Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-on-gray-rock-near-body-of-water-185801/

Mental health, social ties, and a feeling of purpose especially impact general life pleasure. Therefore, the relationship between work and happiness is more profound than is usually believed. Lord Richard Layard stresses that mental health is the most important well-being factor, transcending wealth and material achievement in shaping happiness. His observations show that although work provides necessary advantages like meaning and social involvement, much of it is either boring or very stressful, a dynamic that employers must handle. Alarmingly, studies indicate that workers find the least pleasure during encounters with their superiors, pointing to a general problem with management techniques based on fear rather than motivation. It supports changing behaviors by acknowledging mental health as a fundamental business issue, encouraging group-based performance rewards, and supporting leadership. Especially during a 25-year period, businesses rated as great workplaces regularly surpassed others in shareholder value, proving that prioritizing employee well-being is not just moral but also economically beneficial. These results advocate a paradigm change in which workplace design, leadership development, and business strategy all include the development of employee happiness. 

 

Reference: 

Layard, R., & Allas, T. (2019). Happiness and work: An interview with Lord Richard Layard. McKinsey Quarterly. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/happiness-and-work-an-interview-with-lord-richard-layard