Bringing joy back to the workplace: How companies are beating back burnout culture
At a time when more than half of workers 18-34 are feeling burnt out and with return-to-office mandates and layoffs redefining whole industries, employers are tapping into some innovative ways to breathe life back into their workplaces.
The challenge isn’t just getting employees back to the office — it’s making them want to be there. Gone are the days when a foosball table and unlimited snacks constituted workplace culture. Today’s most successful companies are designing environments that foster genuine human connection and purpose.
“As humans, we weren’t meant to connect only through screens,” said Karishma Patel Buford, chief people officer at Spring Health, a mental health solutions provider. “In today’s world of hybrid work, the rise of loneliness is real, and organizations must be thoughtful about how to compensate for it.”
Spring Health focuses on “moments that matter” rather than mandates, she reports. Last year, it hosted more than 30 in-person team on-sites at its New York headquarters, with programming customized to each team’s needs. More than 4 in 5 of employees attended at least one of those events.
Joy can also come from some of the most unexpected places. The mobile gaming company Avia introduced two foster cats to its office in the Bay Area, creating a shared responsibility that has transformed team dynamics there. An internal survey revealed that three-quarters of employees believe the office pets have strengthened team cohesion.
“It’s a beautiful reminder that a happy team really is a productive team — and sometimes, happiness looks like a cat snoozing on your keyboard,” said Vickie Chen, CEO and co-founder of Avia. The benefits extend beyond just warm and fuzzy feelings. Chen also reports a meaningful lift in productivity, with “more fluid teamwork and smoother cross-functional collaboration.” The cats have become catalysts for small, intentional breaks that reset mental energy throughout the workday.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City-based Paycom, an HR tech software and payroll firm, has reimagined its workspace to resemble a college campus rather than a corporate office park. The headquarters features a large fitness center and a courtyard with fountains, as well as cafés, zen rooms and soundproofed privacy booths. The approach recognizes that joy often comes from having options — spaces to collaborate, focus, socialize, or simply take a moment for oneself.
Then, there’s food. Never underestimate the power of breaking bread together. Spring Health provides in-office lunches, which has steadily increased in-person attendance while fostering cross-functional connections in a relaxed setting. As a New York-based company, the delivery options for lunch are endless, celebrating global diversity while creating daily opportunities for casual interaction.
Joy doesn’t just come from social activities — it can also emerge from thoughtful work structures. With that in mind, Spring Health has implemented “Focus Fridays,” where no meetings are scheduled, as well as six “Focus Weeks” per year, allowing employees dedicated time for deep work, creativity and reflection.
For operations team members who can’t fully benefit from such initiatives, the company introduced “Recharge Hours,” an hour and a half every week dedicated to employee-driven enrichment activities like professional development or well-being programming.
Many workplace initiatives like these can start strong but fade quickly. At AviaGames, programs are deeply integrated into company values rather than treated as temporary fixes. “Our office cats and internal promotion programs aren’t one-off, feel-good initiatives — they’re woven into the fabric of who we are at Avia,” Chen said. That authenticity helps ensure that joy remains sustainable rather than becoming just another corporate program.
At the end of the day, joy in the workplace isn’t frivolous — it’s fundamental. As Buford puts it, it springs from “meaningful connections and meaningful work: knowing the mission matters, seeing your role in it clearly, and feeling energized by what you’re contributing and building.”