Which Are More Productive, Happy Workers Or Sad Workers?

A recent study, which appears in the December 2004 issue of the journal Medical Care, reports workers receiving comprehensive depression treatment were 6 - 8% more productive than those who received standard treatment and had a 28% lower rate of absenteeism. This translated to an estimated annual cost savings of $2,601 per worker for the employer. The study suggests happy workers are more productive.

However, a study by the University of Alberta reported six months ago that new research shows that sad workers are more productive. Sad individual tend to focus more on their tasks as a distraction from the source of their sadness, while happy workers tend to focus on the task less so as to not detract from their happy mood. (In both cases, the job was not the cause of the sadness or the happiness.)

Two studies with two different results. Who ever said management is easy?