Making Work “Fun” Isn’t Enough

Once upon a time, I worked in an entry-level HR position for a big retail store. My job duties included reviewing applications, ensuring that employees were trained on corporate policies, and “supporting morale and motivation” for the various people that comprised our teams.

So when I first started as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed twenty-something, fresh out of college, I did all I could to make work as “fun” as possible for everyone. I ordered pizza, hosted raffles, and decorated the breakroom. We had competitions with prizes and celebrations for meeting sales goals. But . . . despite all the “fun” we were having – people were still calling in sick, skipping shifts, and complaining about their co-workers and managers. All the fun hadn’t made a dent in the “morale and motivation” I had been charged with boosting.

One day, I happened to take my lunch at the same time as Rita, an employee who worked unloading the trucks for the store warehouse. I’ll never forget this conversation because she so kindly and candidly said, “All the fun stuff you’re doing is cool, Jasmine, but it’s not what we really need.” She proceeded to tell me about our co-worker Luis, a single dad who was caring for his ailing mother; about Tammy, whose knee hurt from being injured in a motorcycle accident last year, and Jeremy, who had just lost his wife after 41 years of marriage. The conversation was humbling.

I have been thinking a lot about that conversation with Rita as Cypress works to support team wellbeing at organizations across the country. Many times, like at my old job, leaders in an organization acknowledge that improving workforce wellness is necessary to maximize productivity, employee retention, and overall sustainability; but may not know exactly how to do it. And employees are telling us that making work “fun,” isn’t enough. I’m excited about the trainings and coaching Cypress provides in topics like “Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout,” “How to Support Someone Who is Grieving,” and “Management and Supervision During Stressful Times.”

Every time we teach a workshop, we are reminded that employees are coming to work with other responsibilities and personal experiences of adversity – and try as we might, it isn’t really possible to separate self from work. So . . . come talk to us! And to Rita – wherever you are, thank you for planting that seed. I’m hoping that Cypress can get folks some of “what we really need,” all these years later.