Being happy at work is something everyone wants. However, there are a variety of factors that determine who reaches workplace nirvana, including employee's age, gender and field.

In a recent comprehensive study, Robert Half surveyed more than 12,000 U.S. and Canadian workers to examine the key contributors to employee happiness.

Overall, the survey found that most professionals are generally happy. On a happiness scale of zero to 100, respondents scored a 71. Not surprisingly, results also found that employees who do not fit well with their employer are the most apt to leave. One-third of workers surveyed said they likely will leave their employer in the next six months. The survey also shed light on the top three drivers for workplace happiness, finding that having pride in one's organization is the top driver, being treated fairly and with respect is the second, and employee appreciation came in third.

“You’re only one yoga class away from a good mood,” says the lean but muscular yoga instructor, who encourages us to smile as she leads us through a flow of warrior poses. Natural light floods the room through wall-to-floor windows and a skylight that breaches the lofted ceiling. Acoustic folk songs streamfrom the sound system. As the instructor guides us to stand in mountain pose with spines tall and eyes closed, she prompts us to “find that stillness within.”

Though this seems like an upscale yoga studio, it’s not. It’s just an ordinary day at the GoPro corporate offices in Carlsbad, Calif. The half-dozen yogis that surround me are employees practicing asanas before their lunch break. GoPro, like other corporations steeped in millennial culture, has taken the route paved by Silicon Valley icons such as Google and Facebook in eschewing the old work-like-a-dog-until-you-retire (or die) ethic for a more holistic, healthful work ambiance. Productivity is still highly valued in this new corporate model, yet proponents believe that greater productivity is achieved when employees are healthier and happier.“

Remember when the office workday was simple? Everyone used to follow the same routine: Show up at 9, leave at 5, rinse, and repeat.

Those days are long gone, and they’re not coming back. Now, you might work 9 to 5, but you could also choose to work 7 to 3 or 11 to 7 and split your time between home and the office. Perhaps your supervisor flies in from New York to work at an unassigned desk a few times each month and some of your teammates only pop in sporadically because they’re telecommuters or freelancers.

We’re designing around the senses in the workplace. By looking at various stimuli, we can design to minimize distractions for a workforce. On the other hand, certain stimuli can actually improve productivity. We want to stimulate people, so they think differently. There could be a piece of art that draws your eye, either through texture or pattern, that helps you to think a little differently. It can create calm or prime your brain to function a little differently.

We see a big movement with clients to provide healthy food for staff. But instead of sugary snacks and sodas, organizations are stocking coconut water, spa water, teas, and low-sugar snacks. On a larger level, cafeterias with food service programs offer farm-to-table options for staff. Good food helps nourish the mind, so you can focus better.

Food also helps build relationships. We’re designing so people can share a meal together, build relationships, and do good work together.

Cafes in the workplace aren’t just tables and chairs anymore. We’re designing to support networks, relationships, and work. See some of the IA-designed micro kitchens Neil Schneider discusses here and here.

Via interiorarchitects.com >

A new report published by IZA World of Labor claims that a rise in workers’ happiness and wellbeing leads to an increase in productivity. The study from economist Dr Eugenio Proto, of the University of Warwick’s Department of Economics and Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) concludes that companies would profit from investment in their employees’ wellbeing. It cites the experience of large companies that have recently highlighted the importance of employee wellbeing in their company profiles. The authors claims that, until recently, evidence for a link between employee wellbeing and company performance has been sparse and that their own study shows a positive correlation between a rise in happiness and an increase in productivity. Proto believes  that finding causal links between employee wellbeing and company performance is important for firms to justify spending corporate resources to provide a happier work environment for their employees and that the available evidence suggests that companies can be encouraged to introduce policies to increase employee happiness.

Via workplaceinsight.net >