About the Project

Happiness@work aims to increase satisfaction and happiness in the workplace. It has been found that happy people are more successful, develop a strong sense of purpose and form authentic, cooperative connections with others.

This project incorporates Martin Seligman’s groundbreaking research into Positive Psychology and wellbeing. His “PERMA” Theory (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement) will form the building blocks of all outputs of the project from our Happiness Circles™ mentoring to e-learning modules on the online platform. Seligman (2001) tells us that “Happiness is a cognitive evaluation that individual’s life is moving in the right direction, individual’s constant search for meaning and purpose in life, and frequent positive emotions.”

Seligman, M. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of Happiness and Well-being. New York, Atria Paperback.

Positive psychology can be used to increase happiness and wellbeing within the workforce and will therefore be at the forefront of all Happiness@Work project activities. This branch of psychology complements the traditional focus on pathology with the study of human strengths and virtues and the factors that contribute to a full and meaningful life.

The main aim of the project is to increase happiness and satisfaction in the workplace by bringing the positive psychology methodology into practice in micro businesses (10 or less employees), building a support system for both micro businesses managers and employees. This will be realised by bringing M. Seligman’s 5 ingredients of wellbeing into practice and translate them into a context that micro business managers and their employees can relate to.

Partners, widely spread across the EU so as to increase the reach and impact of Happiness@Work, will develop an innovative dual training methodology combining online (Happiness@Work Online Learning Platform) and face-to-face (Happiness Circles™) learning that is fully job transcendent and can therefore be applied in any type of business sector. The programme will be tested over 2 pilots with micro business managers and employees being directly trained across the partnership.

The 5 ingredients of wellbeing

(Seligman, 2011)

The 5 ingredients of wellbeing are known as PERMA.

These elements can help people reach a life of fulfilment, happiness and meaning.

Seligman, M. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of Happiness and Well-being. New York, Atria Paperback.

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Positive Emotions

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Engagement

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Relationships

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Meaning

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Accomplishment

Project’s Timescales

Timescale of project

November 2019 – April 2022 (30 months)

Timescale of piloting Mentoring Happiness Circles™

January-April 2021
August-November 2021