It’s important to work next to people who are smiling

07 Apr 2025

“It’s important to work next to people who are smiling”

Lardini’s approach to their workforce is at the heart of who they are as a business and what they stand for.

“If you did it the American way, you could make more money and have more for yourselves” their response… “Whats the point of being richer?”.

They all go home at lunch to cook and eat together with friends and family for 2 hours.

“We have to take vacations to relieve stress and come back to work relaxed… the sun and sea are good for you”. When asked if they mind paying their employees for all this time off “No absolutely not… it’s their right and our pleasure”. So many organisations it’s seen as an inconvenience...

Now compare this to most realities where you’re stuck in meeting rooms all day, back-to-back calls and chained to Slack. No wonder we’re constantly in a fight or flight state and dancing around the edge of chronic burnout. Feeling guilty for going on a walk, to take an hour's lunch break or even go on holiday.

We talk about how to solve the UK’s productivity problem. Well one thing is clear, what we’re currently doing isn’t working. We need to rethink what effective productivity means vs what is just dressed up as productivity. Full of busy for busy’s sake.

We need more time outside. Surrounded by loved ones. Times when we’re quiet, even on our own, to think and actually help us make good decisions. To eat food not as quickly as possible sat behind our desk but to actually taste and enjoy it.

The thing is... a lot life’s/work fulfilment comes in the small pleasures, not the large one offs.