposal, work engagement is measured from the physical and emotional aspects of work engagement. Additionally, Abun, et al. (2017) also considered work engagement as an emotional state of feeling motivated, inspired, passionate, and committed to their work. On the contrary, Bakker, et al. (2010) felt work engagement is not solely represented in one dimension. He somehow pursued the earlier concept of Kahn's (1990) three dimensions: physical, cognitive, and emotional work engagement. This concept was also supported by Bakker, et al. (2010) and served as a basis for studying work engagement.

Recently Kuok and Taormina (2017) have developed an inventory of work engagement based on the three dimensions offered by Kahn (1990) and Bakker (2010). The cognitive aspect includes the ideas or the mind of the person about the work. The emotional aspect of the engagement covers the feeling or the excitement of the person toward the work. While the physical aspect refers to the energy or stamina of the person in the work engagement. It is along this line that the current study used these three dimensions to measure work engagement.
**Conceptual Framework**

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

Source: Abun, et.al, (2020, 2017).

Figure 1: The conceptual framework reflects the correlation between employee treatment and the work engagement of employees. The framework indicates that employee treatment influences work engagement.

**Statement of the Problems**

The study tries to find out the effect of employee treatment on the work engagement of employees. It specifically answered the following questions:

1. What is the employee treatment of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region in terms of

1.1 workers' rights;

1.2 respect in the workplace, and

1.3 caring relationships in the workplace?

2. What is the work engagement of employees of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region in terms of :

2.1 physical engagement:

2.2 cognitive engagement, and

2.3 emotional engagement

3. Is there a relationship between employee treatment and work engagement?

**Assumption**

The study assumed that employee treatment affects the work engagement of employees, and it can be measured. It is also assumed that the theories of the study are correct, the questionnaires are valid and the answers are objective.

**Hypothesis**

The study of Lind & Tyler, (1988), and Hassan, (2012) found that fair treatment can affect employees economically and psychologically. While the study by Choi, (2011), Kim & Rubyanti, (2011), and Rubin, (2011) as cited in Hassan, (2012) found that fair treatment can improve employees' trust in management, job satisfaction, and work engagement.
Based on their findings, the study hypothesized that there is a relationship between fair treatment and the work engagement of employees of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region.

## Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study covered only the colleges in Ilocos Region, and it only limits itself to measuring employee treatment along with workers' rights, respect in the workplace and caring relationships, and work engagement along physical, cognitive, and emotional dimensions. The study may not represent the situation of all Divine Word Colleges in Region I, Philippines.

## Research Methodology

This part discusses the research methodology of the study. It followed standard procedures of conducting an academic investigation which means following a research design, data gathering instruments, population, the locale of the study, data gathering procedures, and statistical treatment of data.

## Research Design of the Study

The study adopted the descriptive assessment and correlational research design to assess the level of organizational climate and its effect on the work engagement of employees. Shuttleworth (2020) defined descriptive research design as "a scientific method which involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way". It describes the population, a situation, or a phenomenon. It is also used to describe the profile, frequency distribution, the characteristic of people (McCombes, 2020). While the descriptive correlational study is intended to describe the relationship among variables without seeking to establish a causal connection (Ariola, 2006).

## The Locale of the Study

The locale of the study covered Divine Word Colleges in Ilocos Region, particularly Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

## Population

The respondents of the study were the employees of the Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos region. Total enumeration sampling was used, whereby 250 faculty and employees were taken as respondents.

## Data Gathering Instruments

The study used self-made questionnaires on employee treatment. It was done through content validation by a panel of experts where some parts were revised. The caring relationship in the workplace was adapted from Kivimaki and Elovainio (1999). While questionnaires on respect in the workplace were adapted from Legacy Business Cultures (n.d). Furthermore, work engagement questionnaires were adapted from Kuok and Taormina (2017).
## Data Gathering Procedures

Good research needs to gather the data through a process. The researcher sent a letter of request to the presidents of the colleges and asked for their approval to distribute the questionnaires and conduct interviews. The researcher floated his questionnaires upon approval. Some school representatives retrieved the data and handed them back to the researcher.

## Ethical Review

Before the research was carried out, the paper was examined by the ethical review board of the institution to determine if the research does not violate individual rights and the rights of vulnerable individuals. The investigation did not involve human subjects; hence the review was waived.

## Statistical Treatment of Data

To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The weighted mean was used to determine the level of organizational climate of the schools and Pearson r was used to measure the correlation between organizational climate and work engagement of employees.

The following ranges of values with their descriptive interpretation will be used:

<table><thead><tr><td>Statistical Range</td><td>Descriptive Interpretation</td><td>Overall Descriptive Rating</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>4.21-5.00</td><td>Strongly Agree</td><td>Very High</td></tr><tr><td>3.41-4.20</td><td>Agree</td><td>High</td></tr><tr><td>2.61-3.40</td><td>Somewhat Agree</td><td>Moderate</td></tr><tr><td>1.81-2.60</td><td>Disagree</td><td>Low/High</td></tr><tr><td>1.00-1.80</td><td>Strongly Disagree</td><td>Very Low/Very High</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Empirical Data and Analysis.

The structure of the data presented follows the flow of the statement of the problem. The first statement of the problem:

### 1. What is the employee treatment of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region in terms of

* 1.1 workers' rights;

* 1.2 respect in the workplace, and

* 1.3 caring relationships in the workplace?
<table><caption>Table 1a. Employees' Perception of Employee Treatment as to Workers' Right</caption><thead><tr><th>INDICATORS</th><th>Mean</th><th>DR</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. Security of tenure is followed</td><td>3.55</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>2. Employees feel secure when they are already employed</td><td>3.37</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>3. The offices are comfortable enough to work</td><td>3.46</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>4. Employees are allowed to participate in decision-making through their representative</td><td>3.26</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>5. Management listens to the ideas of employees through their Representative</td><td>3.09</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>6. Salary is given according to the rank and job grade</td><td>3.33</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>7. Salaries are beyond the minimum wage</td><td>3.39</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>8. Employees' problems are solved through due process.</td><td>3.28</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>9. The employees' freedom of expression is protected.</td><td>3.22</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>10. The employees are allowed to organize themselves.</td><td>3.35</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Composite Mean</strong></td><td><strong>3.33</strong></td><td><strong>SWA</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: HR. Survey (n.d)

The employees' perception of their treatment in terms of workers' rights gained the composite mean of 3.33 which means somewhat agree or moderate. However, taking them singly, the employees agree (high) that they have the security of tenure (3.55) and they also agree that their offices are comfortable enough to work (3.46). While other items are under workers' rights, the employees seem somewhat agree. Particularly the employees somewhat agree that they feel secure after they are employed (3.37), they are listened to by the management (3.09), allowed to participate in decision-making (3.26), paid according to the rank or grade (3.33) and beyond minimum wage (3.39), allowed to organize themselves (3.35), and they also somewhat agree that their freedom of expression is protected (3.22) and problems are solved through due process (3.28)

<table><caption>Table 1b. Employees' Perception of Employee Treatment as to Respect in the Workplace</caption><thead><tr><th>INDICATORS</th><th>Mean</th><th>DR</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. I feel valued in my institution.</td><td>3.53</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>2. All employees have equal access to professional development and training opportunities.</td><td>3.24</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>3. The management treats employees with respect.</td><td>3.43</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>4. The behavior of the management toward the employees is appropriate and does not make fun of employees.</td><td>3.33</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>5. The management typically welcomes ideas from employees who have different views, opinions, and experiences from theirs.</td><td>3.24</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>6. The management can work with employees coming from different backgrounds.</td><td>3.37</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>7. The management can openly discuss any concerns with the employees.</td><td>3.22</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>8. Our employees are promoted based on their skills, abilities, and experience, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other unique characteristics.</td><td>3.51</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>9. The management would forgive an honest mistake of employees.</td><td>3.46</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>10. Overall, our institution is a respectful place to work.</td><td>3.54</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Composite Mean</strong></td><td><strong>3.39</strong></td><td><strong>SWA</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: Business Cultures (N.D).

As it is deduced from the table, it shows that the employees' perception of their treatment in terms of respect in the workplace got a composite mean of 3.39, interpreted as somewhat agree. It means that the management or the school administrators have not been giving high or very high respect to the employees. Taking the item separately, the employees agree that they are valued by the organization (3.53), treated with respect by the management (3.43), forgiven by the management when they committed mistakes (3.46), promoted based on merits (3.51) and they agree that their institution is a respectful place to work (3.54). However, taking other items, the employees somewhat agree that they have equal access to professional development and training opportunities (3.24) and they also somewhat agree that the management does not make fun of their employees (3.33). Beyond that, the employees are somewhat
agreeing that the management respects their views of employees (3.24) and openly discusses concerns with the employees (3.22). The same perception is indicated when it comes to diversity issues, particularly in the management's respect for employees coming from different backgrounds (3.37).

<table><caption>Table 1c. Employees' Perception of Employee Treatment as to Caring Relationship in the Workplace</caption><thead><tr><th>INDICATORS</th><th>Mean</th><th>DR</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. The management offers help to employees when they are overworked or having some difficulties.</td><td>3.30</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>2. The management looks after the welfare of the employees.</td><td>3.36</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>3. The management is very considerate of employees and respects their abilities and willingness to learn.</td><td>3.48</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>4. The management helps employees who have problems to overcome.</td><td>3.35</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>5. The management respect employees' limitations and tries to help when they ask.</td><td>3.45</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>6. People feel understood and accepted by the management.</td><td>3.46</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>7. Employees can openly discuss and share their ideas with the management.</td><td>3.46</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>8. The employees can talk openly to the management about their difficulties because employees believe that the management will listen.</td><td>3.23</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>9. Employees believe that if they share ideas and task-related problems, their management will listen and would respond constructively.</td><td>3.44</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>10. The management and employees trust each other as co-workers.</td><td>3.35</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Composite Mean</strong></td><td><strong>3.39</strong></td><td><strong>SWA</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: Kivimaki and Elovainio (1999)

As gleaned from the data, it appears that employees' perception of employees' treatment in terms of caring relationships in the workplace achieved a composite mean of 3.39 which means somewhat agree (SWA). However, when the items are taken separately, it reveals that the employees agree that the management respect employees' abilities and their willingness to learn (3.48), respect employees' limitations, and help them when needed (3.45), they are also understood and accepted the management (3.46) and can openly discuss their ideas with the management (3.46) and the management listens to ideas (3.44). While other questions under this item, the employees somewhat agree. The employees perceive that they somewhat agree that the management offers help to them when they are overworked (3.30), looks after their welfare (3.36), helps those who have the problem (3.35), employees can openly discuss their problems, sentiments, and difficulties because they believe the management listen to them (3.23). After all, management and employees trust each other (3.35).

<table><caption>Table 1d. Summary of the Employees' Perception of Employee Treatment</caption><thead><tr><th>ITEMS</th><th>Mean</th><th>DR</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. Workers' Rights</td><td>3.33</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>2. Respect in the Workplace</td><td>3.39</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td>3. Caring Relationship in the Workplace</td><td>3.39</td><td>SWA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Overall Mean</strong></td><td><strong>3.37</strong></td><td><strong>SWA</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>

The perception of employees' treatment in terms of three dimensions: workers' rights, respect in the workplace, and caring relationship receive an overall mean rating of 3.37 which indicates that the employees somewhat agree with those dimensions. The employees somewhat agree that the management protects workers' rights (3.33) and respects the employees (3.39) and they somewhat agree too that there is a caring relationship between management and employees (3.39).

The overall mean rating of 3.37 indicates that management has not been performing high or very high in terms of employees' rights, respect in the workplace, and caring relationships in the workplace.
## 2. What is the work engagement of employees of Divine Word Colleges in the Ilocos Region in terms of;

2.1 physical engagement;

2.2 cognitive engagement, and

2.3 emotional engagement?

<table><caption>Table 2a. Employees' Work Engagement as to Cognitive Work Engagement</caption><thead><tr><td>Indicators</td><td>Mean</td><td>DR</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. My mind is often full of ideas about my work.</td><td>3.66</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>2. My mind is fully engaged with my work.</td><td>3.70</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>3. I have an idea about how to perform my work better.</td><td>3.80</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>4. I search for new ways to improve my knowledge related to my work.</td><td>3.76</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>5. My thoughts are fully focused when thinking about my work.</td><td>3.70</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>Composite Mean</td><td>3.72</td><td>A</td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: Kuok and Taormina (2017), Abun, et.al. (2020)

The data indicate that the employees' work engagement in terms of cognitive engagement gained a composite mean of 3.37 which shows that employees agree to all items under cognitive work engagement. Specifically, the employees agree that their mind is full of ideas about their work (3.66), fully engaged with their work (3.70), know how to perform their work better (3.80), know how to improve their knowledge related to their work (3.76) and their mind is fully focused when thinking about their work (3.70).

The evaluation specifies that the employees agree that they have ideas about their work and how to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

<table><caption>Table2b. Employees' Work Engagement as to Emotional Work Engagement</caption><thead><tr><td>Indicators</td><td>Mean</td><td>DR</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. I feel very delighted about what I am doing whenever I am working.</td><td>3.66</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>2. I am excited to do my work.</td><td>3.64</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>3. I feel good about the work that I do.</td><td>3.63</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>4. I am always very enthusiastic to perform my work.</td><td>3.68</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>5. I feel very happy when I carry out my responsibilities at work.</td><td>3.69</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>Composite Mean</td><td>3.66</td><td>A</td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: Source: Kuok And Taormina (2017), Abun, Et.Al. (2020)

Similarly, emotional work engagement manifests that employees agree to all questions on emotional work engagement as indicated by its composite mean of 3.66 interpreted as agree. The employees particularly agree that they feel very delighted with what they are doing (3.66), excited to do their work (3.64), very enthusiastic to perform their work (3.68), very happy when they carry out their responsibilities at work (3.69) and feel good about the work they do (3.63).

<table><caption>Table2c. Employees' Work Engagement as to Physical Work Engagement</caption><thead><tr><td>Indicators</td><td>Mean</td><td>DR</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. No matter how much I work, I still have a high level of energy.</td><td>3.43</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>2. I have a great deal of stamina for my work.</td><td>3.57</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>3. I have a lot of energy for my work.</td><td>3.54</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>4. I am frequently energized by my work.</td><td>3.62</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>5. Though my work is physically challenging, I am still excited to do it.</td><td>3.64</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>Composite Mean</td><td>3.56</td><td>A</td></tr></tbody></table>

Source: Source: Kuok And Taormina (2017), Abun, Et.Al. (2020)
Employees agree in terms of their physical engagement as pointed out by its composite mean of 3.56 t they are physically engaging in their work. Even when the items are taken separately, it means that employees agree that no matter how much they work, they still have a high level of energy (3.43), still have a great deal of stamina for their work (3.57), have a lot of energy for their work (3.54), feel energized by their work (3.62) and are still excited to do their work even though the work is challenging (3.64).

<table><caption>Tabled2d. Summary of Work Engagement</caption><thead><tr><th>ITEMS</th><th>Mean</th><th>DR</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Cognitive Work Engagement (CWE)</td><td>3.72</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>Emotional Work Engagement (EWE)</td><td>3.66</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>Physical Work Engagement (PWE)</td><td>3.56</td><td>A</td></tr><tr><td>Overall Mean</td><td>3.65</td><td>A</td></tr></tbody></table>

In a nutshell, employees are cognitively, emotionally, and physically engaging in their work.

### 3. Is there a relationship between employee treatment and work engagement?

<table><caption>Table 3. Relationship between Employee Treatment and Work Engagement</caption><thead><tr><th>ITEMS</th><th>Employee Treatment</th><th>Work Engagement</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="3">Employee Treatment</td><td>Pearson Correlation</td><td>.508**</td></tr><tr><td>Sig. (2-tailed)</td><td>.000</td></tr><tr><td>N</td><td>169</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Work Engagement</td><td>Pearson Correlation</td><td>.508**</td></tr><tr><td>Sig. (2-tailed)</td><td>.000</td></tr><tr><td>N</td><td>169</td></tr></tbody></table>

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

The correlation table reveals that there is a significant correlation between employees' treatment and work engagement at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). It means any positive changes in employee treatment can affect work engagement.

## Results and Discussion

The study ascertained the correlation between employees' treatment and their work engagement in Divine Word Colleges, Ilocos Region. Results show employees agree that the management fairly treated them to a moderate extent. It is noteworthy that the management has not been performing excellently on employee treatment. On the contrary, their work engagement has not been affected as it indicated a high extent of work engagement.

The study further showed that improving employees' treatment along with workers' rights, respect in the workplace, and caring relationship can boost their work engagement, otherwise work disengagement occurs. Work disengagement may, in turn, cause low productivity which would mean economic losses to the management. In terms of quality education, employees' disengagement can affect it. Subsequently, the lack of fairness in the workplace creates implications far beyond the emotional well-being of employees.
**Conclusion**

The results of the study support the hypothesis that there is a correlation between employees' treatment and work engagement which was based on the previous studies of Lind & Tyler, (1988), Hassan, (2012), and Kim & Rubyanti, (2011) that employees' treatment correlates with economic success and work engagement. Therefore, the hypothesis of the study is accepted. This suggests that management needs to improve employee treatment to improve employees' work engagement.

The author also recognizes the limitation of the study in that it does not represent the whole Divine Word Colleges in the Philippines. Moreover, the author also recognizes that there are still dimensions in terms of employee treatment to be measured.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, D.A. F.R. Methodology, D.A., F.R. **Data Collection:** D.A., F.R. **Formal analysis:** D.A., F.R. **Writing—original draft preparation:** D.A., F.R... **Writing—review, and editing** D.A., F.R.

All authors have read and agreed to the published final version of the manuscript.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, and the research does not deal with vulnerable groups or sensitive issues.

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

**Funding:** The study is funded partially by the school and the authors

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