Happiness & Wellbeing
February 20, 2019
Happiness & Wellbeing

Are happiness, wellbeing & engagement worthy of a place in your strategy?

“You don’t build a business, you build people and then people build the business”
– Vince Lombardi

Do we really need to be happy in the workplace? Isn’t it asking for a bit too much? Shouldn’t we just get on with the job? And wouldn’t we just be less efficient if we were all having a good time? Then again, what if my happiness gets in the way of someone else’s? And is my happiness at work my responsibility or my employer’s?

Unhappy employees outnumber happy ones by two to one, according to a Gallup report. At what cost?

 The fact is, happier people are more productive. A very modest 1% increase in productivity would benefit a company of say 200 employees by £80,000.

 Happier people are healthier people. A decrease in sickness absence by just 1 day per employee would benefit the same company £33,333.





Happier employees don’t leave as often. Just a 10% reduction in staff turnover would benefit the same company £51,200. People like to belong to something, we look for meaning in our lives. We can create environments where people thrive versus survive – where there is the opportunity to be a whole person rather than leave half yourself at home.

More than ever people feel a need to align with others, with ideas and companies that make them feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. A sense of purpose, a reason for being and the answer to the questions “Why is this a good place to be?” Today, in particular, for our Gen Zers, their idea of good is shaped by an increased awareness of their own needs, beliefs, interests and aspirations – a heightened concern for the planet and empathy for its people.

People are now, more than ever, seeking out employers that clearly state – and live out – their meaningful ambition for the greater good. They want to feel their jobs are creating good for themselves, the company and for the world. That’s what makes many of us happy = engaged = productive = doing good.

“If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.”
– Albert Einstien.

What are the levels of meaningfulness in your organisation? How does it correlate with your engagement levels – people and customers/clients?