Would you believe it if we told you there is a word for happiness at work? Yes, it is true and the word is Arbejdsglæde. The concept and the word both have Scandinavian origins (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) and they are the only ones who actually have a word for ‘happiness at work’. Arbejde meaning work and glæde meaning joy or happiness. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Danish people are not only considered as some of the happiest people in the world but they are also considered as some of the happiest employees in the world. Why? Because they have Arbejdsglæde. Basically, they look forward to their jobs because it energises them and don’t feel exploited, and most importantly, they are excited to be back on Mondays. How is it possible, right?
In India, the concept is yet to catch on.
Try saying, I did not enjoy work today, in front of people, out loud. Most of them will respond saying, but you don’t go to work to have fun, you are not supposed to enjoy work, you are supposed to finish it.
Some people might argue about higher compensation, more perks and bonuses do add to employee’s happiness. But think about it, are higher salaries making us happier? They sure motivate us to slog more and be available for work for longer hours but are they giving us true satisfaction of working?
Here is where the disparity is drastically visible. An Indian corporate employee spends around 8-9 hours a day at work on average. In fact, research suggests, on average, our jobs take up to 13 years of our life, which is more time than we spend with friends, family, and on hobbies in a lifetime!
So no, money won’t make us happy at work. Because it can never replace emotional well-being and an encouraging positive environment. Ever heard of more money equals more ideas or more productivity?
”To go by the words of Alexander Kjerulf, a workplace happiness expert, there are mainly two factors leading to happiness at work – Results and Relationships.”
Now let’s think about it.
Result – If you like what you do and regularly come up with good ideas to solve problems and ensure results, then you are happy at work.
Relationships – If you have an enthusiastic bunch of colleagues and bosses, you like working with, you spend quality time with them and make each other feel good when it comes to working, you are happy at work.
Happy employees are 13% more productive than their not-so-happy colleagues. This data is crucial for founders, corporates, and HR professionals.
In the era of work from home, employees’ mental and emotional well-being is also a responsibility of the employers. Are they stressed at work? Are they overworking? Are they being burdened by unrealistic expectations? These are the questions employers, HR professionals have to ask and figure out the answers.
The Danes have cracked the code to happiness at work with these policies and strategies around Arbejdsglæde. And even if we can’t incorporate these strategies into the Indian corporate culture right away, we can start thinking about them.
Limited work hours
On average, Danes work around 1408 hours throughout the year. But while they are working, they don’t take breaks often or spend time chit-chatting and socializing with colleagues. Their aim is to finish the work with due diligence and go back to their family and friends.
Low power distance
This concept brings the ideas and styles of the employees to the forefront. Seldom, employees are given instructions and tight deadlines to finish their tasks. Instead, an idea is thrown in the air and employees make it better with their inputs and then execute it. The power distance between the employee and the decision-makers is very low.
Constant training and development
Employers there believe in upskilling as a lifetime investment in their employees. In the ever-changing work environment, when employees get training and support to hone their skills and come up with better output, it’s a win-win situation for employers and employees.
Keep It Hygge intends to work with HR professionals and founders to come up with practical solutions to the happiness at work puzzle. If you want to share your opinions, contribute to the initiative or work with us to create happier workspaces, do head to this page!
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