Three-fourths of all workers in the United States say that they are unhappy employees. Because of that, 71% of workers are actively looking for new positions.

Keeping your employees happy will encourage them to work harder, work better, and stay loyal to your company. And while you might be resistant (or feel like you’re unable) to put more money into your employees, consider this: hiring new employees can cost a business 5,000 dollars.

You’re better off putting money into improving employee happiness than constantly hiring new employees to replace the unhappy ones.

Giving everyone a raise isn’t always an option. Here are 4 ways you can turn your unhappy employees into happy ones that don’t require giving everyone a pay bump.

1. Offer More Days Off

Offer extra vacation days to your top workers as an incentive. This will show that you’re willing to reward employees for their hard work with something that everyone wants. 

You can also offer more vacation time in general to all employees. This is especially good if you end up offering more than competing businesses that your employees could go to instead.

2. Let Them Work from Home

Over 70% of the global workforce works remotely at least one day per week. Studies show that, in general, remote workers are more productive than ones forced to work in an office. People get more work done in fewer hours, and they’re happier while they do it.

You don’t have to transition your business to 100% remote work, especially if you require in-person work a lot of the time. However, letting people work from home on certain days or for certain hours of the day can boost employee satisfaction and happiness.

3. Make Their Payments and Pay Stubs Accessible

We hope that people work a job they’re passionate about, but at the end of the day, we work for money. We need to be paid in order to support ourselves and our families, so when payments aren’t given, are late, or aren’t correct, it can jeopardize a lot.

Ensure that your payment system is smooth and fast for your employees. Quickly generate their pay stubs on The Paystubs website for fast and accurate documentation. Allow for virtual direct deposit into bank accounts. Make sure your employees know how to clock in and out or track their hours properly.

If you need to, you might need to hire someone to manage payroll for you. This investment will be worth it when everyone’s happiness (including your own!) increases.

4. Show Them You Appreciate Them

Remember that study we mentioned earlier that showed the majority of employees are unhappy and actively searching for new jobs? That same study showed that most of these unhappy employees feel unappreciated.

Remedy that by showing your appreciation. Hold company-wide lunches and barbecues. Hold award ceremonies for large accomplishments. Give out prizes for going above and beyond. 

Appreciation doesn’t have to cost anything, either. Praising employees for a job well done with an e-mail, a handshake, a card, etc; it will work wonders!

Employee Happiness in 4 Easy Steps

Following even one of these 4 suggestions will boost employee happiness in your business. Some are certainly more costly than others, but each of these investments will help your business in the long run.

Unhappy employees can be a disaster for a small business. Want to know other common threats that you can avoid? Read our article on that here.