According to a new report by health and performance expert GCC (www.gettheworldmoving.com), happy employees are more productive at work. The company found the link after surveying employees from 500 organisations in 70 countries. It says: “Happiness is critical for productivity and talent retention. It is not a job perk or something that is just nice to have.”

Olivia Sackett, a data scientist who worked on the GCC Insights report, said: “The connection is clear: happy employees are high-performing employees. Leaders who understand this and initiate happy habits — like reflection, gratitude and mindfulness — can reap the rewards from a more productive workforce.” However, she added that the modern work-place seems to be “stifling happiness, not promoting it”.

GCC chief medical officer David Batman said: “Negative emotions can damage a business’s bottom line. Managers need to remember that an employee’s psychological health can impact their physical health. This may manifest itself through stomach and heart complaints, backache and headaches. In turn, these may lead to reduced performance, increased absence and high levels of staff turnover.

“We urge employers to look for signs of discontent long before employees spiral into resignations. Inter-personal relationships often provide key insights into whether staff are happy or not, so leaders should look around their teams. If there’s a continual lack of collaboration, or if there’s tension and conflict, these may be signs that all is not well. Showing gratitude and saying ‘thanks’ may seem like small things, but our findings show that they add up to a big difference.”