Ireland Drops One Place To 14th In The World Happiness Report - Can Employers Do More To Increase Happiness? 

You may or may not have seen it mentioned in the news yesterday that Ireland is the 14th Happiest Country in the World in 2023 – according to the World Happiness Report.

This is fantastic news for our wonderful country and its people!

However, we dropped one place on 2022, where we were 13th. This isn’t hugely concerning, but could it be the start of a worrying trend?

Here are the key measures that countries in the top 20 scored well on:

•      Healthy Life Expectancy
•      GDP Per Capita
•      Social Support
•      Low Corruption
•      Generosity In The Community

Who Is The Happiest Country In The World?

Finland was the no.1 happiest country in the World for the 6th year in a row! What are they doing right for their people?

Finland has a very strong culture of trust and transparency, which leads to extremely low levels of corruption and high levels of social cohesion and “doing the right thing”.

There is also a huge emphasis on education. With one of the highest-quality education systems in the World, there is a strong sense of lifelong learning and personal growth for all of Finland’s people.

One of Finland’s strongest attributes is it’s focus on a healthy work-life balance. There are 25 days of annual paid leave, required by law, while most companies allow more than this. There is a strong culture of valuing leisure time.

When we look at the Top 10 countries in the Happiness Report, we can see a lot of similarities;

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Israel
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Norway
8. Switzerland
9. Luxembourg
10. New Zealand

What can employers do to ensure Ireland improves it's happiness rating?

Here are 3 ways you can start today!

1. Emphasis on Work-Life Balance

Employees aren’t robots. Motivation is a key factor in an individual’s performance at work. This motivation can take many forms and can be found in many areas of an employee’s life. Motivation in the job itself can be improved with performance appraisals, bonuses, and overall recognition of their work.

Promoting a healthy work-life balance is also key. Ensure that your staff are taking their paid leave, they aren’t constantly working longer hours than they need to.

Of course, there are always going to be times where everyone is asked to go above and beyond their duties, but when you ask an employee to constantly “go to the well” for you, you will see a decline in motivation.

Here are 3 easy tips to promote a healthy work-life balance for your staff;

•      Set boundaries – No work calls or emails during personal time
•      Promote self-care
•      Recognition – show that you see the work of the employee

2. Promote Mental Health

Mental health has affected everyone at some stage of their lives, either directly or indirectly.

While there has been a strong push in Ireland around promotion of mental health, there is still a lot we can do on an individual level.
Recognising that mental health encompasses many forms and facets is a good start. While many of us normally associate mental health issues with depression, there are many other issues that affect people everyday.

Anxiety, stress, burnout, PTSD, eating disorders, addiction, personality disorders, and postpartum disorders are common issues that many workers face silently.

Here are 8 ways you can promote a strong mental health culture in the workplace;

•      Be available - make yourself available to your employees, even when you're busy! 
•      Start the conversation - Don't wait for your staff to come to you, instead, you take the initiative!
•      Ask Twice - Always follow up if asking if your employee is OK!
•      Make confidentiality key - ensure that your staff know that they can speak to you in confidence.
•      Involve your employees - Don't take all the burden yourself. Ask your staff for their feedback on what more can be done to promote mental health. 
•      Use a check-in scale - Instead of asking "How are you?". Give your staff a happiness scale form 1-10 to help them show if there is anything wrong, without having to outwardly say it.
•      Show compassion & empathy - Be compassionate in general. If your staff are talking about their struggles, show empathy for their problems and follow up with them in the following days to make sure everything is OK. 
•      Lead by example - Your staff will be more likely to open up to someone they feel has vulnerabilities too. Don't be afraid to show a vulnerable side. After all, you will feel all the same effects that your staff do! 

3. Promote Overall Health

The overall health of your workforce is key to a happy company.

If there is a rise in absenteeism, there needs to be a reason and it is up to you to identify it and find a resolution.

There are several ways you can promote a healthy workplace:

•      Encourage physical activity
•      Provided healthy food options
•      Health-related incentives
•      Regular health check-ins
•      Education and training
•      Create a supportive culture
•      Ensure everyone is working pain-free
•      Provide the correct equipment

While Ireland does have a good happiness rating overall, we can still improve our ranking further.

This starts with us on an individual level. Promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace is a crucial step in an overall happy nation.
You can start today!

What do you think about Ireland being 14th in the World Happiness Report?

Are there any special things that you do in the workplace that could help other companies?

Get in touch - enquiries@kos.ie