The Royal Wedding ‘feel-good’ factor will, according to psychologists, be a fairly short-lived boost to the nation’s sense of wellbeing – with some predicting that by the time everyone got back to work on Tuesday 3 May, it would all have evaporated.
Dr Andrew Kuczmierczyk from City University London says that for many people (mostly women) the nuptials are like a fairy tale they might like to live themselves and it’s a positive event – “not least because it’s an extra day off.”
He adds: “The fact that people actually get together in communities is a very positive aspect of it” and likens this to a positive version of the spirit of the Blitz. “Like in the wartime when they pull together and help each other out, I think there is an aspect of community coming together for events like this - be it in tragedy or in what one might see as a positive, happy event. People get together so the feel good factor is not just a personal, but a communal one. That obviously has an impact on mood."[1]
Lots of people took part in street parties, boosting the sense of community spirit
Although employees do not have a statutory right to public holidays,[2] never mind extra ones, most employers were flexible about allowing the time out to watch the festivities and female office chat is still themed with comments on Sarah Burton’s overnight fame as having designed That Dress, and the dominance of Philip Treacy in the hat stakes.
People from across the world flocked to the streets of London to celebrate the Royal Wedding
With the next opportunity for collective national happiness some way off – the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee a year away, what can employers do to ensure their teams don’t come down to earth with a bit of bump if they haven’t already?
Suggested motivation solutions
Iain McMath, managing director of Sodexo Motivation Solutions[3] suggests ten ways to keep those post-wedding blues at bay:
1) Flexible working: Flexible working hours can be a great way to keep employees engaged with the company. Being able to take care of children or the ability to work from home can make all the difference in allowing employees to have a good work-life balance. A happy employee is a productive one, and employees are likely to go that extra mile for a company that has shown itself to be flexible and understanding.
2) Company events: Company get-togethers encourage team bonding and are great motivators. This could be as small as a glass of wine in the office or as diverse as cultural outings or obstacle courses.
3) Affordable non-cash incentives: Non-cash incentives can be significantly more affordable and more effective in motivating staff than simple cash rewards. Incentive scheme providers report that organisations spending the equivalent of just 3% of their annual salary budget on non-cash incentives see a more noticeable improvement in staff motivation than those spending 20% of their annual salary budget on cash bonuses. Employees are motivated by money-off vouchers or coupons – they appreciate their flexibility and welcome the autonomy to choose how they are spent.
4) Keep it exciting: A useful tip which is often overlooked is to change the incentives on offer frequently to keep them fresh and exciting and to run short term ‘one-off’ offers to encourage bursts of effort at critical times.
5) Set manageable target: Employers should establish and manage targets. In order to sustain morale and increase productivity, targets must always be set at a level which is challenging, yet achievable. Despite best intentions and no matter how appealing the incentives on offer, if targets are unachievable the workforce will become disenchanted and de-motivated.
6) Its all about timing: The greatest productivity is gained when the desired behaviour is rewarded immediately and unexpectedly rather than waiting for traditional times such as Christmas, when bonuses are expected regardless of effort demonstrated.
7) Understand the different staff members: Employers should be aware that different employees will be motivated by different things. Whilst the older workforce might place childcare vouchers high on their wish lists, younger members of staff may well respond better to subsidised gym memberships, company nights out or retail vouchers. Understanding these differences is central to successfully motivating staff.
8 Childcare vouchers: By running a childcare voucher scheme, employers save on Employer National Insurance Contributions and enable employees to save on tax and National Insurance Contributions.
9) Listen to the staff: In order to motivate staff, employers need to be aware of the troubles and desires of their employees in order to respond to these. This can be done in company meetings when staff are allowed to voice their grievances, by using an anonymous survey or by simply having a feedback box.
10) Encourage a feel good factor: Company-wide charity initiatives can be a very effective way of promoting unity and motivation staff. Supporting a charity with associated events, be it running a marathon or helping out one day a month can give staff a great sense of achievement and common purpose, adding a feel-good factor to the day to day routine of the office.
[1] www.webmd.boots.com/news/20110428/have-you-got-the-royal-wedding-feel-good-factor
[2] www.employmentdocuments.com/store/news/18/A-Royal-Wedding-%E2%80%93-what-does-it-mean-for-employers%3F.html
[3] http://www.sodexmotivationsolutions.com