As a provider in mental health, it is important to take care of employee well-being to offer the best care for our clients. This includes managing stress, being engaged in my work, and feeling a sense of purpose as these factors all help promote a sense of workplace happiness.

Are you or your employees feeling stressed out at work, disengaged, or generally dissatisfied? If so, it may be time to introduce some changes to implement workplace happiness.

Considering that the average person spends 1/3 of their life at work, or 90,000 hours working in their lifetime, that is a lot of time being unhappy!

Jessica Pryce-Jones, author of “Happiness at Work” identifies Five Keys to happiness-at-work.

• Contribution – the effort you make and your perception of it
• Conviction – the motivation and resilience you have whatever the circumstances
• Culture – how well you feel you fit
• Commitment – knowing you’re there for the duration
• Confidence – the level of self-belief you have

These five keys are viewed as interwoven. Other important factors Pryce-Jones identified included trust and pride in an organization and recognition from an organization. Workplace happiness includes a sense of achieving one’s full potential, maximining performance while also incorporating fun.

At CARE, our team “plays together and stays together” The annual retention rate sits at 94% (the national average is 40% in behavioral health)

What’s the secret of happy employees? Check these out to learn more.

• Incorporate fun events throughout the year. Laugh together!
• Encourage events that foster social connections outside the workplace for stronger team cohesion.
• Show you CARE. Be authentic and genuine.
• Greet others. Work to create a respectful inclusive culture.
• Use clear, open communication to build trust.
• Create teams to work through difficult work, get feedback/ ideas, and share success.
• Develop independence/ leadership within the organization.
• Encourage and offer personal and professional growth opportunities. Focus on wellness.
• Offer meaningful perks such as workplace flexibility for work-life balance and employee benefits.
• Create comfortable, inviting workspaces.
• Praise employees and provide public recognition; be consistent with these areas.
• Work towards a shared mission.
• Focus on the positives. Surround yourself with positive, talented people.

Written By: Charlotte Johnson MA, LPCC