Every company wants to look after their employees while also appealing to their better nature. A competitive salary is important but enduring happiness at work relies on employees feeling valued and respected. It is how we bring the best out of people and it is how we inspire and maintain a willingness to work hard.
Research by Oxford University in 2019 revealed more than just a correlation between happiness and productivity, it found that happy employees are 13% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. MIT research has also emphasised the pivotal role happiness can play in retention by influencing employee decisions to join, stay or leave a company.
So how can we spot the warning signs when that ‘happy blanket’ starts to fray at the edges? How can we prevent the onset of burnout before it starts to take shape?
1. Building employee resilience: a support framework of preventative measures
One maxim always stands true: prevention is better than a cure. Reactive measures and policies help deal with issues as they arise, but employees attach considerable value to knowing that things are in place should they need them. There are many products that can bring this peace of mind, both for them and the company.
As a standalone product or complimentary to PMI, cash plans are aimed at helping employees receive preventive treatment by covering everyday costs like dental, eye tests and physio (a leading cause of absenteeism). They also help users bypass NHS wait times by providing access to diagnostic scans and other time-saving services like an online GP.
Employee insurance products also provide that comfort and peace of mind by paying out for days missed on hospital appointments, surgical procedures or, in the worst cases, death in service.
Putting in place an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to give employees access to support services, or counselling services that enable them to talk through any problems they experience, are also measures of passive reassurance that can have a positive impact. Making all these things available through a 24/7 smartphone app such as HAPI makes things even easier and more accessible, as many companies are already finding.
2. A culture of communication and employer empathy
Companies can give their employees access to any number of tools and products, but the benefits can easily fall by the wayside if communication is lacking. Companies who are genuinely interested in tackling burnout through a focus on well-being learn how to listen and find empathy.
This kind of culture often needs to come from the top to create the right structures, and to feel authentic. As well as annual and quarterly appraisals, enhanced comms might include more regular or even casual touchpoints: visual reminders like posters and leaflets; a calendar of email communications; physical one-on-ones, all combined with opportunities for employees to give feedback and engage with managers.
3. Recognition: a culture of inclusiveness
If done well, a recognition scheme can boost employee happiness and enhance performance by reinforcing positive behaviours and cementing a company’s culture. Whether it ends up as a simple thank you note or a more personalised reward, timely recognition boosts morale and strengthens manager-employee bonds. It also creates a bit of fun and buzz around the office, and online for remote employees.
This sense of ‘feeling valued at work’ through praise, feedback and reward is particularly important to the younger generation, who also value immediacy. Here again the answer is to embrace the power of digital to enable 24/7 access to a recognition platform through a smartphone app like HAPI that also increases inclusivity by giving everyone quick and easy access.
4. Work-life balance: enabling the feel-good factor
While few employers can grant total flexibility for their employees, there is now a greater onus on companies to find solutions for how, where and when people work best. For some that might mean facilitating remote working and making contributions to the tools and set-up required at home. For others it could mean accommodating compressed hours, a four-day week, term-time hours or simply the ability to work part-time.
There are also now more options for promoting healthy choices, from incentive schemes for walking or cycling to work to offering access to healthier dietary choices or enabling people to join a gym.
Offered through the HAPI app, Transform™ is a complete employee wellbeing solution with hundreds of workout classes, motivational messages, mental health support, healthy recipes, tools for a better night’s sleep and stress management techniques.
