While it might seem odd to be talking about happiness when there is so much sadness in the world due to the pandemic, there are business reasons to help employees be happy.
In 2019, a study conducted by the University of Oxford, in conjunction with the British phone company BT. found that happy employees were 13% more productive. In another article, back in 2017 in Forbes, Camille Preston, Ph.D. cited a study that found happy employees are up to 20% more productive than unhappy employees.
But even before those studies, Google believes that happiness is something an employer should encourage and they appointed a Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) as far back as 2014. Since then other companies such as SAP, Amazon and Airbnb have added that corporate title to their roster.
As to why happiness can improve productivity, Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury, in an extensive article offers some reasons why it's important for employers to try to figure out ways to create a positive workforce.
Happiness Multiples Success
Happiness at work can spread like fire. Employees who feel pleasure in doing their work form a great example to others who are less motivated.
For example, when a team leader is happy with his position and work, he can influence his team with more positivity and maintain great functionality in the group. Happiness in the workplace is directly correlational to increased productivity and better group performance at work.
Happiness Builds Positivity
A troubled mind can be the storehouse of negative contemplations. When we work out of compulsion and don’t feel passionate about the contribution we make to the organization’s success, our mind starts wearing.
We become stressed, lose focus, and indulge self-deprecating thoughts like “I have to quit," “I cannot take it anymore,” “I am not worth it,” etc. On the contrary, a professional who has strong positive feelings about his job will undoubtedly be more enthusiastic and focus on building himself. Rather than focusing on the problems, he would look into ways of solving it.
While this seems like a tall order, especially given all that is going on, it might actually be a good time to look into this as many companies are searching for ways to keep employees engaged as we all transition to new ways of working. Keeping happiness in mind might help to build stronger workplaces.