Being happy takes a lot of different forms. Whether it’s because you have solid support system, a beautiful family, or a boat, being happy is always the ultimate goal. What many don’t realize, however, is that their job has perhaps the biggest effect on happiness. Between the long hours and lost sleep, employment plays a huge role in establishing your mood. And there are a few types of employment that breed happiness more than others.
According to data from InsuranceQuotes, self-employment and freelance work are the way to go when it comes to being happy. The freedom, paired with the flexible work schedule and the absence of a boss, leads to an overall lack of stress and few distractions/obstructions to productivity.
“Being your own boss can be liberating,” wrote the authors of the study. “Besides pushing you to your creative and entrepreneurial limits, working for yourself can also eliminate workplace politics and reduce the unnecessary drama and paper pushing that can make some people dread going to work.”
As for the bottom of list, employees receiving tips in addition to a menial base pay are by far the least happy, with hourly and salaried employees rounding out the top five. Having come under fire in recent years, the “server” pay model has been condemned as unfair, unreasonable, and downright outdated. And with 60 percent of the base pay plus tips employment type being in the food industry, it’s no wonder they’re unhappy when we keep hearing stories about patrons refusing to tip.
With every employment report on the planet toting work-life balance as one of the most important attractors of talent to a company, this kind of result is far from unexpected. In fact, according to some studies, employees prefer a flexible schedule to a higher salary, proving that Disney movies had it right: money can’t buy happiness.
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