Of the hundreds of surveys, polls and high-level academic tomes that cross my desk each month, there was one that recently stood out from the rest: happiness is an emotion that seems to be inexorably driven out of the workplace.

According to the said survey, only 61% of the crop of workforce entrants (the under-24 year-olds) - those who in theory have their cynical years to come - say they are happy at work. This made me very unhappy. Everyone knows content staff are more engaged and productive, and while companies cannot be held fully culpable for their staff's entire emotional wellbeing, like it or not, they do have a responsibility to ensure their people at least feel happy for the time they spend in the office.

Here, of course, we start getting into the tricky territory of what actually constitutes happiness. I'm no expert, but what consistently comes up (from the other surveys that come my way), are nuances around the concept of 'fairness'. In short, most employees do not expect, nor do they ask for, the earth. They simply want to feel they're getting a just deal.

The benefits staff receive have a huge impact on this. In times where staff are working harder, but pay is either being capped, or rises are being deferred indefinitely, it is the rest of the package - the bit with room for improvement - that comes to the fore. Are your benefits really helping to create happy (contented) or sad (discontented) staff?

We begin this supplement with the news that will have recently made working parents even more unhappy - the much denounced removal of tax breaks on childcare vouchers Labour committed to at its Annual Party Conference. Short of voting the present Government out of power, this is one benefit change that is out of your control. But what is within your control is how you decide to structure the rest of your overall benefits package. One group of employers doing their best despite the current economic conditions is the charity sector. This sector is realising commitment to the cause is no longer good enough, and is showing great ingenuity in making its benefits budget go further.

For those sceptical of introducing share schemes, we exclusively reveal the first data of its kind that establishes proof that staff who own company shares really are more productive than those who do not. Maybe when you do offer it (but even if you do not), financial education could be a priority. We reveal how this inexpensive benefit is the one most staff would like their bosses to provide.

The benefit I really wish I had though is my own personal concierge service. Read how, despite all the economic gloom, this is one perk on the up. But would this really make me happier? Sorry to be so shallow, but yes, I think it would.

Peter Crush, Deputy Editor

Tough times ahead in the employee benefits industry

Financial Education - Give staff the facts about the figures

Motivating staff through employee share schemes

Fantasy employee benefits - Dreams can come true

Employee benefits in the charity sector

Concierge services grow as a popular employee benefit