May always starts with Labor Day, but year after year, little changes. The same demonstrations, the same cries of struggle that are no longer heard anywhere, we almost risk saying that they are already words without any impact. And why? Because we are simply not attentive to the changes, we resist learning and evolving with mistakes. So why don't we celebrate Labor Day by talking about Happiness at Work?

Because the concept of Happiness at Work for many companies is still a new-age trend of some ideological types, because it simply doesn't exist, it's a utopia. Because we have more to think about, namely how to make money. And in an even less careful language, that's what we still hear, even in Tourism.

But we don't intend to be revolutionary with this text, because it is not a revolution. We know, of course, that wages and working conditions are important and that there is still a lot to be done on these points. But we also know that there is much more besides. We just want to state what is already a reality, to which many are still blindfolded. Feeling good in the workplace is a right that we all have, without exception. No differences.

And this feeling of well-being is really what matters. Nothing more.

Happiness at work is not about putting a foosball table in the break room or painting the walls of the cafeteria with motivational phrases.

Happiness at work is not about laughing all the time and being stupidly happy. There is no such thing as eternal and continuous happiness. This is a utopia, that we should always be happy.

But we're not going to talk here now about concepts of Happiness either.

What we just want to raise awareness is that all employees are People. Unique human beings, each with their own characteristics. It is this diversity that makes the richness of a team, the culture of a company. That's why our alert is for Leadership to be focused on People and not only on results. So that Leadership effectively puts people at the center of all decisions. That companies have a genuine concern for their workers, like Mothers (taking advantage that we also celebrate their day today)

Well-being at work includes

Feeling involved in the work we do and knowing how much it contributes and is important for the evolution of the company.

Having a sense of belonging. To a group, a team, a tribe with which we identify with its purpose, its values, and what they believe in.

To be part of the solution and not just a number, which becomes a problem on an excel management chart.

To be respected for who we are, for our strengths, and for our contribution.

To be heard, to be understood. Sometimes we even have the solution you are looking for.

To simply be part of a project, not disposable parts. To be valued and rewarded for our talents.

There is much more than a monetary salary (which we repeat again, must also be fair and worthy). There is a whole emotional salary that sustains us and to which companies in Tourism have to start giving real importance. It doesn't come on the payslip, but it can make all the difference in the well-being of each employee. This emotional salary is about EMPATHY towards our employees and understanding their needs and motivations.

It is related to a positive corporate culture where we promote the individual growth of each employee, personally and professionally. Continuous training plans. Career progression plans, with adequate compensation.

Emotional salary encompasses flexibility in work, in schedules, in rest periods. Building a healthy balance between personal and professional life. Always in total harmony between the interests of the employees and the company. Many times, small changes, almost insignificant for the company, can have a huge impact on a person's quality of life.

The list is almost endless, all sustained by a positive, genuine, honest, and transparent corporate culture. Without this culture, no matter how good the strategy, it simply won't work. The success and profitability of any tourism company lie in the performance, motivation, and delivery of its people. And the funny thing is that all this "utopia" of Happiness and well-being at work actually generates better financial results. Curious, isn't it?