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Workplace Relationships and Human Happiness

Happiness at work can affect other areas of our lives

In his book The Pursuit of Happiness (2002), psychologist David Myers comments on the role that workplace relationships play in his life:

Through our work we identify with a community. My sense of community is rooted in the network of supportive friends who surround me on our department team, in the institution whose goals we embrace, and in the profession we call our own. (p. 130)

For many of us, our motivation to work transcends the desire to bring home a paycheck. Although we need the money our jobs provide, we also want to feel that our work is meaningful and important. When asked, “Would you continue working, even if you inherited a huge fortune that made working unnecessary?” three out of four Americans answered “yes” (Eisenberg & Goodall, 1997). This isn’t just an American value: people in nearly every industrialized nation report lower satisfaction with their lives if they’re unemployed, regardless of their financial standing (Myers, 2002).

But it’s not the work itself that fulfills us; it’s the coupling of the professional with the personal, the creation of a coworker community. Day in and day out, we endure work stress and intense demands with those who surround us—our supervisors, subordinates, and peers. These people aren’t just coworkers; they can be companions, friends, and sometimes even best friends or lovers. When these relationships are healthy, the effects spread to every part of our lives. We’re happier in life and more productive on the job. Those around us find us more pleasant to work with, and our organization as a whole thrives. When it comes to workplace relationships, the professional is profoundly personal.

Through our work we identify with a community