Health and Happiness in the Workplace by Roman Temkin

Happiness and a feeling of well-being in the workplace has become a more and more popular topic. In today’s high pressure world of global markets, cutthroat competition, and mass production, many people no longer look forward to going to work and the reality is, this is bad for business. Stress in the workplace takes a toll on a person’s health and this leads to a loss of productivity. The bottom-line is: making the workplace happier and healthier will not only benefit employees, it will benefit employers as well.

In most instances, the manager sets the tone of the workplace. A negatively critical manager may think they are spurring their employees on to strive to do better, when in reality, employees that feel they are only criticized no matter the effort they put forth, will eventually decide there is no point in doing their best, because their best isn’t good enough. Instead, a manager that can offer constructive criticism, along with commendation, will give the employees incentive to do their best and improve where necessary. Feeling like their efforts are being noticed and appreciated will improve an employees morale and reduce work related stress.

New York Real Estate Developer Roman Temkin on how to achieve happiness at work…

Another area that can help improve working relationships is approachability. When a manager is available and approachable, the employees they oversee will be more likely to take any work related problems to them. A manager that doesn’t know about a problem can do nothing to fix it, so being able to hear about employee issues is important. If there are serious problems among employees that are causing undue stress, this will begin to affect their efficiency and productivity. Being able to address employee issues before they get out of control will make employees feel more comfortable at the workplace.

Physical health is also important to a happy workplace. Employers should take the lead in encouraging their employees to be physically active. Many companies are finding great success in starting exercise programs that the entire workforce can participate in. Even something as simple as extending the lunch break by fifteen minutes so that everyone can take a walk before continuing their work can have a huge affect on a person’s mental and physical well-being. This can also be an opportunity for an employer to join their employees in a more casual setting, which will help improve the working relationship.

Often times, technology allows employees to access their work even when they aren’t at the workplace. While this can be beneficial in many cases, this constant connection to their work can leave employees feeling like they are trapped in a never-ending workday. They may feel obligated to put work above everything else at all times, even family and friends. Employers can do much to help their employees find balance between their work and home life. Giving their employees clear directions and deadlines will enable the employees to stay on track while they are at the office, using their time the most efficiently.
Communicating regularly with employees throughout a project will make it easier for a manager to see areas where problems may be arising and offer assistance or direction on avoiding or correcting the problem. This too will ensure that the employees are able to use their time more efficiently while they are at the workplace, and will make it easier for them to leave their work, at work.

The relationship between an employer and their employees can be a difficult one to navigate. Both parties may feel under-appreciated at times. But when an employer makes the effort to make the workplace a happier and healthier place, everybody wins.

Roman Temkin is a New York based entrepreneur and Real Estate developer.