We’re all looking for ways to boost morale and increase productivity, and making the workplace a fun place is becoming a must for modern managers.
The It Pays to Play report, commissioned by people management software company BrightHR and leading business psychology firm, Robertson Cooper, shows a clear correlation between productivity and play.
It reveals that having fun at work - on a spectrum that includes everything from a spontaneous activity to more formal activities such as free massages or gaming zones - results in younger employees working longer and harder, and being less likely to take sick leave.
According to the research, the younger demographic are entering the jobs market with a belief that fun is central to their work happiness.
The research, which canvassed the views of SMEs across the UK, also found that employees taking part in fun activities in their organisation felt it had a positive effect on their mental wellbeing too.
Speaking about the findings, and the growing demands for fun from younger employees, co-author and psychology professor Sir Cary Cooper, said: “Work is no longer about getting the job done and then going home for your fun – younger generations want to enjoy their work too.”
Professor Cooper, who worked with BrightHR to produce the study, added that employers had to look at implementing change. He said: “Businesses must decide how to deal with a multi-generational workforce and how to educate their senior leaders, most of whom will be Baby Boomers or Generation X, about how the different expectations of Generation Y and Millennials.”