International Week of Happiness at Work

25th September 2019

This International Week of Happiness at Work has shone a light on the importance of happy employees. Keeping employees happy should be a top priority for any company. One study found that employees are up to 20% more productive than ones that are unhappy. When employees are happy at work, they are also more flexible, resilient, creative and work better with their colleagues. It has even been found that companies outperform their competitors by 20% when their employees are happier. So, who would not want happy employees?

Employees Matter

Too often, companies are only focused on what they do, therefore fail to consider their dutiful employees who actually do the work. To understand why an employee might be doing the work they do can give you an insight into how to best satisfy them. Certain factors such as job security and financial stability both lead to job satisfaction. However, the challenge of continuing to engage your employees is a harder one to overcome. 

Employees want to feel that they matter, that what they do has an impact and that they are making progress in their career. By addressing these key ‘happiness’ drivers, a company can foster a happier and more positive organisational culture. 

 

How you can drive happiness into your workplace

  • Encourage social activities between colleagues – friendships are vital for anyone’s happiness so if you can encourage friendships in the workplace, then employee morale will increase significantly. Staff outings and office competitions are great examples of social initiatives that could be undertaken.
  • Flexible working hours – by allowing employees to work from home a couple of days a week can be popular, especially for working parents.
  • Take feedback from employees – getting your employees to communicate potential changes or solutions can make employees feel as though their opinion is valued. It could even lead to improvements within the company that might not have previously been considered by head management. 
  • Promotions – if employees are aware that progression within the company is a common occurrence then they will be more motivated to do well.
  • Encourage healthy eating in the office – if your company already offers snacks to employees, then why not introduce healthier alternatives to encourage your employees to make better choices. You could even just introduce a healthy eating campaign with example recipes for people to take home.
  • Private healthcare plans – Healthier employees need less days off, helping to reduce productivity losses from sick days taken. Employees can also return back to work sooner if they have access to private medical healthcare.
  • Discounted gym memberships – exercise makes people happier and if employees can have cheaper and easier access to it then they will be more likely to have better physical and mental health.
  • Offering financial advice – financial worries are more common than you may think. By offering financial advice to employees, you can alleviate any financial stress that your employees may have.

Berwick Devoil is an independent healthcare insurance brokers that offers businesses bespoke employee benefits packages and individuals tailor made plans. From group private medical insurance to group income protection and workplace pensions, Berwick Devoil offers a multitude of services to facilitate happiness in any company. By offering perks to a job, employees can feel more valued, be more motivated, maintain a healthy life, have better mental health and be more likely to stay with the company longer. To discover how you can have happier employees by contacting us today. 

Email enquiries@bdhl.co.uk / enquiries@bdfso.com or call 01892 891900