What does a happy employee look like in 2023?

Generally speaking, those of us in the workforce are more than aware that COVID-19 has irrevocably shifted the way we work, but there are now hard numbers to back that up. US-based Garner Research has discovered that almost two thirds of employees have re-evaluated their life and work priorities post pandemic.

Those changes to work/life balance are linked to what makes us happy at work, with a comprehensive study of 700 people by the University of Warwick Department of Economics revealing that having happy employees increased productivity by 12 per cent.

With employee happiness being an important factor of a productive workplace, here are some ways it’s currently being addressed in 2023.

A rethink of workplace practices has led to a trial of a four-day work week with five-day pay in the UK, with 73 companies and 3300 employees taking part. Due to a boost in productivity and employee happiness – 71 per cent said they were less burnt out, 39 per cent said they were less stressed and 48 per cent said they were more satisfied with their jobs than before the trial – 61 of the 73 companies intend to continue with the shorter hours post-trial.

Professor Brendan Burchell from Cambridge University, who helped conduct the interviews for the trial, says the shift has clearly resulted in happier employees. “People really enjoyed it. They found it such a reward to have three-day weekends instead of two-day weekends”.

The global pandemic forced employees around the world to start working from home, and now the benefits of this hybrid working arrangement have been reassessed by businesses everywhere. A recent survey conducted by The Conference Board, a non-profit business membership and research group, involved over 1000 CEOs from around the world and found that only 3 per cent would decrease the availability of remote work in their companies, with 5 per cent adding that they would expand it.

Research shows that a hybrid work model makes employees happier, too. Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University, recently revealed results on the Freakonomics podcast from a study that states a strong case for the effectiveness of a hybrid work model. “Employees were dramatically happier being allowed to work from home two days a week. You can see this in surveys. Maybe more convincingly, you see it in quit rates - they fell by a third,” says Bloom.

Mental illness costs Australian businesses an estimated $39 billion each year through losses in productivity, absenteeism and turnover, which is why mental-health training for employees has become so vital.

Mental health not-for-profit Black Dog Institute reported a 34 per cent rise in workplace mental-health training last year, with Dr Aimee Gayed, a registered psychologist and post-doctoral fellow at the Institute, attributing the increased uptake to a greater awareness of the need to address mental health in the workplace.

“It’s all about the importance of initiating contact with employees as soon as you’re aware they’re going through some difficulties, how to initiate the conversation, and the importance of [keeping] regular contact with your employees and colleagues,” explains Dr Gayed.

^Disclaimer

^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}