Something for the weekend: Do you find that switching on the radio or blasting your favourite Spotify playlist gets you through your working day with a smile on your face? If you answered yes, you’re not the only one, as 54% of UK employees believe listening to music at work improves their mental health and happiness.
A new study commissioned by Towergate Liability Insurance surveyed 2,000 workers in a variety of industries such as construction, creative arts, engineering, finance and healthcare, and found that one in two listen to music more often since the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) lockdowns began, believing it to positively impact their office lives. How for-tune-ate.
More than half (56%) of respondents stated that dancing in their seats to music improves their mood and two-thirds said it helps them to focus and get work done quicker. Additionally, 43% believe that music helps reduce boredom, with the benefits impacting more men (44%) than women (42%). Sounds like a win-win for employee wellbeing.
Pop music was found to be the favourite genre across all industries, followed by rock and classical music, whereas construction employees favoured rock music the most. Healthcare staff preferred to listen to music out loud, while all other industries opted to play it through personal headphones. You can’t stop the beat.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research highlighted that the younger generations appreciate the benefits of music the most, with 95% of 18 to 24-year-olds able to focus and work faster, compared to 67% of 35 to 44-year-olds who said the same. It has the greatest motivational impact on 25 to 35-year-olds (25%) followed by staff aged 55 and above (12%), trying to avoid the workplace blues.
Alison Wild, head of marketing at Towergate SME, said: “Music has many benefits in the workplace, it helps us make the day go quicker, makes us feel good, improves the working environment, motivates us, and therefore helps us get through with otherwise boring tasks. Music can help boost your productivity by putting you in a better mood, combatting stress and anxiety, while we are all working from home.”
Here at Employee Benefits, we’re taking note(s) of these findings and agree that listening to our favourite tunes helps to stave off the occasional bouts of boredom. Play that funky music!
