Unhappy employees are more productive than their happy
colleagues, claims a study.
Robert Sinclair and Carrie Lavis, psychologists at the
University of Alberta in Canada, claim that sad employees make half as many
mistakes and devote more energy to their work than their happier counterparts.
Sinclair said that the reason that unhappy employees are
more productive is because their happier colleagues use a lot of their energy
and attention maintaining their cheerfulness.
He said, “On the one hand, sad people devote more energy to
their work in order to distract themselves from their sad feelings.
“While happy workers are more likely to think of their work
as something to damage their happy mood.”
The research was based on four studies of employees building
circuit boards used in electronic equipment.
Although they did not assemble more circuit boards, fewer of
their products failed quality tests.
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