Happiness and work are, at first glance, mutually exclusive concepts that cannot co-exist! It’s a fact, though, that more and more companies (especially big corporations) are spending a great deal of time and money on projects to make their employees happy.
Google, for instance, actually employs a Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) – a position that is fast becoming recognised as a mainstream career option even here in the UK.
Even small firms are forking out on team-building exercises, happiness coaches and motivational game days. It’s all because of a spate of evidence that’s pervaded the business psychology literature in recent years that happy employees are more productive, more engaged, more loyal … in fact more everything that is positive for business.
Is spending money and resources on keeping a smile on the dials of your staff worth it, though? It’s all very well sending them off for a day driving quad bikes, or having a fun afternoon of inter-departmental three-legged races, but is all this upbeat pursuit of happiness actually having the opposite effect?
Personally I’d find it exhausting to be constantly cheery while I toil through a mundane task. When being happy is part of your duty at work, and an obligation put upon you by your boss, it becomes rather a burden. Most of us are longing to leave the workplace so we can go home, relax, wipe off the smile and be miserable!
Seems to me all this pursuit of happiness can be put down to the fact that we are confusing happiness with job satisfaction.
In my experience – as both an underling and a manager – those who are well rewarded and respected for the work they do are content. Workers who are content are loyal and productive. They can be satisfied, but they can’t be forced to be happy!
We’re all allowed to have our bad mood days, and dislike work that is depressing, repetitive or seemingly meaningless. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a high-powered, creative or challenging job that provides a full measure of joy and happiness. We should be allowed to be unhappy about having to work.
The best the boss can do to engender as much good will as possible is to ensure the working environment, rewards and conditions are as pleasant as possible while we earn our daily bread.
That having been said, I’m certainly not going to be averse to the odd “wear your PJs to work” day, or a stress-busting, smile-inducing Spa Day courtesy of the company!