Compared to other European countries, Brits top the leader board for time spent at work, with the average Briton clocking in around 42 hours at work each week. Do the maths, and this equates to a whopping 82,068 working hours over a lifetime – ‘the equivalent to working a 9.4 year shift or 3,420 days of non-stop working’ (Recruitment Buzz). Add to this the fact that retirement age is increasing from 65-68 in 2019, and the need to be happy at work has never been more important (Express).
‘Work’, even the word itself fills some of us with dread. In fact, in the UK, over half of us are unhappy in our jobs. But, if you believe that happiness at work isn’t attainable, it’s time to think again.
Why Is It Important To Have A Happy Workforce?
According to research conducted by international consultancy, the iOpener Institute, happy employees are good for business:
- Happy employees stay with their companies four times longer than their unhappy counterparts.
- Employees who are happy in their organisation commit twice as much time to their tasks than those who aren’t happy.
- Happy team members have 65% more energy than unhappy employees.
Adam Lupton, HR director at Alphabet (one of the UK’s top employers in 2018) and advocate for happiness at work, agrees with these findings, saying: “Highly engaged employees are more effective, more dedicated and more passionate – exactly the sorts of people our customers want to deal with. Our ultimate goal is to have happy, healthy and motivated employees – it’s a win for the business and a win for staff.”
Lord Mark Price, member of The House of Lords, former managing director of Waitrose, and former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, shares Adam’s point of view, saying: “I passionately believe that a happy workforce is good for individuals, good for business, and good for society. I wrote ‘Fairness for All’ to demonstrate just how much having happy employees leads to higher levels of productivity and profitability, and founded www.engaging.work to allow individuals and organisations to measure the things most important to achieving workplace happiness. To me, employee happiness is paramount for any successful business.”
How Are Employers Cultivating Happiness At Work?
Today, employers across the country are recognising the importance of happiness in the workplace, and are making changes to encourage a happier, healthier workforce. According to The Guardian, the ten most popular policies being introduced into the workplace to boost morale and create an atmosphere of wellbeing are:
- Offering flexible working hours
- Providing employees with the opportunity to work from home
- Not restricting staff’s access to social media networks at work
- Enforcing a strong anti-harassment policy
- Giving staff a level of autonomy in their work
- Encouraging and supporting employees’ development and training
- Offering unlimited holiday, or a minimum of 28 days off per annum
- Discouraging emailing and working outside of hours
- Organising free gym membership or lunchtime exercise classes
- Providing food for employees
What’s It Like To Work At SureStore?
“We take the wellbeing of our team seriously. We work hard to create an environment where each and every employee feels valued, supported, and part of the bigger picture.” – Paul Whittaker, SureStore Director
SureStore is expanding. Having already opened three facilities this year in Cannock, Bolton, and Northwich, we will add a further seven to our portfolio over the next 18 months. Fostering a happy culture at work is pivotal to achieving our investment goals. It makes us feel good to hear what our team already has to say about working here:
“There is a huge amount of satisfaction that comes with my job. I personally enjoy working with our trade counter customers, helping them as much as I can, and watching them transform from fledgling to burgeoning businesses.” – Stu
“Many small business customers come to us when they want to take their enterprise to the next level, moving it from the home into a bespoke business unit. It is great to feel like we are contributing to their success.” – Jon
“I’ve found great happiness in meeting customers and helping them to take positive steps towards remedying what can be traumatic and stressful experiences. A friendly face and a bit of rapport goes a long way.” – Kris
“Happiness at work for me is all to do with the people I work with and for. There is a great working culture at SureStore, a culture which encourages us to help each other and celebrate each other’s successes.” – Claire