Study: Military pummels Disney on happy scale
Published: October 26, 2010
Are you happier than Mickey Mouse? Would you trade your kevlar helmet for a career that offered a sweet set of mouse ears and free entry to the Magic Kingdom? You might think so, but don’t toss out your MRE just yet.
The Christian Science Monitor this week reported on a study that ranked the most “blissful places to work.” And though the military features such potential job hazards as incoming mortars and roadside bombs, every single branch — and the Army National Guard — ranked above Disney. And Microsoft, for that matter.
The study, conducted by online career-guidance tool CareerBliss, considered such factors as opportunities for growth, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and whether the employee would recommend the company to others, according to the CSM.
“Corporate America could learn from our military’s unique programs. The bottom line is that when a company provides opportunities to grow and tools to improve skills, it creates a happier work environment,” CareerBliss vice president Rick Wainschel told the Monitor.
The Air Force was the top military branch on the list, coming in at No. 5 overall, followed by the Army National Guard (7), the Marine Corps (8), the Navy (9) and the Army (11). Microsoft came in at No. 39 and Disney, proprietor of the so-called “Happiest Place on Earth,” ranked No. 41.
So the next time you find yourself carrying a 100 pounds of gear up a treacherous Afghan mountainside, just remember: It could be worse. You could work on Space Mountain.
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