When running a business, it is important to keep team morale high in order to create a successful, productive workplace. There are lots of factors that can make an employee feel unhappy in their job, so as a business owner, it is important that your company is constantly making the effort to ensure that every member of their team feels confident and happy in their working life. Regardless of industry, there are a number of ways that every business can improve employee happiness and almost guarantee that they have a satisfied workforce-
Offer Regulated Breaks
Make sure that your employees are alert whilst sat at their desks working, or helping customers on the shop floor, by giving them an appropriate amount of breaks throughout their shift, or working day. Depending on how long they work during a day or week, and what type of work they do, depends on what kind of break your staff need. The law states that employees are legally entitled to a 20 minute break for every six hours of work, but this the minimum you should offer.
Giving your staff regulated breaks at spaced out intervals throughout the working day will have a positive effect on both their focus and happiness in regards to their job, so is ultimately beneficial to your company.
Make their working Environment Comfortable
If your staff are regularly on their feet in their job, make sure that you are providing a break room, or area, that has plenty of comfortable seats so they can properly relax before and after their shifts, and during breaks. Having a break room that contains basic kitchen utensils allows staff can prepare refreshments throughout the day.
Businesses that utilise an office space will also benefit from a break area, but it also important that their workspace is a comfortable working environment. Replacing old, worn office furniture with items that are specialised in comfort and functionality will benefit your staff. Ergonomic chairs will help reduce issues with health and stress, and clean office spaces with natural lighting and positive colour schemes will help promote productivity as well as help to improve an individual’s working happiness.
Focus on Pay
It is indisputable that the main reasons people work is to earn money, so making sure that your staff are paid correctly and regularly each month, or week, is essential to maintaining a happy workforce. When it comes to organising payroll, whatever the company size, it is best to keep control of outgoings, and stay within the law by outsourcing to a professional payroll bureau that offers complete payroll management.
A complete payroll service will work out employees’ tax and National Insurance contributions, but as a business owner, you may want to stay up to date with rising minimum wages and social factors to make sure that you are paying your staff a good salary.
Reward Excellence
Employee of the Month has become a cheesy, antiquated way of recognising excellence within a business, but is still one of the best ways to celebrate an individual’s hard work, and encourage members of staff to maintain or increase their levels of productivity. Providing an extra monetary reward, or even a gift item, can be a great monthly incentive for staff to put extra effort into their daily work.
At the end of the year, businesses may want to reward every member of staff for their continual focus by gifting them with an annual bonus and implementing clear pay schemes and promotional structure that will give staff a working incentive, whilst increasing their happiness.
About the Author: Beth Stubbings works for Trace Payroll. She thinks that ensuring that your workforce are happy will mean that your workplace is more productive.
