CO-WORKERS, RESULTS AND RECOGNITION BOOST EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS

Posted on 28th April 2026

A survey of 2,000 employed UK adults, commissioned by HR, payroll and benefits software provider Ciphr, has found that most (88%) can name at least one thing about their job that makes them feel happy. The average across all employees is five things.

For many, the social relationships they have with others are often the biggest contributors to their happiness. At home that’s their family and friends, and at work it’s the people – their co-workers, teams and managers – they work with.

Over a third (36%) of employees said that having positive connections with their work colleagues makes them happiest. Seeing the results and impact of their work comes a very close second (36%).

Pay doesn’t even feature in the top five. Recognition (selected by 34% of respondents), purposeful work (34%) and job satisfaction or enjoyment (33%) are all more likely to make people happier at work than their salary and benefits (31%).

Other top drivers of employee happiness include having flexible working (28%), work variety (27%), autonomy (26%), and being part of a team (24%).

20 things that make people feel happy at work:

• Work colleagues / the people they work with (36% of survey respondents)
• Seeing the results of their work (36%)
• Being recognised for their work / the role they play at their organisation (34%)
• Doing purposeful / meaningful work (34%)
• They enjoy doing their job / the work they do (33%)
• Their salary and benefits (31%)
• Having flexible working, including remote or hybrid working, reduced or compressed hours, or flexitime (28%)
• Having variety at work (27%)
• Having work autonomy: some say or control over their workload, tasks and schedule (26%)
• Collaborating with others at work / being part of a team (24%)
• Working at home (23%)
• The company they work for, they like its employer brand, reputation, values, and workplace culture (21%)
• Being part of the positive impact that their company has on the community and/or environment (16%)
• Socialising with their colleagues outside working hours (16%)
• Helping to train or mentor other people / sharing their insights and experience (16%)
• Feeling challenged (15%)
• Working in an office / workplace with other people (15%)
• Receiving training and development, including coaching or mentoring (14%)
• Their work environment and location (13%)
• Their manager / boss (12%)

People were also asked how they felt about their work more generally. And it’s these results that highlight how people’s happiness – how often they feel happy – can influence how they view different aspects of their jobs.

Ciphr’s research suggests that ‘happier’ people tend to have a more positive outlook on their jobs and view their employee experience more favourably.

Employees who feel happy more often are significantly less likely to think about changing jobs, and more likely to find their work enjoyable, than employees who feel happy less often .

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of people who feel happy 20 days or more a month find their job fulfilling and engaging all or most of the time. Two-thirds (67%) think that their skills and experience are being fully utilised, and 63% feel that their views and opinions are listened to.

And the more employees like their work, the ‘happier’ they are. Over two-thirds (68%) of employees who said they enjoyed their job, feel happy 20 days or more a month.

In comparison, those who only feel happy 10 days or less a month reported significantly lower job satisfaction. Nearly half feel overworked (47%) and regularly think about leaving their jobs (44%). Just a third (35%) believe their skills are being fully utilised. And only 32% feel engaged.

The study also shows that different things make employees happy depending on the seniority of their job, and the industry they work in.

The top source of employee happiness for non-managers is their work colleagues (selected by 36% of those in non-management roles), followed by recognition and job satisfaction (33% each).

People working at middle management level or higher are the most likely to say that seeing the results of their work makes them feel happy (42% vs 30% of non-managers). They are also more likely to be happy with their salary and benefits (37% vs 26%) and are more likely to say that they like the company they work for (26% vs 17%).

The employees most likely to say that they enjoy their jobs are IT professionals (selected by 44% of respondents in this sector), followed by people working in social care (40%), healthcare (39%), education (38%), and accountancy, banking and finance (32%).

Outside of work, spending time with family and friends, relaxing and having financial security are what makes people feel happiest.

On average, people typically feel happy 18 days a month (so not just at weekends). And the older people get, the happier they are, it seems. One in six (18%) employees over 55 said they feel happy every day, compared to one in eight (12%) 45-54 year olds, and one in 11 (9%) employees under 45.

For more information visit www.ciphr.com.