At The Workplace Happiness Institute, we believe that every employee deserves a joyful work environment. Yet, our journey began with a painful realization: despite auditing and consulting hundreds of organizations around the globe, we found that the true obstacles to employee engagement weren’t the processes – but rather, unhappy employees. Many people were struggling, feeling unmotivated and unsupported, moving from job to job in search of fulfillment. This distress resonated deeply with our team, as we’ve all experienced workplaces lacking the conditions for true happiness.
Motivated by our shared experiences, we set out to create a real solution. Unlike other workplace happiness solutions that merely address symptoms with temporary fixes, we took a systematic, scientific approach. We dove deep into research, analyzing over 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers and bringing together years of hands-on experience in quality management. Out of this dedication arose the Workplace Happiness Standard – a robust framework designed specifically for organizations that want to embed happiness into their formal quality management systems.
But we didn’t stop there. Our commitment goes beyond just providing a standard. We offer effective and efficient implementation support, along with ongoing measurement tools to assess Workplace Happiness. With our expertise and evidence-based foundation, we help organizations cultivate a thriving atmosphere where employees are engaged, productive, and resilient – leading to lower turnover and burnout and increased performance.
W. Edwards Deming, the father of quality management, once said that every employee deserves joy at work, and we honor that vision. We are not here for profit; we are on a mission to ensure that happiness is a standard that every organization can achieve. The Workplace Happiness Standard is not just a tool: it’s a revolutionary step towards a future where workplace happiness is recognized as essential for success.
Join us in fostering a happier, more productive workforce.
Vision
We have the vision of a world, where each workplace is a beacon of happiness.
Mission
We strive to provide a happy workplace for everyone.
Values
1. People First
We see the human behind every role – and treat each person with dignity, empathy, and appreciation.
We celebrate diversity, listen openly, and build environments where people feel seen, safe, and supported.
We value fairness and mutual respect – in how we treat others, and in how decisions are made.
2. Shared Responsibility
We believe culture is co-created.
Everyone – not just leaders – is responsible for shaping the environment we want to work in.
With freedom comes responsibility: we hold ourselves accountable for how we show up, model ethical behavior, and support each other.
3. Purpose Over Profit
We are a nonprofit organization. We earn money to sustain and improve our work – but what drives us is impact.
We succeed when our clients create better workplaces. Their progress is our purpose.
We make decisions with a long-term orientation – prioritizing enduring impact over short-term gain.
4. Clarity, Courage, and Integrity
We say what we mean, and we mean what we say.
We value transparency over comfort, and honesty over convenience.
We never use tricks. We keep our promises.
Trust is earned through clarity, kept through courage, and protected by integrity.
We treat people fairly and consistently – regardless of role or relationship.
5. Evidence-Driven Growth
We stay humble and curious.
We don’t chase trends – we rely on science, data, and lived experience.
Learning is constant. Mistakes are not failure – they’re how we grow stronger.
We act with social and environmental responsibility – learning not just for progress, but for impact.