Member Article

Tell me why I DO like Mondays: 74% of Brits love them - but only after a good weekend

Why happiness of staff should be high on the list in National Work Life Week

Office managers are being encouraged to think more about the mood of their staff in National Work Life Week (October 1-5) after a survey revealed nearly three-quarters feel better about going to work on a Monday after a good weekend – and nine in 10 perform better if they are happy.

The survey was commissioned by Boundless, an experiences company with a 95-year heritage.

It aimed to uncover the secrets to happiness by finding out who is happy, both at home and at work, and what makes them feel good about themselves and their lives.

It revealed some interesting links between happiness, productivity and work satisfaction, including:

• 74 per cent say they feel better going to work on Monday if they have had a good weekend.

• 50 per cent of people agree they definitely work better when they are happy – and another 38 per cent say they possibly do. That’s a total of 88 per cent.

• Only 6 per cent say being happy doesn’t improve the way they work.

• 71 per cent say they are happy in life overall, with 22 per cent saying ‘very happy’.

• 62 per cent say they are happy in work, with 20 per cent answering ‘very happy’.

• 37 per cent believe less than half their colleagues are happy in their job.

• 47 per cent of people would describe themselves as stressed or very stressed.

• 23 per cent say they get stressed at least once every day.

Ian Holmes-Lewis, Director at Boundless, said: “National Work Life Week is a great opportunity for employers to focus on the wellbeing of their staff and these results underline how important happiness can be in the workplace.

“We often measure stress levels at work – but how often do we stop to consider whether people are actually happy?

“The responses in the Boundless Happiness Survey suggest there is a real link between how well people perform and how happy they are.“

The fact that almost three-quarters of people say they feel better going into work on a Monday if they have enjoyed a good weekend also provides employers and HR departments with food for thought.

Holmes-Lewis added:“It would be short-sighted to assume a manager has the power to make anyone in his or her team intrinsically happy - that kind of happiness is wrapped up in relationships, home life and so many other metrics.

“But work-life balance and how often we have an opportunity to do fun things outside of the office – these are all in the gift of a caring employer. Maybe this is the perfect time to ask people how happy they are and what would make them happier?“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Boundless .