What is a Good Day At Work

What is
a Good Day
At Work?
Wellbeing, expectations
and experiences of work

Foreword
Introduction
Good Day At Work—initial research
Are people having a Good Day At Work?
The findings—people, expectations and misunderstandings
What people think creates a Good Day At Work
What actually makes a Good Day At Work
Banking: wellbeing and a Good Day At Work
Understand your people—the four ‘modes’ of workers
Raising peoples’ expectations of work
Conclusion
Recommendations for organisations wanting to create change
References
About us
1
4
6
8
10
16
20
24
27
30
Contents
31

Foreword
By Sir Cary Cooper and Paul Barrett
Workplace wellbeing—the state of being happy,
healthy, safe and prospering at work—has been
explored in various lights for decades.
The partnership between Robertson Cooper and
the Bank Workers Charity (BWC) has allowed us
to continue to shed light on wellbeing, look to the
future and at the changing scope of wellbeing for
UK workers.
We are currently navigating an uncertain political
and economic landscape; within which lies a
rapidly changing working world where people are
integrating their home and work lives. In this context,
it is timely that we explore people’s expectations
and experiences of work.
Our new research into, ‘What is a Good Day At
Work’, identified what actually creates good days
for people. We uncovered significant discrepancies
around what people currently think it takes to have a
good day at work and the actual realities.
What our research tells us is that a good day at work
isn’t determined exclusively by what happens in the
workplace, it is also affected by factors occurring in
people’s personal lives.
Organisations that really are
competitive and ahead of the game
know that wellbeing is not an ‘after-
thought’ or a ‘nice-to-have’, but as
integral to their business’ success as,
say a finance or IT strategy. Our new
research allows us to see where we
need to head as a society to ensure
people are at the heart of HR and
wellbeing strategies, creating more
good days at work.
Sir Cary Cooper CBE
Good Day At Work President
Founding Director, Robertson Cooper
Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health
University of Manchester
1

Foreword
What we are hoping to achieve with our new
research is widespread education. And more than
that, raised awareness and a change of mindset
around wellbeing which creates positive long-term
impact for both employer and employee.
We are seeing more organisations identifying the
need to join up their wellbeing work with their
business priorities to create real and sustainable
change for all of their people. This is excellent but
in order to achieve societal-level changes, all, not
just some organisations need to know that the
wellbeing of their people is inextricably linked to
their underpinning business goals.
As well as examining what a good day at work looks
like, we explored how people and organisations can
work together to create more of them.
Both Robertson Cooper, through our Good Day At
Work mission, and BWC want all employees to have
a sense of purpose and for work to be somewhere
people are happy, healthy and productive.
It’s about time we stepped-up and changed as a
society to factor people into the heart of business.
When we spend so much of our lives in work, why
shouldn’t it be possible for people to have more
good days there?
2
We know that a positive experience
of work is good for our health and
wellbeing. The great news is that
innumerable studies have shown
that it’s also good for businesses, who
performbetterwhentheirworkforceis
healthy and happy. The fact is, everyone
benefits if we can get this right.
Paul Barrett
Head of Wellbeing, Bank Workers Charity

Did you have
a Good Day
At Work?

Introduction
‘Did you have a
good day at work?’
A question that (for all of us at some point of our
lives) goes to the heart of our happiness, purpose
and identity.
It is a simple question—but it’s linked to a broad
concept of employee wellbeing which includes
physical and mental health, job satisfaction and
personal development.
Workplace, or employee wellbeing is a growing
priority in business, and in society as a whole. In
2010, the UK government started the ‘Measuring
National Well-being’ programme (Cameron, 2010).
This programme developed and published wellbeing
statistics for the UK. This not only helped to shape
public policy around health, but also helped people
to understand and monitor wellbeing in a bid to help
make work a place where more people thrive.
Not only is understanding wellbeing conducive to a
happy and healthy society but it also has significant
links to business priorities.
Take productivity. We know that people who are
happy, healthy and connected at work are more
productive. Previous research we have done with
one of our clients found people with low wellbeing
estimated that they were productive only 67% of
the time. While those with high wellbeing estimated
that they were productive at work 87% of the time.
Such a productivity difference would have serious
bottom line consequences and shows how wellbeing
can impact the competitiveness and success of an
organisation.
We are navigating a changing working world,
which means wellbeing at work is more important
than ever—it is the way we can ensure people are
positive and connected at work. But the playing
field has changed—with the expectations around
workplace types and working patterns changing
drastically, it can be challenging to raise and maintain
organisational wellbeing.
Our lifestyles, shifting societal expectations and
factorsinfluencingourexpectationssuchasadvances
in technology, mean that more and more people are
working in a way that suits them. For many, the nine
to five world is becoming obsolete. The economic
and political sphere in which we are all functioning
is changing. Brexit has forced UK businesses to
re-evaluate where they and their industry sit in a
changing global business environment.
The wellbeing landscape is changing too.
During the last few decades much progress has been
made in this space—for example, many organisations
are focusing on peoples’ health, and measuring and
increasing engagement. But too often these changes
have been made in isolation, have not been ongoing,
and focus on activity rather than on behavioural and
culture change.
Wellbeing, instead of being embedded in an
organisation’s culture, has frequently been reduced
to a five-step action plan imposed by management
on a sceptical workforce. Or we see wellbeing
programs often only engaging the ‘worried well’—
those who are already actively managing their health
and wellbeing.
In order to truly make wellbeing work, programmes
4

need to deliver sustainable change in everyone’s
mindset—this is a big challenge for business.
The focus should be about changing your
organisation’s culture—ensuring your organisation
has embedded wellbeing at its core and that all
people are empowered to take responsibility for their
own wellbeing. Also important is taking the ‘whole
person’ into consideration—looking at people’s lives
and wellbeing beyond the office walls.
Cultural change though, is a perennial challenge for
organisations. Easy to talk about but hard to do.
To really make change and see a difference, there
needs to be mutual trust between employer
and employee. Organisations need to use easily
understood and accessible language when talking
about wellbeing in order to engage more people.
At Robertson Cooper we’ve been thinking about
how we develop an approach that really makes
wellbeing and resilience (recovering from set-backs)
something that everyone can understand and
access. That’s how the concept of a Good Day At
Work (GDAW) was born.
It’s a simple concept that has the power to change
peoples’ lives—a national movement that aims to
make wellbeing a part of everyday working life.
Our mission is to create more good days at work for
everyone, everywhere.
This is a goal mirrored by our partners the Bank
Workers Charity (BWC). BWC plays an important
role in building and maintaining levels of wellbeing
among the UK’s banking population, and has a
committed interest in creating more good days for
bank workers.
Together, we want to improve the wellbeing of
all individuals and organisations. We believe that
this ongoing mission could have huge benefits for
employees, employers, and society.
Introduction
5

That are able to think incisively
and make considered decisions
With a positive attitude to work.
Andaremoreresilient.
All this can lead to
important business goals
suchasbetterhealthand
safetyoutcomes,lowersickness
ratesandpresenteeism,
andimprovedproductivity
A more creative
and productive workforce.
Whoarebetteratcollaboratingwith
colleagues suppliers
customers
Bringing change to life…
Starting with research to
shape this new space.
To start our mission on creating more good days at
work, we’ve carried out research to define ‘What is
a Good Day At Work’ and outline our manifesto for
how we can create more of them.
The research surveyed 1,500 UK adults in the
private and public sector. One in three of the people
surveyed worked in banking, giving an in-depth
insight into one of the UK’s most important and fast-
changing sectors.
Our research in this report fills in important gaps
about employee wellbeing, reveals how scarce good
days at work are for many people, suggests reasons
and influencers for this and reveals an innovative
new theory for understanding people’ expectations
of work.
Comparing and contrasting the findings from
respondents within the banking sector to those in
the general population allowed us to gain insight into
the different workplace experiences, expectations
and drivers of bank workers and non-bank workers.
Importantly, we also explored how employers
can foster working environments that are more
conducive to positive wellbeing.
Educating people and creating the right
environment for them to thrive can have a wide
range of benefits including:
6

43% 57%
Non-bank workers
Gender
Age
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 64+ 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 64+
8%
21%
24%
27%
13%
6%
Average: 43
Education
1 %Still in education
45%Secondary education
40%University education
13%Higher university
37% 63%
Bank workers
Breakdown of respondents
Gender
Age
3% 1%
15%
27%
35%
18%
Average: 45
Education
0%Still in education
39%Secondary education
42%University education
18%Higher university
FEMALE MALE FEMALE MALE
* Percentages have been rounded down to the nearest whole number
7

Are people
having a Good
Day At Work?

Our research paints a mixed
picture of the UK workforce.
On the plus side, 68% of people we surveyed said
that they enjoy their job and 63% find their work
stimulating. But our research also suggests what
many HR Directors and employees may have long
suspected. We could be doing much better.
People in the UK say that on average, only 3.07 out
of five days at work are good ones. This is higher
than bank workers who have 2.82 out of five good
days. Ten per cent of people we surveyed didn’t have
even one good day out of five.
Looking at the overall happiness levels and how work
affects this, one in four of both bank workers and the
general population (27%) said that work makes them
unhappy.
Bank workers were slightly less likely to say they
enjoyed their job or that it makes them happy.
However, they were slightly more likely to say that
their work is stimulating.
On average most people (both banking and non-
banking) are happy at work, enjoy their job and find
it stimulating. While this is the case, most people
spend only a little more than half of the week having
good days at work. The remaining time they spend
at work is not good—the next section talks about
why this is.
Are people having
a Good Day At Work?
Expectation vReality
In general people expect
to have 3.64 good days
but actually have 3.07
Bank workers expect to
have 3.72 good days but
actually have 2.82
ENJOY
68% of people say they
enjoy their job
66% of bank workers
say they enjoy their job
The big 5!
have 5 good days
12% of bank workers say
they have 5 good days
Stimulating
find their job stimulating
65% of bank workers
find their job
stimulating
Brings me down
27% of people say work
brings them down
27% of bank workers say
work brings them down
Not even 1!
10% of workers don’t
have even one good
day at work per week
57% of people say work
makes them happy
55% of bank workers
say work makes
them happy
HAPPY
9

The findings—people, expectations
and misunderstanding
Understanding your people
is the key to creating real
momentum in your workplace.
Crucially for HR Directors, their boards, and their
people, our research on all sectors in the economy
uncovered a widespread misunderstanding about
what actually creates a good day at work.
This lack of understanding is a contributing factor to
the UK workforce’s wellbeing levels.
We found discrepancies between what people think
creates good days at work and what our research
shows actually creates a good day at work.
What people think creates
a Good Day At Work
People we surveyed thought that the key to a good
day at work was completing tasks (33%), having
fewer obstacles preventing them from completing
their tasks, such as bureaucracy and unreasonable
requests by their managers (22%), and positive work
relationships (18%). Minimal differences were found
between non-bank workers and bank workers.
Non-Bank workers Bank workers
Overall achievement of
their work objectives
33% 32%
Positive work
relationships
18% 20%
Fewer obstacles in
the way of achieving
their objectives
22% 19%
a Good Day At Work
10

Interestingly, our findings show that people didn’t
think non-task factors like work-life balance, and rest
and recovery during their day influenced whether
they had a good day at work.
The findings—people, expectations and misunderstanding
Work-life balance
5% 6%
Time for lunch
1% 1%
Fresh air during
the day
1% 1%
Non-Bank workers Bank workers
a Good Day At Work
11

What is a
good day at
work for you?
Feeling on top of
workload, feeling I have
achieved something.”
“
Not getting unreasonable
and stupid requests by
senior management.”
“

What actually makes a Good Day At Work
Our research showed people’s view of a good
day at work is very task-focused. Getting work
done is important, of course, but our research
suggests that key influencers of people having
a good day at work are actually linked to
their physical and emotional energy state.
This means feeling like you have
enough physical and emotional
energy to meet the demands of
your role.
It’s well known that physical energy is impacted by
factors like getting enough sleep and exercise, a
healthy diet and taking time out to rest and refocus.
Having enough physical energy for work is just as
important as having enough emotional energy to
manage the day-to-day pressures we face. Emotional
energy is about someone having the chance to
regularly experience positive emotions. This includes
a sense of achievement and pride, the sense of
purpose they have in their role (something well
researched and linked to psychological wellbeing),
their happiness, and their resilience in dealing with
challenges.
These findings are consistent for non-bank workers
and bank workers alike.
Physicalenergy
Healthy lifestyle
Sleep
Exercise
Rest and recovery
during the day
Emotionalenergy
Task achievement
Sense of achievement
Pride
Workplace relationships
Ability to have conversations
Expectations of your
wellbeing at work
What actually creates
a Good Day At Work
13

Factors that influence
Good Days At Work
Our research showed that people’s physical and
emotional energy levels and ultimate judgement
about whether they’ve had a good day is affected
by factors in their work environment. These include
technology, support from their employer, their
managers, and feeling safe enough to discuss how
they are feeling.
Physical and emotional energy are affected by your
work environment:
If people see these environmental factors as helping
them to deliver things they feel proud of and value,
it can improve the likelihood of them having a good
day at work.
However, if their managers, work processes
or technology are seen as creating distractions or
barriers, it causes negative emotions that negatively
affect peoples’ experiences at work.
This ultimately impacts their energy levels and, in
turn, their performance and potentially their health.
Those who reported more good days at work
consistently reported receiving (91% v 79%) and
providing more support (85% v 63%), being
significantly more appreciated (86% v 60%) and
much more likely to talk about wellbeing with their
colleagues (61% v 36%).
I have more good days at
work. I’m more likely to:
Receive support at work 91%
Provide support at work 85%
Feel appreciated 86%
Talk about wellbeing 61%
I don’t have as many good
days. I’m less likely to:
Receive support at work 79%
Provide support at work 63%
Feel appreciated 60%
Talk about wellbeing 36%
Supportive relationships
Managers
Conversations
Technology
Managers
Conversations
Technology
14

People with task-focused managers were impacted
by their manager’s style. People who are unhappy
at work were 14% more likely to say they had a task-
focused manager. Our research also showed that
people unhappy at work were more likely to have
an inaccessible manager (42%), compared to ‘happy
people’, of which only 14% had an inaccessible
manager.
People who are happy at work were significantly
more likely to see their manager as someone who
was ‘like’ them; relatable and with similar values, and
common goals and priorities.
Our research also highlighted the importance of the
power of conversations and having an open work
culture where people feel they can talk about their
wellbeing. Only one third of people we surveyed
who said that they were not happy at work felt
like they could speak openly about their own
wellbeing—compare this to the two-thirds of people
who are happy at work and are able to have open
conversations.
Where people see technology as improving
efficiency, it can mean they have more good
days at work and a happier work environment.
However, where people see technology as slowing
them down, distracting or frustrating them, it has
a negative effect.
Managers
Conversations
Technology
I am happy at work
My manager is...
inaccessible accessible
14% 86%
People-focused result -focused
30% 70%
different to me like me
25% 75%
I am not happy at work
My manager is...
inaccessible accessible
42% 58%
People-focused result -focused
16% 84%
different to me like me
65% 35%
Managers
Conversations
Technology
Managers
Conversations
Technology
I am happy at work
I am not happy at work
said they could talk openly
about their own wellbeing2/3
said they could talk openly
about their own wellbeing1/3
Technology improves
my efficiency
Technology hinders
my work
15

Focusing on bank workers, what
do the findings mean for them?
After the financial crisis of 2008, banks promised
to improve the wellbeing of their people. People
who are happy, connected and committed to work
make better decisions than those who are pressured,
isolated and stressed.
Banks have tried to rebuild the morale and the
confidence of employees and also their sense of
pride in the organisation in the face of public hostility.
Our various research pieces on wellbeing in the
financial sector, including most recently—Making
Flexible Working Work, Moving from Work-Life
Balance to Integration (June 2016)—shows that there
have been many improvements in the sector. Our
previous findings particularly show positive changes
towards enabling flexible working and reducing the
pay gap between male and female bankers. These
changes are part of a shift in the industry’s working
culture.
No one, including the banks themselves, would say
that all issues have been solved of course; it is still a
work in progress but these changes show progress
is being made.
This latest research found marked differences in the
motivation, happiness and career ambitions between
bank workers and workers in other sectors.
As we saw earlier, bank workers expect an average
of 3.72 days at work to be good, compared to 3.64
days for workers in other sectors.
We also saw that while bank workers expect to have
more good days at work, they actually have fewer,
averaging 2.82 good days each week. This is lower
than workers in other sectors by one quarter of a day.
Technology’s role and its impact was another
difference between bank workers and non-bank
workers. Technology has a bigger role in bank
workers’ jobs compared to other sectors (91% v 72%).
Banking has traditionally been one of the biggest
spenders on technology. Our survey found that more
bank workers said that technology changed at a
faster pace in their sector compared to other sectors
(81% v 65%).
Bank workers are more likely to report that
technology slows them down (27% v 18%) and makes
them angry (23% v 19%). This can have a negative
impact on their experience and likelihood of having
a good day at work.
Banking: wellbeing
and a Good Day At Work
16

Technology plays
a key role in my job
I’m everyone else
72%
65%
18%
19%
65%
I’m a bank worker
91%
81%
27%
23%
61%
Technology changed
a lot in my job
Technology slows
me down
Technology makes
me angry
I am interested
in technology

There were clear management style differences
between the banking and non-banking groups.
Managers in banks are more likely to be seen as more
task-focused and distant. They’re also less likely to be
viewed as being part of the team or as having similar
values and characteristics to their team members.
Manager style is a key environmental impactor on
a good day at work. As we’ve seen earlier, task-
focused managers are more likely to have unhappy
employees. Many factors could contribute to their
unhappiness, however, and manager type cannot be
blamed entirely, though our research shows it is a
contributing factor.
Managers can often be ‘squeezed’, dealing with
pressures from above and below; this combined with
increasing regulatory pressures can mean they are
not focusing on managing their people effectively.
Manybanksarefocusingonchangingthiswidespread
‘squeezed manager’ culture, however. Banks are
implementing programs to upskill managers in
ethics, culture and behaviour—185,000 people
have already completed the Chartered Banker
Foundation Standard for Professional Bankers,
a program focused on enhancing and sustaining
professionalism in banking.
Despite many bank managers negatively affecting
their employees’ time at work, around two in three
bank employees say that work makes them happy
and that they care about work. This is, however, a
lower percentage than other sectors we surveyed.
Possible explanations around why bank workers are
less happy in their work, may be the public criticism
they have faced since the financial crisis, increased
scrutiny of their work, and the additional workload
associated with a tough regulatory regime.
It’s not all bad news for bank workers, though. Our
research shows that they have better relationships
with their colleagues compared to people in other
sectors.
Bank workers are more likely to be
stimulated by their work and are
more resilient when dealing with work
challenges and bureaucracy. This
may well be a consequence of good
recruitment practices in banks and the
level of turbulence in the sector over
recent years which has accustomed
bank workers to managing ambiguity.
Bank workers are less concerned about obstacles
in their way. Working in an industry with increasing
regulations, they are more likely to accept obstacles
and work around these. They have learnt to be more
accepting and less de-motivated by this because of
previous experience.
Also, bank workers are slightly more introspective,
or more ‘self-referenced’ than people in other
industries. They feel less need to be recognised
by others. Interestingly they are more focused on
making a difference at work and being interested
in the work they are doing. This could be linked to
effective job design and positive HR practices. Most
banks have implemented strategies to enhance their
peoples’ positive focus around serving customers
and society.
Managers in banks
Have fewer similar values
and characteristics as team
Are seen less
as part
of the team
Are more
task-focused
and distant
18

I’m a bank worker,
compared to
everyone else I:
Am more likely to be
self-referenced
Am less demotivated
by obstacles
Have better
relationships
at work
Am less demotivated
by obstacles
Am more likely to
be focused on making a
difference at work
Am more likely
to be impacted
by technology
Am not as happy at workAm more resilient
Enjoy work less
Am more stimulated
by my work
Am more likely to have
managers that are conducive
to an unhappy workplace
Am just as likely to
talk about my mental
health as other workers
Profile of a bank worker
19

Understand your people
the four ‘modes’
of workers

Corporate
citizens
63% of population
had 3.4 good days
Sustainably
engaged
24% of population
had 4.1 good days
Get in-get out
9% of population
had 0.7 good days
Trailblazers
4% of population
had 3.8 good days
What you get out of work is
linked to what you put in.
Everyone and every job is different. That said, our
research has developed a new approach to help
employers better understand their people and how
to empower them to have more good days at work.
We found four modes of workers, based on their
wellbeing, expectations and experiences: ‘get in-
get out’, ‘trailblazers’, ‘corporate citizens’ and
‘sustainably engaged’. Interestingly our research
shows that each category of worker reported having
a different number of good days each week.
Understanding where your people fit and what their
expectations, ambitions, motivations and worries are
will help employers foster the right environment for
each worker mode to thrive.
Worker modes:
Breakdown of the four worker modes and their good
days at work
Understand your people—
the four ‘modes’ of workers
21

Understand your people— the four ‘modes’ of workers
‘Get in-get out’ and try
to avoid pressure or challenge
They have an average of 0.7
good days at work each week.
Nine per cent of people we surveyed fall into this
category. These people are predominantly employed
in roles with very low levels of control over the
volume of tasks they complete on any given day
(23% feel in control of this compared to 65% in the
whole sample) and the way in which they accomplish
that work (45% v 78%). For these people, a good day
at work is about facing fewer obstacles than usual, or
being on holiday. None of this group agrees with the
statement ‘I enjoy my job’.
‘Trailblazers’—are connected to the role
rather than the company.
Four per cent of workers fall into this category.
These people are in the early stage of their career
and love what they do. They are young metropolitan
people who are very energised by their work (92%
v 44%) and particularly satisfied to know that they
are ‘invaluable’ to the smooth running of their
organisation. Sixty-seven per cent (v 39%) agree that
knowing their company could not function without
them contributes to a good day at work for them.
They have a high level of control over their day-to-
day tasks but feel less in control of their pay and
reward package than people who are ‘sustainably
engaged’. What really unites this group, though,
is the way in which they are driven by their work.
One hundred per cent (v 68%) agree that their job
provides them with a sense of purpose—which is
about being connected to the impact of your work
and the difference that it can make.
I’m very energized by work
I have a level of control over tasks
I have less control over my pay
A good day at work for me
is knowing my company can’t
function without me
My job provides me with a
good sense of purpose
Trailblazer:
I have very low levels
of control over tasks
I have very low levels of control
over how i accomplish those tasks
A good day at work for me is facing
fewer obstacles or being on holiday
I do not enjoy my job
Get in-get out:
22

‘Corporate citizens’—focus on meeting
the needs of the business.
Sixty-three per cent of people fall in this category.
Although out of that, 25% face obstacles that lead
to them having only 2.2 good days. Therefore 38% of
this group have 3.4 good days. They are, on average,
positive about their experience of work.
Nearly eight in ten (78%) say that their job makes
them happy. People in this group are the second
most likely to say that their job is worthwhile (79% v
65%). However, they are less likely than the two most
positive groups to say that they are paid well for the
work they do (69% v 87% and 79%) and feel as if
they have slightly less control over the work they do.
When they face more obstacles and barriers they
are likely to have a generally negative view of work
and view a good day as one that involves less ‘hassle’
than usual.
‘Sustainably engaged’—is as interested in
the needs of their business as they are in
their own needs.
Twenty-four per cent of people fall into this category.
People in this group want a role that interests and
challenges them. Their work and home lives are
integrated and they agree that their job is worthwhile
(100% v 65%). They also have high levels of autonomy
in their work. Their most important work objectives
are productivity, followed by good relationships with
their colleagues and the feeling that they are making
a difference at work. They are also more likely than
other people to value being interested in their job.
My job makes me happy
My job is worthwhile
I’m less likely to say that i’m paid
well for my job
I have less control over tasks
A good day at work for me is
having fewer obstacles and less hassle
I’m less likely to enjoy my job
My job tires me out
I have little control over my
pay or job security
My job doesn’t bring me down
Corporate citizens:
I want a role that interests
and challenges me
I practice work-life integration
My job is worthwhile
I have a high level of autonomy
at work
I am more likely to value being
interested in my job
The most important work objectives
to me are productivity, positive
relationships and feeling like I’m
making a difference at work
Sustainably engaged:
Understand your people— the four ‘modes’ of workers
23

Raising peoples’
expectations
of work

Create a positive environment
and empower your people to
expect more from work.
Each organisation and employee will have different
needs and ambitions. We’ve shown that each of
the four worker modes have specific experiences,
expectations and motivations. As such, there are no
quick fixes to improving wellbeing at work.
It is imperative though, that organisations better
understand their people and support them to begin
to make important changes on the road to more
good days at work.
Understanding people and supporting them to have
positive expectations from work will improve not just
peoples’ wellbeing, but also increase their ability to
perform at their peak for more sustained periods.
A challenge for organisations is enabling and
empowering their people to share responsibility for
improving their own wellbeing. This cannot be a top-
down approach; we know that won’t lead to long-
term change.
One of the biggest barriers faced by organisations
is making wellbeing relevant and accessible to
everyone. That’s from the CEO, to managers, to the
casual employee working a couple of days a week.
Wellbeing and HR professionals often miss this key
element and rush to make big differences quickly.
They are often met by people who don’t engage
in their wellbeing programs, as the program hasn’t
been looked at with a long-term lens.
Instead our research shows that organisations
need to firstly focus on small shifts in behaviours,
with a focus on going back to basics. This is about
prioritising peoples’ physical and emotional energy
as the starting point for organisations. People need
to be in a space and state where they are best-placed
to thrive and strive at work.
Looking after yourself is just as
important as looking after your work.
Only then can you build engagement with
your wellbeing strategy (including continual
development), with the aim of long-lasting culture
change.
Raising peoples’
expectations of work
Build your people's
readiness to engage
in wellbeing
Culture-change focused
wellbeing strategy
Change behaviours
to lead to better physical
and emotional energy
Continual growth and
development of wellbeing
and your people
Focus on behavioural
and culture change
25

Educating and enabling your
people to make changes to:
Focus on physical energy
Eat healthier
Have enough sleep
Where possible,their
commute to work
Will lead to better health and
more good days at work
Exercise regularly
Raising peoples’ expectations of work
Supporting people to think about how they:
Focus on emotional energy
connect to their work
Respond to challenges
Take breaks to rest and refocus
Will lead to better health and more
good days at work for our society
Manage pressure
When organisations can help their people actively
manage their own energy levels their people will, in
turn, be more effective at prioritising tasks, respond
more positively to change and be more likely to
thrive at work.
The ultimate goal is to truly embed wellbeing into an
organisation’s culture.
26

It’s time for a revolution. In our attitude
to work, that is—what we expect from
work, what we contribute and how we
can help ourselves have more good
days.
Nearly 10% of people don’t have even one good
day at work per week. This is, in part, because many
workers do not know what factors are integral to a
good day at work. Completing tasks, positive work
relationships (for example) while important, are not
as integral to having a good day at work as feeling
physically and emotionally energised and being
generally satisfied with your job.
In our ever-shifting world, technology is constantly
moving and in turn so is the way we work. Our
political and financial environments are in a state
of unrest, and our workplaces and people don’t go
unscathed.
Looking at the banking sector—an industry that is
still rebuilding its relationships with customers and
society and is also in the throes of technological
transformation, there has never been a more
important time for a focus on people and their
wellbeing. The current climate in this sector is highly
unsettling and complex, and the job security of some
bank workers is uncertain. For customer-facing roles
the technological changes towards online banking is
creating uncertainty, and more broadly in the sector,
Brexit has left its mark on job security.
Beyond just the banking sector, we are in a period of
societal change, and our workplaces need to know
the role they play in making work lives, and our lives
as a whole, better. It’s up to both organisations and
employees to create more good days at work, by
taking and owning shared responsibility in wellbeing.
Beyond this, we need to raise our expectations of
what work can do for all of us. It can be a place
of growth, where people thrive and organisations
prosper. We need to place people as the new
bottom-line; as central to an organisation’s strategy
as finance, performance, technology, or research and
development.
We need to focus on the human factor.
This research is the start of what we hope will be
a popular movement to make sure that we all have
an increased number of good days at work. Join the
journey—make your workplace better for all of your
people.
Conclusion
28

Conclusion
Recommendations for organisations
wanting to create change
Take action to create more good days
at work for your people
Understand your people. Are they having
good days at work—what is influencing
this? Full employee surveys don’t have to
be the first steps. You can use data you
already have to begin to understand your wellbeing,
engagement and performance trends. It is likely
you’ll need to do further investigation however, to
get specific insights into what drives good days for
your people. This can still be done in a way that is
more employee-centric, by giving people the means
to take control of their own wellbeing.
It’s a core business priority. In order for
your organisation to run at full potential,
you need to treat your people as key
to your business priorities—after all,
they are responsible that key goals are met. Senior
stakeholders need to be engaged and further educated
on the fact that your peoples’ wellbeing is intrinsically
connected to your business outcomes. The more
people are connected and their wellbeing considered,
the higher performing your business will be.
Turning managers into leaders. Show
your commitment to increasing your
peoples’ number of good days at work
by ensuring your managers understand
and accept their role and responsibility. They need
to have the skills and confidence to talk meaningfully
about wellbeing with their employees. Rather than
focusing only on tasks, managers need to also focus
on people.
Give people the tools to manage
themselves. Empower your people to
check in on their own health and wellbeing
regularly. By moving away from the once-
a-year annual survey you get continual information
on your people, and can resolve issues sooner.
Start by re-educating—you only get out
what you put in to work. If you want
change to be meaningful and long-
lasting, you need to focus on activities
to positively improve people’s expectations and
experiences at work. They should be expecting more
good days at work. Start by encouraging people to
take regular breaks and exercise, have fun and give
reward and praise.
Use the right language. Remove the
wellbeing ‘jargon’ and talk to your people
in a way they can easily relate to and
understand. ‘Did you have a good day at
work?’ Not only will your people be able to engage
in the concept, a common language will enable more
conversations around wellbeing.
Reduce distractions. People are easily
demotivated and distracted by barriers.
Processes, policies and change may be
barriers to people that may hinder them
rather than help them to perform. Take action to make
their working lives easier by removing unnecessary
barriers. Or look at people’s understanding of
why certain processes are in place—perhaps more
awareness is needed so they understand their roles
and responsibilities, along with what the business is
doing to support them to deliver.
Is it cultural? Consider how your
organisation’s systems and culture
are influencing your peoples’ health
and wellbeing. Does your culture
support more good days at work? Make continual
improvements to systems and culture—including
policies, drivers for promotions, working patterns,
and cultural norms and values. Are they currently
helping or hindering good days at work? Do changes
need to start being implemented? Discuss any
changes regularly at all levels of the organisation.
Making your wellbeing approach sustainable is key.
29

Cameron, David. (2010) PM speech on wellbeing, accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-wellbeing
Office for National Statistics. (2016) International Comparisons of Productivity -
Final Estimates 2014, Office of National Statistics.
Office for National Statistics. (2016) UK Labour Market: September 2016, Office of National Statistics.
Oswald, Eugenio Proto and Daniel Sgroi. (2014) Happiness and Productivity, University of Warwick.
Robertson Cooper and the Bank Workers Charity. (2016)
Making Flexible Working Work; Moving from Work-Life Balance to Integration.
References
30

About us
Robertson Cooper, powering Good Day At Work,
partners with organisations to transform cultures
and improve employee wellbeing. In action for
almost two decades we are thought-leaders in the
psychological wellbeing space. It is our mission to
make wellbeing part of everyday working life for
everyone, everywhere.
The Bank Workers Charity (BWC) exists to support
the health and wellbeing of the banking community.
We believe that continual improvements in the
workplace lead to more resilient employees.
Working together to put wellbeing on the agenda, so that more
employees can have good days at work.
Continue the conversation with us about having more good days at work. Join the UK’s
leading HR and wellbeing event.
28 March 2017
The Royal College of Physicians, London
‘The Future of Wellbeing’
www.gooddayatworkconversation.com

What is a Good Day At Work

More Related Content

What's hot (12)

Viewers also liked (11)

Similar to What is a Good Day At Work (20)

Recently uploaded (17)

What is a Good Day At Work