Quality of Life in the Workplace #QoL

“This post is part of International Quality of Life BlogIt Day, sponsored by Sodexo”

The hubby and I were talking the other night… About the differences between how we grew up and how our kids grew up.  Both the husband and I have worked for family  business for as long as we can remember.  I remember being just a little older than  Lil C and going on weekends to work with my dad.   Even though I was only 10 or 11 and it was a family business it was still a job to me.  And I have worked ever since.  Over the past 20 years I have worked a multitude of jobs – from just working doing stock, to being a sales floor associate, to being a medical assistant, to being a Retail department manager, all the way to co-owning a business.  And over the years I have learned a lot when it comes to the Quality of Life in the work place.

Sodexo believes in these 6 aspects for Quality of Life.

• Social Interaction – factors that strengthen the bonds of relationships.
• Ease & Efficiency – implementing programs and services to help employees carry out activities with more ease.
• Physical Environment – everything that contributes to an individual’s comfort and sense of safety
• Personal Growth – promoting individual progress and growth.
• Recognition – allowing an individual to feel truly valued.
• Health & Well-Being – promoting a healthy lifestyle through nutritious meals, a well-balanced diet and exercise.

My last retail job was one of the hardest ones for me.  I worked at the same company for almost 10 years… But did it have a good quality of life?  Looking back, not really.  There were times that things were well, but a lot of times I ended up having the dreaded feeling of “Do I really have to go”?    Yes, I was able to move up in the company, but that was the Only thing that my last job had going for it.   Was there Social Interaction?  Yes, we did try to do at least 1 thing a year as a “team”.  And thankfully many of my co-workers had formed friendships with each other – we were able to support each other in our doings.  Was there Recognition?  Well, there was at times Favoritism.  And many of the times the ones who were truly deserving of the Recognition, were being overlooked.

Moving up from cashier, to department sales, to management made me look at things differently.  As a sale associate, I was always Expected to come in every day – do my job – and do it with a smile… No matter how I was being treated.  Even when I was being “lectured” about how I wasn’t doing more – when I physically couldn’t, I would had to make sure that no one saw me upset.  And when I did a job – well above what was expected  – I hoped for the simple “great work”, but rarely got that.  So when I became a manager, I made sure to tell my department members “Thank you” instead of just assuming they should always go above and beyond with no recognition.  And it was amazing how much more willing someone was to do their job – when they were treated with respect… Or when they were told “hey good job on that project”…Or when you just took a moment to say just a simple Sincere “Thank You”.   When an employee feels that they have been recognized in a positive way for doing their jobs, they tend to strive to do better… And when they strive to do better, that can open a whole new world for them!

Now that I am a business owner myself, I really try to make sure I provide my employees with the best Quality of Life that I can.