Research conducted in the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management has examined the relationship between workplace happiness and productivity in the context of the information technology sector in Delhi, as well as across other sectors. The study, authored by Sana Vakeel, Sunita Shukla, and Vikas Singh from various educational institutions in Greater Noida, India, utilized statistical methods such as Karl Pearson's correlation and regression analysis to understand the impact of workplace happiness on employee engagement. The findings revealed that a significant percentage (23.7%) of employee engagement can be attributed to workplace happiness. This highlights the crucial role of employee happiness in contributing to organizational success.
Interestingly, the positive correlation between workplace happiness and employee engagement was observed in both the IT sector and other areas of work. The variance in the IT sector was 23.1%, while it was slightly lower at 22.8% in the non-IT sector. These results indicate that workplace happiness plays a universal role in influencing employee engagement across different sectors. The study also emphasizes the strategic importance of prioritizing workplace happiness for the mutual benefit of employees and employers. As the business landscape continues to evolve, considering factors such as employee happiness becomes increasingly vital for long-term success.
Though the menu will look the same, McDonald's is set to make major changes to the most popular items on their menus-burgers, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The Golden Arches said that the new and improved burgers will include over 50 modifications.
"We can do it quick, fast, and safe, but it doesn’t necessarily taste great. So, we want to incorporate quality into where we’re at," Chris Young, McDonald’s senior director of global menu strategy, told the Journal.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD | MCDONALD'S CORP. | 281.84 | +3.13 | +1.12% |
The changes come as the fast food corporation gears up for an ad campaign, which will feature "our best burgers ever."
A McDonald's cheeseburger. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images/File / Getty Images)
McDonald's signature burger, the Big Mac — two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun — is also set for a makeover.
The Journal said that the iconic menu item will feature two all-beef patties that are cooked in smaller batches for a more uniform sear.
The revamp will also include more secret special sauce, with lettuce, cheese and pickles that will be "fresher and meltier."
The former sesame seed bun will be transformed into a buttery brioche, with the sesame seeds more randomly scattered for a homemade look.
A McDonald's Big Mac and fries. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images/File / Fox News)
A McDonald's restaurant sign in Arlington, Va. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts/File / Reuters Photos)
At McDonald's headquarters in Chicago, Chef Chad Schafer has been perfecting the new burger patties for seven years.
The chef made one double cheeseburger in the fast food's current standard and one in the new way.
"One is hotter," Schafer said. "It looks meltier. Look at how my fingers sink into the bun. Smell it and you smell a big difference."
He said that the old McDonald's burger recipe was "kind of dry."
"This one, it’s kind of dry. It cracks," he said. "And this is the best-case example at headquarters."
A McDonald's restaurant in San Leandro, Calif. West Coast restaurants will be among the first in the U.S. to offer the new burgers. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/File / Getty Images)
The new burger patties were first tested in Australia, and are expected to roll out in the U.S. by early 2024.
The West Coast and the Midwest will be the first of the 13,460 locations of McDonald's to experience the new burgers, the Journal said.
The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area of Maryland and the Birmingham-Hoover area in Alabama posted the lowest jobless rates among the largest US metro areas in October at 2.2% each, according to data released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise area in Nevada posted the highest rate at 5.4%.
In October, 32 of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more had year-over-year unemployment rate increases, 13 had decreases and six had no change.
Among metro areas of all sizes, Bismarck, North Dakota, had the lowest unemployment rate at 1.4%, followed by Fargo, North Dakota-Minnesota, at 1.5%.
El Centro, California, posted the highest jobless rate among metropolitan areas of all sizes in October at 19.3%.
According to the BLS, 11 of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 38 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In October, the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall area in Florida had the lowest division unemployment rate at 1.6%. On the other hand, the Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia area in Michigan had the highest rate among the divisions at 5.5%.
What’s the difference between Coke and Pepsi? For job seekers: Coca-Cola Co. offers the best career mobility out of nearly 400 big employers, according to a new five-year analysis of 4.7 million workers. Rival PepsiCo Inc. came in 19th on that same list.
The American Opportunity Index — a product of Harvard Business School, the Schultz Family Foundation and Burning Glass Institute, a labor-focused nonprofit — measured how millions of workers fared at companies by looking at hiring, pay and promotions, particularly among entry-level and lower-skilled workers. By tracking their trajectories, the analysis determined which companies pay better wages for workers in similar roles or promote their people most equitably.
Also in the top 10 were jelly maker JM Smucker Co., tech behemoth Meta Platforms Inc. and retailer Costco Wholesale Corp.
These Companies Do the Best Job of Providing Career Paths
Workers at these firms have the most opportunities for advancement
Sources: Burning Glass Institute, Harvard Business School's Managing the Future of Work Project and the Schultz Family Foundation
The index could provide guidance for young job seekers looking to work at a company that considers their career progression, rather than simply providing platitudes like: “Our employees are our greatest asset.” It could also come in handy for those making a mid-career move to a new occupation or industry. With hiring slowdowns and layoffs, workers are putting a higher premium on employers that offer career longevity.
Employers, meanwhile, stand to benefit if they can hire and develop more workers outside of their normal recruiting pools, and lower the rate at which employees leave for other opportunities.
The makers of the index, now in its second year, claim it’s the “only measure of employer quality evaluating what really happens to workers at America’s largest employers over time,” adding that high scores can translate to the bottom line. Moving from the worst-performing quartile to the top on employee retention, for example, can save a company as much as $424 million a year in costs related to turnover, the authors estimate. There’s a payoff for workers, too: Those at the top-ranking firms get paid 68% more, on average, for the same jobs.
The ranking makes some revealing comparisons between companies and industries. Costco, for instance, is 42% more likely to retain its workers over three years than rival retailer Target Corp., while Microsoft Corp. is 20% more likely to hold onto staff across three years longer than Oracle Corp. Airlines have some of the worst rates of gender equality, while banks and telecom firms are good at promoting internally. Retailers excel at hiring people without degrees or experience, but technology firms are difficult to break into without such qualifications.
Coca-Cola, which employs more than 82,000 people globally, ranked first overall thanks to top-quartile performance on pay, hiring, and corporate culture. In this case, “culture” includes things like retention and whether leaders are found from within. Lisa Chang, Coca-Cola’s global chief people officer, said the company encourages employee mobility by letting workers embark on short-term assignments, often in another business unit or geography.
Last year, AT&T Corp. topped the list, but this year it finished 64th. None of the companies in 2022’s top 10 remained there this year, which is partly due to the addition of more companies and new metrics, such as wage growth and gender parity.
The Schultz Family Foundation is the philanthropy started by longtime Starbucks Corp. leader Howard Schultz.
A recent survey found that 59% of respondents believe that money can buy happiness. Among millennials, the percentage was even higher at 72%. When asked about the salary needed to feel happy and less stressed, those earning over $200,000 a year said they would need $350,000, while those at the lower end of the income scale indicated that $33,250 a year would be sufficient.