Green shoots translate to happy workers

Published by Samuel Turner for Badenoch & Clark in Central Government and also in Local Government

UK offices happiest since recession started

According to the latest Badenoch & Clark Happiness at Work Index, the Great British office is happier than it has been since the recession took hold. With many predicting the bottom of the downturn and tentative signs of green shoots, it seems the cautious optimism is filtering down to the wider workforce.

The latest results from the Index show a steep rise in the number of people happy at work, with 78% now reporting high levels of happiness. That’s higher than it’s been in a year and the biggest upward shift since the Index began over two years ago, up 5% from earlier in 2009.

A similar pattern was reported in morale levels. Part of the Index since summer 2008, morale levels have remained relatively low until now. However, a comparable lift of 5% has seen the number of people reporting high levels of morale rise to seven in ten.

Neil Wilson, managing director at Badenoch & Clark, comments: “The Happiness at Work Index is an important barometer of the mood of the nation. We spend most of our waking life at work, and so happiness and morale levels in the office give an important insight into the general outlook of the population. For employers, these results will be particularly pleasing as it shows a workforce that is becoming engaged again with its work. Study after study has shown that a happy employee is a productive employee, and so anything that can be done to ensure happiness and morale remain high will deliver serious business benefits.

“However, this all must be put into the wider context: this is a new and fragile optimism, and one that can be easily undone through poor talent management, over promising or a lack of communication. For this optimism to translate into a more engaged and productive workforce in the longer term, employers need to continue to work with their people. Ensuring they continue to identify with the organisation and feel part of the bigger picture will be key in retaining these high levels of happiness and morale.”