It's currently 10.46 pm for me, and I'm just getting round to doing my second job — which involves writing this article. I noticed, too late, that I'd been asked to cover the "International Week of Happiness at Work", which runs from September 29 to September 25. That window's closed now, by I decided to write about it anyway.
The International Week of Happiness at Work is, according to its creators, a Dutch initiative that focuses (clearly, yes?) on happiness at work. That's important, because we spend a lot of time working, and we'll be better people if we're happy while we do that. To this end, the creators of Happiness at Work week have created a manifesto.
If we all "take a step", it says, "we can make a big change", before asking readers if they are "in".
The manifesto is nothing more than a jumble of Gen Z-esque inspirational sayings that I, as an actual worker, have neither the time nor desire to read. There's something about creativity, and happiness at work being the most natural thing in the world, and something about being healthier when you're happy at work.
Work: Some Key Statistics
The average person spends 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime — which amounts to more than 10,000 consecutive years spent working, years in which you wouldn't be getting any sleep.
The International Labor Organization, a UN agency, estimates that 50 million people across the globe are engaged in some form of forced labor every day. Yet, just over half (55.8 percent) the the global working-age population was gainfully employed in 2022, indicating that far from everyone who needs a job has one.
Even in developed countries, most people who live below the poverty line are actually employed or otherwise working to earn money, and as an example, 22 percent of working households in London are living in poverty.
According to Gallup's annual State of the Global Workplace report:
- Only 22 percent of workers were able to live comfortably on their income.
- People do get burned out at work, but the reasons are rooted in material reality rather than vague spiritual-sounding reasons. People get burned out at work because they are treated unfairly in their workplace, including not earning enough money, because they are under pressure to do too much work in too little time, and because their managers have poor communication skills.
- Forty-four percent of workers reported feeling stressed at work every day. More of these workers were women than men.
- Sixty percent of workers report feeling "emotionally detached" at work. Nineteen percent said they were miserable.
What Makes Us Happy at Work?
Anyone with more time and more money — because, increasingly, important statistics are hidden behind paywalls — can find more meaningful recent statistics pertaining to happiness at work. Research has, however, uncovered general factors that make employees more likely to be satisfied at work:
- A competitive salary — which, just for the hell of it, I'll define as a "living wage", one which allows workers to meet at least their basic needs, and hopefully a little more.
- Other benefits, which include things like health insurance.
- Enough responsibility and autonomy to contribute in a meaningful way — in other words, we like to do interesting work, we like to have some control over the work we do, and we like it when the work we do has some broader purpose.
- Recognition — we feel valued for the work we do.
- Quantity — we have enough work that it's a challenge, but not so much that we feel overwhelmed.
- Job security — we can be reasonably sure that we'll still have a job tomorrow or, for example, next year.
- A safety working environment — our working environments are set up so that we can be reasonably sure that we'll be physically safe. This includes tools and things like proper ventilation.
Happiness at Work: Getting to the Bottom of the Problem
You'll notice that none of those factors have anything to do with the kinds of phrases you'll find in "inspirational sayings", or on generic posters (calling themselves manifestos) about happiness in the workplace.
No amount of rambling on about "meaningful work, healthy relationships, development, and having fun" will make that happen. The solutions to people being unhappy at work aren't found in generic statements, but in better pay, more time with the family, and a higher quality of life.
The Happiness at Work Manifesto isn't a manifesto at all, but a word salad completely devoid of meaning. Workers who want to find the key to being happy at work are more likely to find meaning in another workers' manifesto altogether — one published in 1848. That's because the key to being happy, at work and beyond, lies in a commitment to improved working conditions and not in a vague promise to do everything you can to make your employees feel good.
Or, to put it in "2022 speak", a work gym, a weekly yoga class, and a diversity seminar won't make you feel happy at work if you're not being paid enough for a boring job. Reading about the things happy people do every day (including petting your cat or declining to worry about the past) has more of an impact on your wellbeing than reading a happiness at work "manifesto".