Give staff shares and their moods will rise and fall in synch | Torsten Bell

Stock schemes are a nice perk but they inevitably link workers ’ happiness with the fluctuating priceInvestor types like to pretend that trading shares is an emotion-free science. Apparently, it ’s a serious business and definitely not a socially acceptable form of gambling for the upper-middle class. Back in the real world, it’s calledplayingthe stock market for a reason, and lots of emotion was involved this year whenRedditors sent shares in GameStop soaring (and the mood of regulators and hedge funds plummeting).Now it ’s common knowledge that a rising stock market improves public wellbeing – everyone perks up during a boom. Unsurprisingly, the impact is biggest for those with lots of shares, for good or ill: big shareholders saw the biggest rise in depression and antidepressant use during the great recession.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Employee benefits Stock markets Shares Business Psychology Investments Money Source Type: news