If you are a manager, you don’t want your employees to think of their work as a  soul destroying daily requirement that makes them dread the dawn. Your goal is to get them motivated to complete a higher purpose.  If you create your work policies right, you’ll motivate them to turn off the television and get off of Twitter. You’ll give them tasks to accomplish each day that are meaningful.

That feeling of accomplishment, even if it’s just getting through another day, can be a powerful mood boost. There’s far more potential for pride in the phrase, “I completed the monthly budget today,” than there is in, “I watched the 6^th season of NCIS.” You might have enjoyed the act of watching NCIS far more, but staring at a screen passively has no true merit.

Unfortunately, how much of a mood boost you can get from work is highly dependent on the company. The company’s rules, work policies, and structure can either increase or decrease the contentment and pride that seeps into an employee’s home life.

If you are an owner or manager of a company, read on for some excellent work policies that you can implement in your organization.

5 Work Policies Your Employees Will Love

1. Chit-chat Encouraged

All work, no play. That should not the motto of your workplace. We’re not robots. We’re living, breathing human beings who require some degree of human interaction at work. Talking, joking around, sharing stories with co-workers—these are daily interactions that can greatly enhance personal satisfaction and happiness.

According to an infographic by Ohio University, The Benefits of Happy Employees, the more friends an individual has in the office, the higher the chance they will love their job. If you have no friends, there’s only a twenty-four percent chance you’ll love your job. If you have at least 6 work friends, the chance of loving your job increased to sixty-four percent.

At the end of the day, you want a workplace that understands and encourages people to take short breaks throughout the day to bond with their co-workers. At the end of the day, the memory of those side conversations will make you look a little more fondly on the tasks assigned.

2. Telecommuting Allowed

While telecommuting can be dangerous for introverts who don’t get enough social interaction, the ability to telecommute when you want can be a powerful positive influence on your life.

Imagine if once or twice a month, you could get up and immediately begin your work day. No long commute. On average this saves individuals around twenty-five minutes. No need to pack a lunch box. Another 10 minutes saved. No need to get out of your pajamas or put on make-up. Another twenty-five minutes saved.

That’s one hour at least once or twice a month you can utilize to on whatever leisure activity you desire. Telecommuting isn’t possible for every job, but there’s no reason why jobs that don’t require heavy a lot of face-to-face collaboration can’t be done from home.

During future job searches, keep an eye out for companies that offer at least partial telecommuting. You may never utilize the opportunity, but it’s nice to have the option when you need it.

3. Condensed Work Week

Condensed work weeks, working 4 shifts of 9 to 10 hours can be a transformative experience. Working 1 less day a week can change how much you can pack into your week. Yes, the workdays are longer, but that’s offset by the fact you have an extra day each week to spend on personal pursuits.

You can dedicate entire days to personal projects. Short trips are now an option. By taking just 1 or 2 days off, you can take a longer trip. Americans don’t get as many vacation days each year to travel as Europeans, so anything to potentially fix that should be pursued.

I love having a condensed work week. When everything goes crazy at my current workplace that promise of 3 free days gets me through every time.

4. Safety First

You should feel safe at work. You shouldn’t be worried that you could get injured at any time and you definitely shouldn’t have to watch co-workers hobble around the office due to preventable injuries.

My mom worked at a nursing home that didn’t have high safety standards. Knee and back injuries from lifting heavy patients were far too common. If your workplace has a preventable injury every week or two, it’s crucial to fix. A company that allows a culture of preventable injuries to flourish is not one you want to be a part of. Far better to find a company that will take your safety seriously.

5. Work Where You Want (On the Premises)

Not all companies allow telecommuting, but some will allow individuals to choose where they want to work. Sitting in the same chair or staring at the same computer screen. That can get old.

Want to sit at a picnic table outside? Go for it. Want to sit on a couch with a laptop? No problem! Need a quiet place to concentrate. Why don’t you spend a few hours in the quiet room. It’s not a lot of freedom, but it’s just enough freedom to improve your day.

Even better, you pick where you will be more efficient and efficiency increases your productivity. Higher productivity can lead to accomplishing more work in the same amount of time. Accomplishing more can lead to raises and promotions to increase your quality of life. Why wouldn’t you want to create an environment that promotes productivity and success.

Happiness and work cannot be separated. Whether you like it or not, how your employees feel at work will bleed into their daily life.

Related Post: 3 Ways to Make Sure Your Successes are Recognized at Work