Salary is no longer king: Work-life balance now the top driver of happiness at work

Employees still ranked salary as their fifth top driver for work happiness.

Having a work-life balance is now what makes most employees happy with their organisations, data from PERSOLKELLY showed.

According to the report, five in 10 (51%) employees cited good work-life balance as the top factor affecting their happiness at work.

Competitive salary, meanwhile, came in fifth place, with 39% of employees citing it as a factor affecting work happiness.

Other factors driving employees’ work-life happiness are a safe and healthy environment (44%), feeling valued and recognised by superiors (41%) and the ability to provide their family with better living conditions and lifestyle (39%).

With the belief that each individual is responsible for their happiness at work, 49% of employees said they take the initiative to reach out to their managers at work to let them know what motivates them at work.

Unfortunately, one in five said their employees took no action after the discussion.

“Cultivating a workplace where employees thrive isn't just an aspiration; it's a strategic imperative,” said Francis Koh, CEO of PERSOLKELLY.