Why it Works to be Happy at Work

Would you consider yourself happy at work? If you answered no, then you should seriously consider the reasons you aren’t happy in your job role and figure out how to change that. If you can’t, maybe you should think about getting a new job altogether.

Maybe we should've started on a positive point, seen as this is all about being happy! So, let's make a change quick. Let's look at all the reasons why being happy at work, well, works.

Studies show that…

Statistics are the best place to look when searching for evidence to prove a theory. Hence why we researched a number of studies that have been carried out on work-place happiness. Here’s what we found out:

University of Warwick:  Happiness makes workers 12% more productive.

The Warwick economist: Unhappy workers were 10% less productive.

Google: Google’s employee satisfaction rose by 37% after they began investing in employee support.

Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage: “Only 25 percent of job success is based upon IQ. Seventy-five percent is about how your brain believes your behaviour matters, connects to other people and manages stress."

The Harvard Business Review: Found that you are 40% more likely to get a promotion if you’re social at work i.e. help other people out, invite colleagues to parties and lunch etc.

But there’s more…

There are also studies that show that people who see their roles as careers have 20% more work-life satisfaction. Plus, 57% of people enjoy working more when they have close friendships at work.

Still not convinced that you need to work on your positivity in your job? Maybe it’ll sway you when you hear that 88% of women already prioritise happiness at work, surely it must work if that many women find it does.

As for those of you who are bosses…

Happy employees have 10x more days off sick than their happier colleagues. Additionally, the top problem that people believe causes an unhealthy mood at work is due to bad bosses.

It’s time to up your game, bosses!

How can you elevate your employee’s happiness at work?  Considering these are the top points that make people feel happy:

·         Close friends and relatives

·         Generosity

·         Freedom

·         Trust

You should start acknowledging your employee's good work and efforts, trust your employees to work freely. And speaking of trust and freedom; no more micro-managing.

Consider your own happiness

Don't forget about your own workplace happiness, though. Make sure you go to work with a positive outlook for the day, set realistic goals, don't worry about the small issues (you can focus on them when you have time) and give yourself a break - or a few.

Giving yourself many short breaks throughout the day helps to reduce exhaustion and encourages a fresh, less stressed mind.

The infographic below has been supplied by Cezanne HR; a software for human recourses management that helps to create happy working employees. What has your experience been with happiness at work? Tell us in the comments, we’d love to hear back from you.