10 secrets to keep employees happy at work| International Day of Happiness

Workplace stress and burnout are becoming increasingly common in today's fast-paced world, negatively impacting employee well-being and organizational productivity. It is more important than ever for employers to prioritize the happiness and well-being of their employees. 

International Day of Happiness, celebrated annually on March 20th, is an excellent opportunity for organizations to take stock of their efforts to promote employee well-being and happiness. There are several steps organizations can take to foster a positive work environment, encourage work-life balance, provide employee benefits, and promote professional development.

What is the International Day of Happiness? March 20th is the UN International Day of Happiness. Since 2013, the day has been celebrated to acknowledge the importance of happiness in people's lives worldwide.

You can create a more engaged, productive, and successful workforce by prioritizing employee well-being. Promoting the well-being of employees in the workplace is a critical component of building a positive and productive workplace culture. 

Employers have a unique opportunity to address burnout and support employees struggling with mental health and well-being challenges. Employers can proactively address the drivers of poor mental health rather than simply reacting to its negative consequences. By exploring ways to create the healthiest possible workplace environment. 

For employee wellness, including mental health and emotional well-being, are critical to a productive workforce and organizations are putting more effort into their policies to make employees happy and engaged within the organization.

This shift in focus reinforces acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the workplace, promoting a culture of kindness and empathy. Recent research highlights the power of kindness in fostering greater empathy and compassion and improving individual well-being. 

Employers can create a more supportive and positive work environment for their employees by prioritizing kindness and promoting a culture of empathy and compassion.

According to this study by Our World in Data, we spend a significant amount of time with our co-workers, at some points more than family, friends, or even children. So, it becomes crucial to understand what makes people happy at work.

10 Secrets to keep employees happy at work.

Make work-life balance a priority

Work-life balance is essential to employees' well-being in today's fast-paced world. Employers can help by offering flexible work schedules, remote work opportunities, and paid time off. Employees will feel valued and appreciated if they are encouraged to take some time off to recharge and prioritize their personal lives.

Include employees in the big picture

Employees want to believe that their work is important and that they are helping the company succeed. Employers should communicate their vision and goals on a regular basis, involve employees in decision-making, and provide regular feedback on their performance to achieve this.

Be open and transparent

Transparency is essential for fostering employee trust and respect. Employers must communicate openly and honestly about company issues such as financial performance, organizational changes, and employee turnover.

Provide more vacation time

Giving employees more vacation time is an excellent way to show appreciation for all their hard work and dedication. Employers can reward their top performers with additional vacation days as a reward for their efforts.

Encourage communication in common spaces

Providing spaces for employees to communicate and share ideas is critical for developing a collaborative and engaged workforce. Employers should create an inviting and conducive environment for common areas, including virtual spaces for collaboration.

Create a career pathway

Providing developmental support to employees and creating attractive career opportunities for them within the company, such as training opportunities and career mentoring is essential. It is critical for businesses to have regular meetings on employees' goals and career pathways.

Align their growth with organization's growth

If you're looking to retain an employee by giving them a raise, it's already too late. Find people who share your organization's operational values from the start, test for fit early, and provide opportunities for growth to express that value. Following a constructive initiative, team members should be consistently rewarded with higher-value projects.

Recognize and reward employees frequently

The frequency of rewards is more important than the size. According to business feedback, smaller, more frequent positive feedback and rewards will keep people happier longer than a single large, infrequent happy event. Even the most significant raises or awards  'wear out' in less than a year.  Studies show that most employees respond better to small doses of appreciation, every few days.

Provide benefits that go beyond the basics

There are numerous ways to supplement employees' salaries by assisting them in other areas of their lives. You can provide additional life insurance or disability insurance to employees to protect their income. Employees appreciate other ancillary benefits such as dental, optical, and wellness. Additionally, gym memberships and transportation benefits are excellent benefits for keeping employees happy and healthy. It is critical to provide better benefits so that your employees know you genuinely care about them and their families.

Always express gratitude

Employees are rarely dissatisfied or leave for financial reasons. When they become disenchanted, it is usually because they dislike their boss, are uninterested, or believe they have stopped learning. A positive culture and workplace environment are extremely beneficial because it promotes teamwork, communication, increases engagement and opportunities for teammates to learn from one another.

As this year's World Happiness Day is being celebrated under the theme: Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Kind, organizations need to re-evaluate their workplace culture and employ strategies that keep's people-first.

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