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The simple power of a ‘thank you’ in the workplace

Employees often spend more time interacting with co-workers at work than they do with family and friends outside the workplace. So what better place to start showing kindness and gratitude than the workplace?

That’s the message from coffee company Julius Meinl. In a global study of 4,000 adults from across Europe, Julius Meinl found that two in three people agree that “thank you” isn’t said enough in the workplace. Over half said bosses expect a good job to be done all the time, while 40% cited “time pressures” as one of the main reasons a “thanks” often goes amiss at work.

But, building a culture of gratitude at work has benefits to both those expressing and receiving thanks — 81% agreed hearing ‘”thank you” from their boss had a positive impact on their day, while three-fifths said it made them feel appreciated. Just under half said it motivated them to work harder.

“Our research highlights how seemingly small gestures such as taking someone for a coffee can make real impact. It shows the importance of taking time to show appreciation to loved ones and also work colleagues,” said Christina Meinl, spokesperson for the “Say Thank You” campaign.

“After all, we spend so much time with them – building strong relationships at work is what makes a good team and can have positive benefits for everyone involved. Our own team philosophy at Julius Meinl is to create meaningful moments in each other’s lives, and that’s exactly what our ‘Say Thank You’ initiative aims to do with every cup of coffee served. Vienna’s coffee house culture is about taking time and enjoying the charming little moments in life, so this initiative is how we bring this to the world,” she said.