Developing a work environment that fosters happy employees is critical to business success. As a key asset of the business, satisfied workers boost productivity and can lead to higher profits. In addition to working harder, happy employees are more innovative and loyal. You can also make sure these tips are environmentally friendly. Here are a few easy and effective things you can do to keep your employees happy.

Issue Paychecks on Time

As much as people may love their job, they do not work for free. Employees expect to get paid on a regular basis. It is imperative that you do whatever it takes to get paychecks into the hands of employees on a consistent basis. There are measures you can take to meet payroll even if your company is experiencing a temporary cash flow shortage. One easy solution when a cash shortfall threatens the ability to pay your most valuable assets in a timely manner is to factor your business invoices for a small fee and provide employees with the well-earned compensation they are expecting. A great way to do this is paying your employees with direct deposit so there is less paper waste.

Instill a Work-life Balance Culture

Recognize that employees have a life outside of work. If you want them to be happy and hardworking while they are at work, let them know that you understand their time and commitments at home are just as important as what they are doing on the job. Instill the concept of flexibility. If they are meeting or exceeding expectations on the job, cut some slack if they show up a little late or need to take time to run an errand. Offer incentives that show you care about their overall quality of life. Be sure to support them if they make environmentally friendly choices like installing solar panels or riding a bike to work more often.

Incentivize Employees to Go Green

You can encourage your employees to make more environmentally friendly. Support them when they install solar panels on their homes. You can purchase more environmentally friendly supplies and put more recycling bins around the office. You can educate your employees on the positive effects of going green and be an advocate for it.

Recognize and Praise Good Work

Employees want to feel appreciated. Providing recognition of excellent performance will not only keep employees happy, but it also makes them work harder to achieve the distinction. Acknowledge accomplishments swiftly with an in-person thank-you. You can create goals that incentivize employees to recycle instead of using the trash. Create a mechanism that allows for company wide recognition of the outstanding performers. The recognition does not have to involve monetary compensation, or even an actual prize. Employees will value the praise and the fact that others in the company are made aware of their contributions.

Be Open and Honest

If you want employees to be inspired and work towards achieving the company mission, you will need to keep them informed about what is going on with the business. This means not just communicating with them about the big picture and important events, but providing regular updates about individual projects, general workings and how the various pieces all fit together. It is important to share the bad as well as the good of business results. Keep your employees in the loop about environmental issues. Being open and honest with employees will enable them to feel confident and that their role can make a valuable difference in achieving corporate goals.

Provide Career and Growth Opportunities

Give employees ownership over their workload. Provide opportunities for training, career development, travel and professional growth. Allow employees to learn new skills and work on different teams. Even if your company is small and there is no opportunity for moving up a corporate ladder, employees will be happier if they are given additional responsibilities or asked to work on a special project. You can even grow some plants around the office to show growth. You can show your trust in loyal employees by allowing them latitude to figure out how to achieve an end goal.

Offer Special Perks

A good benefits package entices individuals to accept a job, but add-ons and temporary incentives keep them happy. Wellness benefits, such as dental, optical or gym membership, that are not standard benefits offered by all companies can go a long way to letting employees know you care. Something as simple as casual Friday’s, once-a-month gatherings or tickets to a local sporting or concert event are easy ways to recognize the hard work of employees. Perks do not have to be fixed or delegated across the board to all employees. Occasionally offer rewards for outperforming employees or compensate a team after completing a difficult project.

Employees with a happy outlook are valuable assets for the company. Educating them on going green will also affect them positively. Invest in their happiness to attain a more productive workforce.