Research: Music in the workplace boosts staff morale

Research this week showed that playing music in the workplace is a cost efficient way to improve staff morale.

A survey of 1,200 workers conducted by the MusicWorks campaign, which aims to encourage businesses to play more music, found that 71% of employees wanted music played in the workplace. 

It also highlighted that 85% of employees felt happier when listening to music at work and a quarter were less likely to take time off sick if good music is being played at work.

Christine Geissmar, head of public performance operations at music licensing firm PPL, said: “There are many ways in which staff morale can be improved, and our research shows that music can, in fact, achieve this. This is good news for HR managers and directors wanting to find a different, cost effective way to boost staff morale in the workplace.”

The EB team wonders if employers should consider the potential negative impact of certain song choices. Manic Monday by the Bangles, for instance, could instead lower morale and get the week off to a bad start.

Meanwhile, Dolly Parton’s Nine to Five could stir up feelings of animosity towards the ‘boss man’, or simply result in excruciating karaoke-style sing-alongs.

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