Wiredelta

4 Ways to Raise Happiness Levels in the Workplace

While 2020 has proven to be a rollercoaster of a year, throwing new and tough challenges at us every day, there’s been no brighter spotlight shone on the importance of happiness and balance. Naturally with the nature of the pandemic keeping the vast majority of traditional office workers at home, tackling happiness in the workplace can be a bit tricky.

But make no mistake, happiness at work is still of the utmost importance, and as a CEO, executive, manager, or supervisor, monitoring satisfaction levels should be a priority. In spite* of all of the modern-day stressors wreaking havoc on our day-to-day, you can take steps toward creating a safe workplace that embraces positivity and leaves your employees feeling delighted to work and belong to your workforce.

So, how can you begin to raise happiness levels in the workplace? Use this guide to start your brainstorming session.

1. Offer unlimited sick leave

We’re living in the midst of a global pandemic and there’s nothing more important than putting the health and safety of your workers first. Offering unlimited sick time for those who contract COVID-19 should be a given. No one will want to work for a company that places a higher importance on productivity than their worker’s wellbeing— after all, with over 200,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, the risks are just too weighty to mess around with.

Allow your employees to take the time they need to recover to full health before returning back to the grind. They’ll appreciate it.

2. Make work-life balance a top priority

While you may think overworking your employees will lead to the highest yield of productivity, odds are incredibly likely that it will lead to burnt-out workers that feel more fed up than fulfilled. If you’ve gathered a collective or looming sense that your team has been struggling to keep up with their workload, it may be time to consider their work-life balance.

Although identifying a one-size-fits-all strategy to striking the ideal work-life balance is undeniably challenging, it’s always better to start somewhere than to forgo trying at all. To calculate the general happiness levels within your company, consider doing a company-wide survey. This is the perfect venue for employees to provide feedback in a structured manner.

Your workforce is made up of smart, hard-working individuals that are likely to have a few valuable and insightful ideas about how to boost the balance between work and life.

3. Recognize achievements

Taking the time to appreciate your staff is one way to retain your top performers and hardest workers. Workers who feel respected by upper management perform significantly better than those who do not. While critique is the nature of most jobs, be sure to give as many congratulations and kudos as you do criticism— it’s all about balance.
At a managerial level, make sure to check in with workers on a regular basis and actively participate in the tracking of their morale and workload.
Here are some unique ways to recognize achievements

  • Let other employees reward them using apps like YouEarnedIt
  • Take them out to lunch
  • Give them an extra day of PTO
  • Throw work anniversary parties
  • Award team members with corporate gifts
  • Expensify a special gift under $200

 

4. Offer competitive perks

A cool workplace doesn’t just manifest out of thin air— it’s something that takes hard work, diligence, and strategic planning. As an employer, it is your job to understand what your team values and what types of perks align with the vast majority of employees’ lifestyles and desires. From paid birthdays off to debt forgiveness, there are a number of perks you can pursue that effectively show your workers you care about their well being and happiness.

  • Unlimited PTO
  • Paid leave for new parents
  • Student-loan debt reimbursement
  • Paid gym memberships

 

Wrapping Up

A happy workplace is composed of happy staff members. A supportive work atmosphere is most conducive to cranking out happier workers, so finding ways to make your workplace happy and safe should be at the top of your priority list.

It’s always a good idea to start with employee satisfaction, regardless of how you want to change the pace of your workplace. Your team is, after all, the lifeblood of your business — it is only fair to treat them with the deepest respect and appreciation.

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