Nearly two-thirds of UK employees say being happy is the most important aspect of a job, however, almost nine-tenths feel their employer could do more to improve morale in the workplace.
This is according to CV-Library, which found that 62 per cent of workers say being happy is the most vital part of a job with 88 per cent saying their boss could do more to improve morale in their office.
Over a fifth, (22 per cent) of employees say that being happy is more important than salary, and 16 per cent say its more important than location. Women found being happy at work more important than men with 66 per cent of females compared to 59 per cent of males. Older workers found it to be more integral as well with 67 per cent of 55-64-year-olds finding it more important and 65 per cent of 45-54-year-olds.
When employees were asked what makes them happiest, 68 per cent state that their family is the biggest contributor. This was followed by their love life (52 per cent), friendships (43 per cent) and health (36.2 per cent), despite the spread of COVID-19.
When they were asked what makes them feel unhappy, 27 per cent said work is the main reason.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said:
It’s incredibly important for employees to feel happy at work, not only for their personal wellbeing, but also for your business output. Long-term unhappiness simply isn’t sustainable or healthy for the mental health of your employees and it can impact their productivity and efficiency.
So, if you think you’re doing all you can to keep your staff happy, you may want to think again. You can improve morale across the whole workforce by scheduling in regular check-ups and meetings, offering the right perks and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. You want to create a company culture that everyone, yourself included, wants to be a part of.
That said, it’s important to remember that you can’t keep everyone happy, all of the time. If an employee decides to leave the business, you shouldn’t fret for long, as there are plenty of ways to attract new candidates to your vacancies.
In order to obtain these results, CV-Library asked the opinions of 2.300 UK employees.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
