Have you ever wondered how many hours full-time workers spend at work in the UK? Recent statistics show that the average weekly hours were 36.7 as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
That’s around 22% of the week, and as CEO, you must ensure your employees look forward to it instead of counting the hours until they clock off. You’ll get increased productivity and a much more positive environment, and in turn, they’ll feel valued and motivated to do their best.
Below are seven surefire ways to boost staff happiness, followed by how to measure employee satisfaction to make sure you’re on the right track!
Tip 1: Keep Your Staff Driven With Incentives
Aside from salary increases at previously agreed-upon milestones, incentives go a long way in showing appreciation. They also boost morale and company loyalty – two strong keys to low turnover.
Did you know that the average turnover for employees in the UK is 34%? This is one of the reasons managers should do their best to show gratitude for their staff in various forms.
While financial bonuses are always welcome, other examples of workplace incentives include:
Extra personal days
Fewer work hours
More flexibility (remote work, hybrid schedules, etc.)
Tip 2: Provide Work-Life Balance
Your employees shouldn’t feel pressured by their workloads to the point of carrying that weight beyond work hours. Even if they don’t have tasks to finish at home, if their work day is bursting with assignments, they’ll be mentally occupied with them later.
To steer clear of this scenario, have honest conversations with your staff about their responsibilities. Listen to their feedback until you come to an agreement that works for you both.
Similarly, don’t lean on certain employees more than others, even if you think they’re more capable. If you keep giving them heavier workloads and more challenging tasks, they’ll soon suffer from burnout.
Instead, invest in training every member of your team so that they have sufficient skills for their positions.
Tip 3: Offer Wellbeing Programmes
Since occupational burnout and stress can affect the mood in the workplace and hinder productivity, you need to prioritise staff wellbeing. Depending on your budget, here are ways to show your employees you care about their physical and mental health:
Host health-related seminars.
Provide subscriptions to wellness apps or tools.
Offer paid mental health days.
Make sure your workplace culture is mental health-friendly.
Think about providing an on-site gym (or gym memberships).
Tip 4: Be Generous With Trust
With countless toxic companies promoting the idea that trust should be earned and not simply given, you’ll want to stand out. Reassure your team that you trust them with their responsibilities, and your actions should reflect the sentiment.
For one, refraining from micromanaging proves your confidence in their abilities. At the same time, you’ll avoid other worrisome effects of micromanaging, according to a Psychology Today article:
Destroys your employees’ autonomy
Hinders creativity, which can limit success
Transforms tasks into mere chores, instead of areas of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking
Another way to display trust is by actively working on your employees’ suggestions and ideas. Show that you’re confident in their judgement, pitch in your own improvements, and watch their creativity grow further.
Similarly, take any concerns they raise seriously, and be transparent about the methods you’re using to solve their problems. Your follow-through will display respect for their worries and mean you care.
Tip 5: Make Your Employees Feel Heard
Reinforce the idea that feedback is needed and that transparent communication is part of your company culture. By creating a safe space for everyone to speak their mind, you’ll foster deeper connections and a sense of purpose.
Employee engagement is serious; a 2025 Telegraph article claims more than 90% of Brits are disengaged at work. Many workers have reported daily feelings of sadness or anger in the workplace.
Keeping these insights in mind, you’ll be able to come up with more ways to boost staff happiness and engagement.
Tip 6: Encourage Socialisation
Part of making your staff proud that they work for your enterprise has to do with your socialisation efforts. Connecting outside work leaves a lasting impact. It makes work hours a seamless extension of your staff’s personal lives instead of a separate area.
How do you build stronger relationships within your team?
Suggest weekend activities (going running or walking, a camping event, picnics, etc.).
Have lunch or dinner together after work.
Go on coffee breaks.
Consider group volunteer work.
Create virtual game nights.
Dedicate a chat group to your staff where you share jokes, weekend plans, personal achievements, etc.
Most importantly, remind your employees that socialisation events are voluntary so that they don’t feel pressured into participating. Also, as the manager, be an essential part of such activities, instead of only suggesting or planning them.
Tip 7: Don’t Underestimate the Power of an Inclusive Team
A team with people from multiple backgrounds, religions, genders, ages, and ethnicities is an advantage to your business. Your staff should feel comfortable being who they are and expressing their ideas at work.
Because of the different experiences, you’ll always get new, innovative perspectives on professional situations. You’ll also get rid of natural biases that most people have, further building trust and a tight relationship between your employees.
Some ways to foster a diverse work environment are:
Establishing anti-discrimination policies
Using inclusive language when addressing your staff
Perfecting your leadership skills
Having regular all-team meetings
Offering diversity and inclusion training
How to Properly Measure Staff Happiness
Are the methods you’re using to boost your staff happiness enough? Do you need to make adjustments? This section helps you find out if your efforts are effective.
Step 1: Create an Employee Survey
Go for the straightforward approach and conduct a survey (it could be anonymous) to measure satisfaction in the workplace. When building the survey, you can include a mixture of “yes or no” questions as well as ratings on a scale of 1 to 10.
Questions can be about work-related decisions, tasks, and how different aspects of the workplace are managed. Encourage honesty and include a field where your employees can express their opinions or write suggestions in more detail.
Step 2: Look at Customer-Related Metrics, Too
Part of understanding if your team is truly invested in what they’re doing is reviewing customer feedback as well. If your services lead to an overall positive customer experience, it means your team is passionate about the company’s success.
Client reviews and testimonies are great ways to measure your employees’ performance.
Step 3: Check How Often Employees Skip Work
Skipping work repeatedly is an alarming sign that an employee isn’t engaged or willing to put in the effort to show up. It can also point to personal struggles or mental health issues.
If you find a high absenteeism pattern, especially if it’s a trend among all employees, you should take a stand. Conduct one-on-one meetings and find out their reasons for skipping work.
Based on what you find, even if the cause is personal, you can follow one or several of the tips above to help the affected personnel.
Step 4: Ask About Mental and Physical Well-being
Aside from a work-related survey, another health-specific one could give you huge insight into your staff’s wellness levels.
Through questions about mental and physical health, you’ll understand if there are ways to improve the workplace experience.
The gesture itself might resonate with your staff, making them feel important beyond their professional roles.
Step 5: Monitor Turnover Rates
Turnover data speaks volumes about what your work environment is like. If the work culture is inclusive and safe, encourages growth, and shows gratitude, the staff will be less likely to leave.
This level of loyalty keeps turnover rates low, and vice versa. As a manager, always check retention statistics to find out if company policies or procedures need changing.
Have you ever wondered how many hours full-time workers spend at work in the UK? Recent statistics show that the average weekly hours were 36.7 as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
That’s around 22% of the week, and as CEO, you must ensure your employees look forward to it instead of counting the hours until they clock off. You’ll get increased productivity and a much more positive environment, and in turn, they’ll feel valued and motivated to do their best.
Below are seven surefire ways to boost staff happiness, followed by how to measure employee satisfaction to make sure you’re on the right track!
