By Jason Richmond, CEO and Chief Culture Officer, Ideal Outcomes, Inc.
A new challenge has swept through corporate America during the struggle to function in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic: burnout. A staggering 89% of employees have fallen victim to burnout, according to a survey of 1,000 full-time U.S. workers by workplace analytics firm Visier. Even more worrying is that 27% said they experienced burnout "all the time."
To me, it’s not surprising that the upheaval caused by the coronavirus has contributed to burnout. And, while certainly not the only factor, burnout may well contribute to what’s been called "the Great Resignation." A record-breaking 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That record followed on the heels of other record-breaking months and impacted most industries. Obviously, the goal for company leaders is not to lose good employees in the first place and avoid the costs involved in finding and training replacements.
But what can be done to help ease the burden of burnout?
What about giving employees a break—making them take time off to unwind from the daily pressures and workload? Many companies have tried that approach. Dating app Bumble, for example, closed for a week to give its 700 employees the opportunity to alleviate their stress and recharge their batteries. Similarly, LinkedIn initiated a paid week off for most of its 15,900 full-timers. Other companies are taking steps to address burnout as well, such as financial services firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
At face value, this seems like a sound strategy, but according to Gallup, it’s not only the number of hours people work that matters but also how they’re managed and their overall work experience. Gallup's research shows that the top five factors that cause burnout are "unfair treatment at work," "unmanageable workload," "unclear communication from managers," "lack of manager support" and "unreasonable time pressure."
This is something I have successfully emphasized while working with companies in various industries as they implemented remote-work strategies necessitated by the pandemic. Senior executives and managers alike must take into account those top five burnout causes—and take steps to mitigate them—if they want to keep employees engaged and productive. Below are a few of my recommendations for getting started:
"When people feel inspired, motivated and supported in their work, they do more work—and that work is significantly less stressful on their overall health and wellbeing," Gallup said.
To me, it’s not surprising that the upheaval caused by the coronavirus has contributed to burnout. And, while certainly not the only factor, burnout may well contribute to what’s been called "the Great Resignation." A record-breaking 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That record followed on the heels of other record-breaking months and impacted most industries. Obviously, the goal for company leaders is not to lose good employees in the first place and avoid the costs involved in finding and training replacements.
But what can be done to help ease the burden of burnout?
What about giving employees a break—making them take time off to unwind from the daily pressures and workload? Many companies have tried that approach. Dating app Bumble, for example, closed for a week to give its 700 employees the opportunity to alleviate their stress and recharge their batteries. Similarly, LinkedIn initiated a paid week off for most of its 15,900 full-timers. Other companies are taking steps to address burnout as well, such as financial services firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
At face value, this seems like a sound strategy, but according to Gallup, it’s not only the number of hours people work that matters but also how they’re managed and their overall work experience. Gallup's research shows that the top five factors that cause burnout are "unfair treatment at work," "unmanageable workload," "unclear communication from managers," "lack of manager support" and "unreasonable time pressure."
This is something I have successfully emphasized while working with companies in various industries as they implemented remote-work strategies necessitated by the pandemic. Senior executives and managers alike must take into account those top five burnout causes—and take steps to mitigate them—if they want to keep employees engaged and productive. Below are a few of my recommendations for getting started:
"When people feel inspired, motivated and supported in their work, they do more work—and that work is significantly less stressful on their overall health and wellbeing," Gallup said.
