The importance of salary for happiness at work

Jessica Weiss, a happiness expert, joins TheStreet to discuss how your salary can contribute to happiness at work.

Transcript

00:00How important is salary to this discussion of happiness and work?

00:08Okay, great question. Because it's what we all think about when we think about work, right?

00:12We all think that more money, more happiness.

00:15Now, I'm going to give you the answer that you've heard a million times before,

00:18but I'm going to give you a little bit of a different explanation.

00:21Money will not buy you happiness.

00:23But, but, what money does do is money will make you less unhappy, okay?

00:31So, what I'm saying here is, first of all, we all need to know that we're being paid equitably and fairly.

00:37We all need to know that we're being compensated in an equitable and a just manner.

00:42That's kind of table stakes in terms of money.

00:45But what we have found through the research is money doesn't add to happiness, it decreases unhappiness.

00:52And I think that's a really interesting way to look at it.

00:54So, while money is a very real need, and I am not saying that, you know,

00:58more money certainly allows you things that will get you to a happier place,

01:03I think a more interesting way to look at it is money will give you less unhappiness.