The government announced last year that they were investing in a 2 million pound project to measure the happiness of the country. Interesting! They believe that it is not possible to measure the happiness of the nation by GDP alone and that some form of extra measure is required for a more rounded picture. And they would like us to tell them exactly what that measure should be. But how can you measure happiness?

This is particularly relevant for those in the working environment since it relates to many important issues such as motivation and performance.

If staff are not happy then a company can lose valuable people who have already been trained. This could lead to an increase in recruitment costs and training since finding and training new people to do a job well is no cheap process. It could also affect stress levels within the office. If people are not happy and feel negative effects from their unhappiness such as stress and related symptoms then they may well be off sick which can cost a company a lot of money and cause staffing problems. So how can you measure the happiness of your staff or yourself as an employee to ensure well rounded, contented employees who are prepared to work hard?

To begin with, consider the factors that make up an employees working life. Some of these are as follows, only some of which are the employers responsibility, but still make up part of the whole. We will look at them individually.

Working hours
This is an issue affected by many factors, especially in these hard times where employers are demanding more and more from a smaller number of people. It is a problem if a company have had to make redundancies for example and now a fewer number of people are left to pick up the slack. Employees may feel unable to control this situation for fear of appearing negative and jeopardising their own positions.

As an employer however, it is very important to encourage staff to be assertive and inform you of problems, while helping to create solutions. It is unreasonable to expect people to work longer and longer hours without any reward. Take employees concerns over this issue seriously and openly attempt to find a solution to the problem.

Pay
The pay of an employee is not something that you may be able to increase at the moment, even if you feel they deserve it. Many companies are laying people off, cutting salaries and are reporting lower profits so increasing salary is simply not an option. Consider other ways in which people may be rewarded for their hard work. Is it possible to treat them to a lunch or some treats for the office every now and again? Employees are not stupid and do realise that now is not the best time to be looking for a pay increase, but be aware that salary can be a major component of the overall happiness of the employee, especially if they feel they are not earning enough to support themselves and any dependants on a satisfactory level. Simply acknowledging their concerns may help to show them that you understand the issue.

Home Life
Like it or not, the home life of an employee can affect their happiness at work. It is one hundred percent not an employer's position to sort out any home problems an employee is having. It is however, part of the overall package and therefore, if a person is having trouble at home due to exceptional circumstances then it may be that you need to handle that with tact and consideration. If a traumatic event has happened such as a death or a divorce then recognise that some form of compassionate leave may be required.

Do what you can privately and confidentially to ensure that the employee remains happy with the company they work for at least. If the employee is demonstrating unreasonable behaviour brought on by an unhappy home life then deal assertively and fairly with the issues.

Challenging working life
An employee is likely to feel happy if they have a challenging work life which motivates them and allows them to grow. Doing the same monotonous job for years on end can be soul destroying and may lead to a depressed and demotivated individual.

Ensure that each employee has regular reviews which discuss the nature of their work and whether they feel it is enough for them. If a person is not challenged then suggest another area of responsibility that they could take on and possibly some form of training they could take part in to learn something new. This will motivate them to work harder and will benefit the company.

Promotional and developmental prospects
Following on from the appraisals, it may be that an individual would like to progress their career. It is unlikely to find people who are happy working at the same job at the same level for the rest of their lives. If this was the case then I would question if they are a worthwhile employee since ambition and the drive to improve oneself is a positive motivational force.

Discuss the developmental prospects within a company for each employee and give everyone who wants it, a fair chance at any promotional opportunities including feedback for those unsuccessful candidates. Do not try and keep a person in the same position just because it suits you as they may look for development opportunities somewhere else.

Working environment
The working environment affects happiness levels because it is where we spend most of our lives. Coming into a small grey box with no windows each day can be demotivating. Attempt to increase happiness levels with simple touches, such as a selection of art for the walls, plants and, where possible, by seating employees near to the windows. Have regular health assessments to see if the work station is suitable for the job the person is doing. Is the chair comfortable to prevent back pain? Is the monitor and desk at the correct height?

All these considerations make up a whole package of happiness which will hopefully lead to a happy employee who will want to work hard and achieve for themselves and their company. Do not be afraid to ask an employee what factors in their happiness so as the employer you can address the issues that matter most to your staff.