A Happy Workplace Equals A Happy Life

By: Menna Haroun 

@MennaHaroun

The average person spends more than 90,000 hours of their lifetime at their workplace, said Business Insider, meaning that the work environment is likely to affect their lives as a whole whether positively or negatively. 

Workplace environment plays a major role in the performance, productivity and morale of its employees. Not only does it depend on the atmosphere of the place, but also on how it is perceived by the employees themselves. And we’ve all heard the advice, don’t take work home with you.

Director of the Career Advising and Campus Engagement Center (CAPS) Dalia Awad revealed that the effect of a certain workplace environment on its employees depends on a lot of factors.  

“For a workplace to be healthy, it has to promote wellbeing, so for example whoever is inside feels secure physically and emotionally and does not feel threatened that they could lose their job [at] any moment,” Awad said. 

Acknowledgment and recognition for work done also helps boost morale and job satisfaction, she said. And there should be a continuous possibility for development and promotion so the workers don’t feel stuck in their designated jobs.

Ahmed Abdel Azeem, a sales manager at Yacune agency for real estate, feels particularly proud of the work he does when he gets positive feedback from his superiors.

“My manager used to give me support and coaching whenever I needed it, so I felt that even though I exert a lot of effort for the sake of the company, the company offers me experiences that I can benefit from later on. This was a source of pleasure for me,” said Abdel Azeem. 

Abdel Azeem explained that he used to work in an agency which had the opposite effect on his wellbeing. Because of the toxic environment there, he did not feel appreciated enough; his boss was demanding and did not care about the employees, which affected his life greatly. 

“During my time at this agency, my mood was always off, I was always focused on how to achieve my target so they would not fire me. My social life was [going downhill] during that period,” Abdel Azeem said. 

Omar Yehia, psychiatry specialist at the Center for Student Wellbeing and assistant lecturer at the Psychiatry Department in the Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University, said that for a workplace to be healthy, it must comply to certain characteristics.

“I think that one of the aspects for a healthy job is that employees should know what their responsibilities and duties are, and that there are clear policies for each situation they will be facing,” Yehia explained. 

Yehia revealed that job descriptions, for example, should specify the objectives prospective employees seek, such as experience and development or appropriate wages, to ensure a sense of workplace gratification. 

Ahmed Mostafa, a senior specialist at the Center for Student Wellbeing, said that workplace health and satisfaction also depends on the relationships employees have with the people around them. 

“There should be real teamwork present and denial of  the self, as everyone is helping the other to fulfill the unified vision and goal for the place they belong to,” said Mostafa. 

He also mentioned that senior administrators should care about their employees and try to push them to achieve their targets at work in considerate and helpful ways.

This may be an idealized depiction of the workplace, a number of employees told The Caravan.

However, the actual physical characteristics and the workplace environment can have profound effects on an employee’s state of mind which spill over even after working hours are over, especially if they experienced discomfort.  

“Even when I go home, I keep thinking about my problems at work, which can lead to chronic stress as I am always worried about work. This makes me unable to enjoy my time with family and friends,” Yehia said.

Does the workplace always have to be foreboding?

No, said Awad who suggests that the human resources department can promote the employees’ wellbeing by allowing regular breaks and flexible hours.

A happy employee is a stress-free one, yet it is hard to stay relaxed all the time in a workplace, but there are some tips that can help in achieving that.

Forbes’ Mental Health Problems Need To Be Destigmatized In The Workplace—Here’s How To Do It says that for the wellbeing of their mental health, employees should avoid irregular work schedules and try to form positive relationships with the people around them as much as possible. 

For physical health purposes, the employees should move around and stretch their muscles every hour. Moreover, the article advised employees to consume less caffeine and sugar, and avoid nicotine as it can exacerbate the physical effects of stress.