There’s been an abundance of research done on happiness and happy staff. With Britons spending roughly one third of their lives at work, not to mention all the hours spent mulling over it in their spare time, happiness – and the engagement that comes with it – is more important than ever, in today’s changed workplace.
According to a Workplace Happiness Survey*, the UK ranks tenth in the world for workplace happiness. Healthcare staff feature in the top five industries with the unhappiest employees. It’s also important to note, that this research was done prior to Covid-19 and doesn’t truly reflect the radical changes in employees’ lives with home schooling and financial struggles as well as many working remotely.
The benefits of happy staff
Multiple studies have found conclusive links between happiness and productivity including research by Oxford University who found that happy workers are 13% more productive *
Richard Branson, businessman and author, understands the importance of harnessing the power of fun and happiness with his workforce; “You want to have fun at home; why shouldn’t you have fun at work?”
So, with this in mind, what can employers and HR teams do in the short term to help spread some staff happiness?
To celebrate International Day of Happiness on March 20th, here are 3 simple tips to help inject some instant fun and happiness into your workplace:
Share a smile! – Whether your people are remote working or on-site keyworkers, start meetings and greetings with a smile. Smiling can trick your brain into happiness and boost your wellbeing. A smile is also something that is easy to pass on – like yawning, smiling is contagious 😊
Praise the efforts of colleagues – It’s been a tough year, so recognise that your people are doing their absolute best. Between juggling work meetings with home schooling, caring and lockdown issues, tell your staff how much you value them and see them shine
Host a happiness event – Dedicate some time during the day for a special virtual or on-site coffee morning with cake and share some good news stories A simple break in the daily routine can do wonders for people’s happiness and morale. Go one step further and appoint happiness ambassadors to spread cheer throughout the day
Long term solutions – take happiness seriously
Don’t stop there, enjoy lasting benefits from International Day of Happiness. Google and Facebook are famous for their range of employee benefits and are reaping the rewards both in terms of attracting and retaining the best people. UK employers and HR professionals can learn lessons from these forward-thinking businesses.
Focusing on employees’ health and wellbeing and fostering a culture of happiness is no longer considered a nice add-on, it’s becoming an essential part of business. Utilising a tailored employee benefits programme with the right voluntary benefits such as lifestyle savings, salary sacrifice schemes, recognition and reward tools plus employee assistance programmes will go a long way towards giving employees a happy and fulfilled life both in and out of the workplace.
If you’d like to learn more about how Vivup can help you spread happiness and make a difference in your workplace, please get in touch today – enquiries@vivup.co.uk
Sources:
https://workplaceinsight.net/uk-workplace-happiness-score-has-dropped-below-global-average/#:~:text=The%20UK%20now%20ranks%20tenth,UK%20in%20rating%20workplace%20happiness.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive
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