Receiving praise or appreciation from a boss or manager is the key to workplace happiness, according to a new study.
Office specialists Workthere conducted a survey of 1,000 participants to find out what made them happy or unhappy at work. Of the participants, 85 per cent said that receiving a “well done” or “thank you” from a boss or client made them content. Positive interaction was a key theme in staff happiness, with lunchbreaks, colleagues bringing in treats, and conversing with “office pals” post-weekend all ranking highly on the index. The moment faulty equipment was fixed also appeared in the top five biggest causes for happiness in the office.
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Biggest workplace peeves included malfunctioning equipment, passive aggressive comments or emails, unnecessary meetings, and dirty crockery left on desks or in communal areas.
“It is clear from these results that happiness in UK offices is very much dependent on positive interaction and it is therefore important that the office environment supports this with open-plan areas, communal spaces and amenities,” said Workthere boss Cal Lee. “We have seen these factors become a real focus in the workplace, particularly in the serviced office environment with collaboration and relationship building at the heart of its design.
“With happy staff believed to be more productive creating the right setting that allows social interaction as well as creative and focused work areas is crucial.”
The top five causes of happiness in the workplace:
- Receiving a “well done” or “thank you” from your boss or client (85%)
- Lunchbreak (83%)
- Colleagues bringing in treats for the office (80%)
- Chatting and catching up with your ‘office pals’ after the weekend (74%)
- That moment that faulty piece of office equipment is fixed (73%)
The top five workplace pet peeves:
- Faulty/broken equipment (72%)
- Passive aggressive comments or emails (68%)
- Unnecessary meetings (65%)
- Unwashed crockery left at desk (65%)
- Office temperature (65%)
From: Harper’s BAZAAR UK
