21% of the Romanian employees are very happy at their workplace, reveals a survey, “The Employee Happiness Survey” conducted by Mindspace on 5,000 employees in 7 countries.
61% of the Romanian respondents said they are happy at the office most of the time. The Romanian employees with the highest happiness score at the office are working in creative arts and media industries, but also in the banking sector.
16% of the Romanian respondents answered they are not very happy at work, while 3% said they are not happy at all.
When it comes to the role played in the company, the Romanian employees who registered the highest level of happiness are those working in the creative and marketing departments, while those working in logistics or operations are the least happy.
People in 7 countries were surveyed: the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Poland, and Romania.
Participants came from a wide range of sectors, including finance, engineering, law, information technology, healthcare, media, public service, transport and logistics, creative arts and design, and more.
The survey was conducted in 2019 by OnePoll, an independent research firm, in collaboration with Mindspace.
“Happiness makes people more productive. This may seem intuitive, but it’s also backed up by research: studies have found that worker productivity increases by approximately 12% for happier people.
What else is affected by happiness in the workplace? Happiness can increase creativity, people who are happier tend to stay at their jobs longer, and happy people help create a more positive work environment overall. Having happy employees is of real value to organizations,” says the study.
The survey lobbies for businesses to have employee happiness high on their agendas, “not just because it makes individuals happy, but because it’s beneficial for business.”
“It is known that people who are unhappy at work have a considerably negative effect on workplace culture. They spread their unhappiness throughout the office and create a work environment that’s detrimental to the business. Studies show that ‘toxic’ workers can cost businesses money (one study estimates the cost at $12,500.”
General outlook
The survey found out that most people are happy or very happy at work. People were asked if they were very happy, happy most of the time, not very happy, or not at all happy. Nearly 84% of respondents were happy or very happy. The average response was 3.2 (out of 4).
People in the US and the Netherlands are the happiest: 94% in the U.S. and 91% in the Netherlands.
In the middle range are Poland (83%), Germany (81%), and Israel (80%).
The least happy people overall are in the UK, with nearly 24% reporting being not very happy or not happy at all. This is compared to only 7% in the U.S and 9% in the Netherlands.
Who’s happier?
In general, men report being happier at work more than women do, across all countries.
The exception is in Poland, where women report being happier than men.
Across age ranges, millennials are significantly happier than people in their 40-50s (3.23 vs.
2.98 out of 4).
What about where you fall in the hierarchy of an organization? That matters, too. Managers and
business owners are happier than employees (45% of all managers vs. 27% of employees
report being happy).
73% of people who are self-employed are happy with their current work. This compares to just 25% of people employed by a company. That’s something employers should note, and see what they can do to make a difference.
People working in the creative and arts industries are the most satisfied (3.36 out of 4), while teachers are the least (2.96 out of 4). Considering that teachers are the foundation of our education systems and are preparing our future citizens and employees, this should be of real concern.
Not just to parents and communities, but for businesses, as well.
Flexibility at work
Flexibility at work is increasingly recognized as an important factor for employee happiness, and some companies are making significant efforts to offer flexible work options.
However, while the great majority of employees say they need more flexibility, many organizations are still not giving them the kind of flexibility they need. And it matters. Studies have shown that employee
performance and well-being thrive in flexible environments.
About 40% of people surveyed indicate their work day was flexible and they can come late or leave the office early. The U.S. leads in this area, with 30% of respondents saying that their work day is very flexible and they can come and go as they please. In Poland and Romania, only 7% of employees report the same.
Workplace culture
Environment matters. Everyone acknowledges that workplace culture can affect productivity and business results, but how does it affect happiness?
Less than 5% of employees find their workplace fun and exciting, and 15% find their workplace boring. In Romania, the difference is more stark: 2% of employees say their workplace is fun and exciting and 30% describe it as boring.