“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
It wasn’t that long ago when employees were expected to derive their happiness from relationships, family, and friends. In the business environment, major concerns were profits, demand, supply, efficiency, and productivity. Happiness was rarely given any attention…but that has all changed.
What does it mean to be “happy” in the workplace?
Pioneer of the US organisational health movement, Patrick Lencioni, in his book, The Truth About Employee Engagement, defines happiness in the workplace as:
- Wanting to feel like who you are matters – you want people to know your name.
- That what you do has an impact – that you’re engaged in relevant work.
- You’re making progress – that your work is effective and leading you and your organisation forward.
Studies conducted by Professor De Neve of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, indicated that ‘there seems to be considerable room for improvement in the happiness of employees while they are at work,’ and that ‘while this is clearly in the interest of workers themselves, analysis suggests it is also in the interests of their employers.’
De Neve’s (et al) study went on to conclude that happy workers are 13% more productive. On the flipside, disengaged employees are unhappy employees, which costs the world $8.8 trillion dollars, or 9% of global GDP [Source: Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report].
The Gallup report also suggests that unmotivated or disengaged employees – known as ‘quiet quitters’ – make up around 59% of 122,416 of global workers. A further 18% are ‘loud quitting’ by sharing openly that they are unhappy at work. Social media trends such as #QuietQuitting and #ActYourWage have reached over 1.2billion views and their virality confirms that we’re all still feeling the effects of chronic stress and burnout from the Pandemic.
That’s why forward-thinking organisations are fully focused on employee happiness. Google, for example, has a Chief Happiness Officer who is responsible for maintaining high morale among employees. Jealous? Might there be a link to Google’s upward share curve?
Global management consulting firm, Bain & Company, is rated #1 on Glassdoor and puts huge amounts of effort into improving and maintaining employee happiness.
Do take a moment to ask yourself:
- Are your employees happy at work?
- Are you happy?
- Could you all do with a nudge to boost your collective happiness?
How often have we heard, or even uttered the phrase “I work to live”?
If you think about it – there is nothing positive about this statement. It doesn’t evoke happiness.
On average, the UK workforce spends nearly 30% of its waking time at work (based on a full-time career spanning 50 years). It’s even greater in other parts of the world. So, why be miserable at work and typically take that negativity home with you?
Post Pandemic, the lines between work and home have become even more blurred with hybrid working being standard. Add feeling totally miserable at work to the ‘normal’ ups and downs of life, the current cost of living crisis, climate change and global unrest. It’s not difficult to understand why absenteeism due to poor mental health – which can lead to poor physical health – is at an all-time high.
We have to ask, would it be remiss of employers to ignore the wealth of evidence linking happiness to productivity, not just from a business acumen point of view but also from an ethical point of view?
The Corporate Prescribers® (CPs), have taken the principles of Creative Health which focus on supporting individuals and groups to take part in specific non-clinical interventions for the improvement of health and wellbeing. Activities, for example, can include visual and performing arts, crafts, film, literature, cooking and creative activities in nature.
In the same way that this holistic approach sits alongside front-line health provision, The CPs’ creative and innovative work in the corporate environment complements and strengthens HR and training provision to address team practices and behaviours, company culture and ultimately workplace happiness.
Ultimately, progressive companies are adopting creative health initiatives in the workplace as they appreciate the commercial benefit of prioritising employee wellbeing, engagement, and innovation as key drivers of organisational success.
To find out more about how Limegreen and The CPs can make your employees happy, contact Sarah on 07774 925 943 or email sarah@limegreencommunications.com
