How to Promote Employee Happiness and Wellness in the Workplace
Much research has been done on this topic over the past few decades, and many can attest that a happy employee at work tends to bring more to the workplace than just their presence. We’ve heard that happier employees are more productive, but is it? A recent study published on the ResearchGate platform attempted to examine the same thing, and the results were positive. The study concluded that happy, content employees are actually far more productive than their unhappy colleagues.
How do you measure employee satisfaction? By looking at them? How do they interact with others? How hardworking and committed are they to the company?
It’s not as easy as it sounds. After all, who likes being pushed around in an office full of clueless people constantly questioning your habits, eating habits, and even your clothes? Honestly, nobody dreams of working in such an environment.
For this reason, it is important to explore different ways to promote employee satisfaction and well-being in the workplace. But before that, let’s understand why it’s important to take care of employee happiness and health.
Provide flexibility over when and how employees work
Some employees prefer to work in the mornings, others prefer to work in the afternoons. When you give your employees flexibility in when and where they do their work, job satisfaction increases. And there are many statistics and studies to back this up.
For example, a study by ManpowerGroup Solutions says that about 40% of global candidates who took the survey said flexibility was one of the top three factors they consider. Another online study by Mom Corps found that about 42% of people would likely give up part of their salary for more flexibility.
Some employers may find it difficult to implement a flexible work culture in the office. However, there are several easy ways to implement a flexible work culture. One way to make it easier is to start small. For example, allow your employees to work from home one day a week. This will help employees work more flexibly and make them more productive in the office.
Another way to implement a flexible work culture is to allow employees to stagger their working hours. For example, if an employee normally works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but wants to start work at 10 a.m. and leave at 6 p.m., the employer can try to accommodate this request. This can help employees who have children or other commitments outside of work.
Employers should also be aware of the different types of flexible working arrangements. These include flextime, teleworking, job sharing and staggered working hours. Flextime allows employees to choose their hours within a specific framework, telecommuting allows employees to work from home, job sharing splits a full-time job into two part-time jobs, and staggered hours allow employees to start and finish work at different times. Employers should decide which arrangement is most appropriate for their office and their employees.
Use office lunch programs
Every year, office lunch programs save companies billions of dollars by giving employees a valid excuse to get away from their desks, relax, and eat some decent food. But it turns out that office lunch programs can be much more than just a pastime for hungry employees — they can benefit employee satisfaction, well-being, and ultimately business productivity.
Constantly working at a desk can lead to stress and fatigue. According to the State of the Global Workplace 2021 Report, around 57% of workers feel stressed at work. This stress can lead to low engagement, costing the global economy over $8 trillion.
By utilizing an office lunch program, employers allow their employees to take time off from work to relieve stress and unwind. This can result in happier, more engaged employees who are less prone to burnout.
In addition to promoting employee satisfaction, office lunch programs can also improve employee well-being. According to the World Health Organization, one in four adults worldwide is not physically active enough, and physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.
Sedentary lifestyles are becoming increasingly common, especially in office environments. An office lunch program can help employees be more active by encouraging them to go for a walk, jog, or just spend some time outdoors.
Make recognition part of your culture
Would you like to increase employee satisfaction in your workplace? Try implementing recognition and rewards – you will be amazed at your results. Unrecognized employees are more likely to be dissatisfied, less productive, and demotivated. Recognition motivates employees to keep doing what they do best; It lets them know they are making an impact on the company and recognizes their efforts to create positive change.
A SHRM survey states that around 70% of employees feel emotionally connected to their colleagues when they are recognized. It is not only limited to job satisfaction, but also affects personal life. The same SHRM also concludes that 70% of employees recognized at work feel more comfortable at home.
Employers can enable employee recognition in the workplace by establishing a system where employees can nominate their peers for recognition. Employees can submit nominations for exemplary work, commitment to the company, or other outstanding achievements on behalf of their peers. The employer can then review all nominations and award certificates or other forms of recognition to nominated employees. This system allows employers to recognize the achievements of their employees while encouraging a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
encourage breaks
We all know the saying that breaks are good for us. It’s not just idle banter; There’s quite a bit of science behind it. Breaks are essential when it comes to reducing stress, increasing productivity and promoting job satisfaction. But with so much data, how can a manager incorporate regular breaks into their workforce schedule? Ideally, an employee should take a 17-minute break after a 52-minute work session.
When it comes to taking breaks from work, employers and HR professionals play an important role in encouraging employees to do so. By enforcing policies that mandate break times and provide workers with breaks, employers can create a work environment that encourages break-taking.
Here are a few other ways they can do this:
- Offer your employees short vacations
- Create a work environment where you can take breaks
- Encourage employees to use their breaks wisely
- Offer incentives for breaks
Final Thoughts
In summary, employers need to think about how they can support employee well-being at work and make the workplace a happier place to work. and the physical environment of the office.
With all of these considerations in mind, employers can help create an atmosphere where their employees are the happiest and healthiest. To keep the best employees happy and healthy, employers must take a holistic approach to their employee experience.