Employee Happiness & the Bottom Line

The evidence is clear. When workers are happy, profits go up.  

To track worker happiness, a recent study used the app “Mappiness” to track individual happiness. Participants were pinged, asked what they were doing, and how happy they were throughout the day. Work activities were at the top of the unhappiness list. 

There are countless reasons to improve worker happiness and grow profits. Let’s look at the top two. First, in today’s ESG focused climate, companies are expected to focus on social good and the happiness of all stakeholders including workers, suppliers, shareholders, and workers. The modern economy means work is a much bigger part of an employee’s life, as such they should be considered the front line of any corporate social responsibility initiative. Second, happy workers work better, stay longer, and are more productive. 

Here are a few ways to increase employee happiness without impacting the bottom line: 

• Set clear goals.
• Be transparent and honest. 
• Be consistent.
• Encourage open communication between all employees and supervisors. 
• Support a work life balance.
• Consider an increase in vacation time and PTO for volunteering.

 The focus on corporate social responsibility has intensified since Business Roundtable’s 2019 statement redefining the purpose of a corporation as a “fundamental commitment to ALL stakeholders”. 

Be sure your business meets modern business expectations. Take care of your stakeholders  – all of them – and watch public perception, productivity, and profits improve.