A productive staff is the most important asset an organization can possess, notes one of the best business schools in the world. A happy staff is more productive, according to a recent study conducted by the Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.

“We find that human happiness has large and positive causal effects on productivity,” said Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick Business School and a leading authority on the relationship between economics and mental health.

“If happiness in the workplace brings increased returns to productivity, then human resource departments, business managers and the architects of promotion policies will want to consider the implications,” the research concluded.

I was a witness to an act of employee recognition this week when I accompanied the staff of Bogota Latin Bistro on a trip to Great Adventure. The owners of the Park Slope bistro, Farid Ali Lancheros and George Constantinou Fernandes, rewarded their hard working staff with an all-paid, full-day trip to the amusement park on Tuesday.

At a time when companies are scaling back on perks and special events recognizing excellent work, Farid and George decided to close the restaurant’s door for the second year in a row. Employees and their family and friends were treated to exciting trip, complete with food and drink, and thanked publicly for another year of productive work.

Many businesses can take a lead from the owners of Bogota Latin Bistro & Mojito Bar, which has become Brooklyn’s premier Latin restaurant. No matter how tough these economic times may be, having a happy staff that is recognized for its hard work really makes a difference to any organization’s bottom line.