Happy and cheery staff are more productive at work, bosses told
DID you bounce out of bed this morning – or look for a reason to call in sick?
A new report says two in five of us are unhappy with our jobs.
And with Blue Monday — the gloomiest day of the year — just round the corner, it is time for bosses and workers to take action to improve wellness at work.
This year’s State of Workplace Happiness report by specialists Engaging Works found that happy employees are 20 per cent more productive, so it is key for companies to start focusing on how to make staff smile.
The annual survey, conducted by former Waitrose boss Lord Price, found the UK’s cheeriest staff work in legal services, scoring a 7.41 average out of ten on the workplace happiness index.
Healthcare workers ranked the lowest at 4.55.
The Midlands is the home to the most contented employees, with 81 per cent happy in their jobs, followed by 70 per cent in York and Humber and 78 per cent in East Anglia.
Lord Price, the founder of Engaging Works, said: “There is much to do to make UK employees happier at work.
“Employers must wake up to the inextricable link between happy employees and increased productivity. Research shows happy and engaged employees increase productivity and profitability.”
Find out more at .
Lord Price’s six steps to workplace happiness
- Ensure that you are being rewarded and recognised at work. Are you being fairly paid and acknowledged by managers for the good work you do? If not, voice your concerns with your line manager.
- Do you have enough information to do your job well and does your firm share information with you? It’s vital to be informed as you will then feel important and valued.
- Do you feel empowered to make decisions? Being listened to by your managers and trusted to make decisions will make you feel happier.
- Do you feel physically and emotionally “well” at work? Does your organisation take care of your health and wellness and working environment?
- Do you feel proud to work for your business? This is fundamental to feeling happy in your job, so if the answer is no, you might need to consider working somewhere else.
- Do you feel satisfied in your role and feel challenged? Job satisfaction is linked to your personal development in your career as well as to how well you get on with your line manager.
Tatt’ll do nicely
WITH one in three young people now sporting tattoos, there has been a rise in professions where bosses actually PREFER staff to have an inking.
Recent research from found fashion is the sector most open to body art with 65 per cent of Brits wanting designers and stylists to have an inking.
Hairdressing, beauty, football and even private investigation were also revealed to be pro-tattoos.
However, only eight per cent wanted a doctor or surgeon with body art and 98 per cent were against inked MPs.
A spokesman said: “It appears tattoos in the workplace are becoming normalised.”
DE-CAMP TO USA
WANT to do a Megxit and bag a job over the Pond?
Bunac’s annual Summer Camp USA recruitment drive is now under way, with hundreds of roles up for grabs.
Camp directors will be interviewing and hiring at job fairs in London this Sunday and on Saturday, February 22, as well as in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Candidates need to be available for ten weeks from mid-May or June to August.
Bunac’s Emma Beynon says: “It is a unique opportunity to experience an all-American tradition, make friends from around the globe and develop CV-boosting skills.”
You can also travel the US for up to 30 days afterwards.
For more information see or call 0333 999 7516.
Winbox not a sinbox
DETOX your inbox as well as your body this January.
Emails rank as one of the biggest sources of workplace stress, so try these tips from professional organiser Joshua Zerkel to achieve Inbox Zero . . .
DON’T PANIC: Don’t hit “delete all” on your 100 unread emails and hope for the best – this is only a temporary fix. To stop work falling through the cracks and limiting productivity, set time aside to order your inbox.
BE BRUTAL: The clean-up process has to start somewhere so only keep the emails you really need and get rid of clutter. This may be time-consuming at first, but it will save you hours in productivity later.
FILE, DELETE, FORWARD, TAKE ACTION: Create a simple system, such as this, that you can stick to. You can create specific folders for emails according to their urgency, or if they contain information needed later. If it’s not needed, delete it.
HIT UNSUBSCRIBE: Remove yourself from the mailing lists of pointless newsletters that remain unread. Create a separate folder for ones that do interest you.
REMEMBER MANNERS: To avoid an abundance of replies, only cc in colleagues on a need-to-know basis, or for group conversations, consider Slack or Microsoft teams.
GET A WORK MANAGEMENT TOOL: Your inbox should never be your to-do list so try a work management tool like Asana, or a simple list app such as Todoist to digitalise daily tasks.
Jobspot
- CALL centre specialist SITEL have jobs on offer at centres across the UK. Find your calling at
- YOUNG’S pubs have more than 200 roles to fill including chefs, housekeepers and managers. See .