Why Happily Married Employees Are Good For Business

Employers care about a lot of things that relate to their employees, who are, after all, their most valuable resource. But how many of them have discovered that happily married employees actually increase their profitability? Sadly, the answer is not very many. But that situation is changing, because increasingly a growing body of research points out the many benefits that companies enjoy when their employees are in stable, happy marriages.

You can get the full details by reading these studies. My purpose in this brief article is merely to whet your appetite and open your eyes to what the company you work for or run could gain by getting involved in the marriage strengthening business.

Among the benefits you can expect are:

Happier and healthier employees.

Happily married men, for example, are absent fewer days and stay in their jobs longer. People in good marriages tend to practice healthier lifestyles so they avoid being out sick, too. That means they are less likely to tap expensive health care services.

Greater commitment.

Happily married dual career couples have been found to have a stronger commitment to their employers. This is especially important given that the average employee will change jobs fifteen times in his lifetime.

Younger employees.

It’s astonishing but true. A happily married male is the equivalent of being 18 months younger than his biological age. Meanwhile, a happily married female is about six months younger than her biological age. Younger, healthier employees not only use fewer health care services, but also they bring more enthusiasm to work with them every day.

More productive workers.

Researchers have shown that employees who have good relationship skills -– like the ones needed to sustain a fulfilling marriage -– are among the most productive, even when they are exposed to significant stress at work.

Workers who get better over time.

Many things deteriorate over time, but not so employees who come from long marriages. Their performance actually improves with each year they remain married.

Workers who sing your praises.

Companies that support their employees’ relationship needs through sound corporate policies are prized by employees. They recognize that such a company is an excellent place to work. Not only are they reluctant to move on to greener pastures, but also they are likely to spread the word to others about what a great place it is to work. Of course having that reputation is priceless and will make attracting new employees a lot simpler.

One more thing.

If these “intangible” benefits still don’t convince you that the health of your employees’ marriages is your business, then perhaps this next fact will make the difference. For every dollar your company spends on physical and relational wellness programs, the return on investment will be huge-– and that’s not factoring in the increased happiness of the couples involved. One study involving nine companies ranging in size from 50 employees to 50,000 employees found that the return on investment was nearly 500 percent. Other studies place that figure even higher, at nearly 700 percent.

I hope that reading this information leads you to explore this topic further and to learn what other companies are doing to make strong marriages their priority. With over three decades’ experience as a marriage and family therapist, I work with companies who are doing exactly that. Companies who support employees’ marriages are finding themselves richly rewarded on many levels.

Dr. Beth Erickson is a marriage and family therapist, radio host, author of Marriage Isn’t For Sissies: 7 Simple Keys To Creating the Best Part Of Your Life, and developer of “The Best Part of Your Life” program for executives, entrepreneurs and their spouses. Dr. Beth has appeared on NPR and in Cosmopolitan, USA Today and other national media.