What makes a happy office?

Allowing employees to listen to music or ordering lunch for everyone on a foul weather day will keep office morale high.

By

Chad Brooks, BusinessNewsDaily

Thu, Aug 16 2012 at 3:36 PM

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Green Business, Green Jobs

Leader with his successful team discussing in conference room

Photo: Yuri Arcurs/Shutterstock

Social media, appreciation, music and communication are all aspects of happy office, according to new research.

Based on previous research, Internet fax services firm Metrofax compiled the anatomy of a happy office, which they say key in improving morale and productivity in the workplace.

According to Metrofax, aspects of a happy office include:

Give Them Time: Make sure the office is orderly and efficient; cut down on meeting times and have meetings standing up or before lunch to move them along.
Let Them Use Social Media: Past research has shown that a 10-minute Facebook breaks helps employees become more productive, healthier and happier.
Let Them Listen to Music: A recent survey shows the majority of businesses found that music in the office increased employee morale and improved the atmosphere.
Communicate Constantly: To mitigate fear and concern, overcommunicate with employees. Keep them informed about the company's position, how it plans to advance and its overall vision.
Rainy Days: Since research has shown that employees tend to be angrier and sadder on gloomy days, play a television show in the break room, order in lunch or plan indoor team-building activities to combat those negative feelings.
Appreciate Employees: Even if you can't offer financial rewards, there are some other simple ways of showing appreciation, including providing food for the office, thanking specific staff members after a job well done and sending out handwritten notes of thanks after big projects.