A large majority of India’s workforce is not happy, finds a new survey — ‘Happiness at Work’. High stress and low work-life balance have taken a toll on workplace happiness in the post-pandemic world, finds the survey undertaken by House of Cheer, a media, entertainment and technology hub specialising in the space of content, happiness and well-being products and services.

The key insights were that 59 per cent of the workforce was unhappy. It also found that full time staff were happier than part time employees as the sense of belonging with the organisation was higher for the former. The preferred mode of work in respect to happiness at work was flexible (remote and hybrid) working. Also, while 45 per cent of men were happy at work, only 37 per cent of women were happy.

External factors

“While there isn’t a huge gap between the general well-being of men and women, it indicates a need to also pay attention to external factors such as pay and job positions that might be impacting the workplace happiness levels for women,” the report noted.

To gauge drivers of workplace happiness, a sample size of 1,360 Indian employees with representation from a varied set were surveyed. The survey studied general wellbeing, mental health, stress, work-life balance, turnover intent, autonomy, belongingness, and innovation at work as drivers of happiness.

“Lower workplace happiness can prompt employees to consider leaving their jobs, making happiness a salient concern in modern workplaces,” notes the report, pointing out how crucial it is for organisations to respond to modified employee needs, such as more autonomy over one’s work, better work-life balance, and a continued sense of belongingness despite remote work.

comment COMMENT NOW