According to research from Unum Provident, salary and benefits are the least important factors when determining overall job satisfaction among British workers.
Their study found that employees care more about the nature of their work, their workplace environment and working relationships. Most employees believe that salary is also less important than career progression, and their workplace culture.
The report showed that happy workers are less likely to have time off work due to sickness. Fifty one per cent of those who were completely happy with their jobs reported taking no time off sick in the past year, compared to the national average of 5.2 days. The average sickness absence of those who are dissatisfied with their jobs is 6.2 days.
Of those who were very satisfied with their jobs, 41% rated them as 'fairly stressful'. In contrast, of those who were very dissatisfied with their job, 23% said that it was 'not stressful at all'.
Our view
At we tend to agree with this and, as an example, try to give staff more holidays as 'bonuses' rather than just offering simple pay review and financial incentives.
Work to live not live to work!