The first need in the human spectrum is for basic safety. It’s hard to work day-in and day-out when threatened with physical harm. Equally important is the need for emotional safety. Abusive or condescending treatment from bosses or coworkers can undermine all other benefits.

Pay and benefits are often the first measures people use to evaluate a job. Money can be an effective incentive, often used to compensate for shortcomings in other areas. Money isn’t everything. But if your paycheck doesn’t feel at least competitive, your sense of commitment can falter.

The systems and procedures in a workplace can either empower your efforts or frustrate them completely. When workflows are poorly designed, people can end up working late and generally feel like they’re wasting time. For some people, this can really ruin a good day.

There’s a lot of talk about the importance of autonomy in the modern workplace. It tends to create the impression that nobody wants to be told what to do. But nothing could be further from the truth. Feeling properly prepared and supported in your tasks is an important human need.

Somewhere between unemployment and a treadmill is the optimal workload for sustainable happiness. Do you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel that won’t stop? Or, like some people, do you feel underutilized? Your workload can either be a source of life or a life sentence.

Stress is an important determiner of workplace happiness. While nobody wants to be bored, they don’t want too much drama either. If your days are filled with crisis after crisis, then your days may also be numbered. Recognizing the role stress plays at work is the first step to managing it.

In order to excel in the workplace, it’s important to be using the skills at which you excel. A surprising number of professionals end up with duties that are outside their natural skillset. It’s fine to pitch in where help is needed, but at some point you need to find your sweet spot to find happiness.