Working towards a happier work life is not easy as rocking up on Monday morning with cake and deciding you and all staff members will be delighted forever more!

However, companies today are realising that the notion of a happy working environment is essential for a thriving business. Being happy isn’t an add on. It’s not cake! (no matter how delicious cake is at 10am!)

It should instead be woven into the basic fabric of an organisation.

• People who are happy at work are more authentic and committed, often wanting to push on and contribute above the expectations of their job description.
• People who are happier at work are seen by others are more likeable and trusting. They are able to see the bigger picture and dissolve conflicts a lot easier.
• Productivity and innovation increases when people are happy at work as well as offering a boost in creativity and health.
• People who have a happy work life display more loyalty and commitment. There are less staff turnovers, fewer mistakes and they are able to quickly bounce back from failures or setbacks.

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Happiness at work = P-E-R-K

Even though there are no quick fix answers, there are 4 key components that can help employees work towards happiness at work called P-E-R-K.

Purpose

Having a purpose is a reflection of our core values.

We naturally feel more purposeful in a work environment when values, behaviours and ethics are aligned with our own. You are more inclined to bring all the passion and buzz for work if you can connect what you do with what you believe in rather than ticking a box and being submissive to the status quo. For example, if diversity and equality pushes your buttons, then you can make a point of collaborating with people from various different backgrounds.

Engagement

Do you enjoy your work… like really?

Do you feel like you are a part of the decisions that are pushing the company forward?

For employees who have answered no to these type of questions, the employer can learn a few ideas to keep people switched on and valued. For example, managers can throw in creativity or an element of playfulness. If you can mix together fun with routine, then staff members will stop seeing work as a chore. Another idea would be to give people ownership of tasks and build on their personal growth.

Allow employees the opportunities for professional development.

Resilience

The way in which you handle yourself when it comes to adaptability, setbacks, disappointments and failures is key to your happiness at work.

Being resilient isn’t about avoiding all of the above by going out of your way to prevent hardship, it’s about how you boss up all over the challenges in a way that is authentic and real. Aside from being realer than real and allowing yourself to drop the charade of a weird version of ‘work you’, you can also bolster resilience by taking time out.

Detach yourself from work and pursue your hobbies, creativity, exercise and actually use your allocated holidays.

Kindness

One thing we all can do in and out of work is to be kind.

Simple. Facts. Truth.

You will find that work life can be a happier environment by being genuinely compassionate, supportive, and by practicing gratitude with a dose of empathy. Whether that is being a good listener or treating your co-workers with respect and civility, these elements will help build trust within your team. Another aspect of kindness is raising your hands and admitting you did something wrong and apologising.

Saying sorry has too often been considered as a sign of weakness when in fact all it does is harness a greater level of respect and commitment from your work pals.

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Finding a job that you generally love and are happy in is a basic human aspiration. The success of an organisation lies within the engagement of its workers… so surely adopting a happy workplace is worth the effort?!

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