By Liz Hall
Doing meaningful work is the top of the league of factors impacting happiness at work, according to a survey of 4,000 workers in the UK, US, France and Germany by collaborative work management platform, Wrike.
Globally, four in 10 respondents said they’ve taken a pay cut to accept a position that made them happier – 54% of UK respondents and 58% of US respondents, says the report, From Positivity to Productivity: Exposing the Truth Behind Workplace Happiness.
The findings indicate happiest workers enjoy their teams, but also value balance between time at work and home, and that their employers put technology in place to help achieve this.
Globally, more than one-quarter (28%) said the most important perk, related to happiness at work, is more or unlimited paid holiday time. More than half (56%) of the happiest workforce, Americans, said their company’s mission and vision strongly resonates with them, while just over a third (36%) of UK respondents said the same.
Wrike vice president of people operations, Megan Barbier, said, “The nature of work is changing, and with it, employers must also evolve their strategies for building happy and engaged workforces. It’s time to update our assumptions on what drives happiness so that businesses can truly invest in what matters most to their employees. That requires building an environment where teams can collaborate effectively, regardless of location, to complete work that has meaning and resonates with their values.”