Companies should have realised that people’s productivity is tightly related to the high motivation at work and motivation is mostly driven from the high level of happiness an employee gets at work.

A recent study by economists at the University of Warwick reveals that happiness led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy employees are 10% less productive. The result showcases that human happiness has a vast and positive causal effects on productivity.

One of the researchers, Professor Oswald said “Companies like Google have invested more in employee support, and employee satisfaction has risen as a result. For Google, it increased by 37%; they know what they are talking about. Under scientifically controlled conditions, making workers happier do pays off”.

It is undeniable that employers and the management always seek for methods that can boost the employees’ happiness to gain better performance at work.

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A salary raise, indeed, can motivate employees to perform and increase their overall performance. However, increasing salaries are expensive, and many companies cannot afford the rising expenses on the whole. Some of them prefer to seek for more affordable methods to elevate the employees’ happiness by providing unique perks.

Before determining the perks, HR managers and employers should know what brings happiness amongst employees. As each workforce have their own perspective on happiness, there are some unique perks a company can adopt.

Office library. Broadening the knowledge and skills is an effective way to enhance employees’ capabilities and productivity. Encouraging employees to read books and any other references to during their free time at work by providing a cosy office library, where employees can access easily is a great way. On the other hand, an office library is a long-term asset that can be utilised by all.

Birthday perks. Everyone’s birthday is special, regardless they love to celebrate it or not. A birthday perk is one affordable way to steal the employees’ hearts and boost their happiness at work. Simply by spending an hour of the workday to celebrate the birthdays for employees of the month or by giving a small token of gift will strengthen the camaraderie and drive higher motivation. Else, a birthday perk portrays the company’s care and attention towards the workers. Perhaps a birthday leave can be considered too!

Snack day. One affordable perk a company can adopt is by initiating a snack day once a month. By organising a small feast in the office will bring cheers and happiness among employees. As people are happy, they will be more engaged and motivated to do their best to the company.

Nap time. Working in front of computer screens for extended periods of time often makes the eyes tired. Employees also need time to relax and having some break times for renewal. Therefore, companies can initiate a nap time perk for employees to sustain their productivity every single day. A 15 to 30 minutes nap time is adequate to give them time to shut their eyes and refresh their brains. The nap period could be included in with their lunch hours.

Travel perks. It is possible for companies to provide travel perks without spending much. Instead of travelling alone on business trips, employers can ask one of the employees to come along too. The business travel allows the employee to enjoy the journey and at the same time, gain valuable experience as well.

Some perks might be suitable to be applied in an office, but some of them might not. Therefore, discussions should be initiated by the management to decide on the best-fit perks to be applied in the workplace.

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