The pandemic had made employee lives more stressful in almost two thirds of employees according to a May 2020 study by Modern Health. Over half (57%) of the employees stated that their life had never been more stressful and anxiety-ridden with almost half (46 %) stating that they were worried about how they were going to provide for themselves and their family.

This finding echos the  ‘Burning the Candle: Strategies to Combat Workplace Burnout’ report by Robert Walters, where just under half of managers (47%) fear their employees may suffer from ‘burnout’ due to the changing work pattern brought about by COVID-19.

Over a third of staff (36 %) reported that their mental health has suffered during the COVID-19 crisis. Despite 35 % stating they have been more productive whilst remote working, 87 per cent have felt more pressure to keep productivity levels high to prove the case to their employers to allow remote working post-COVID-19.

Whilst burnout isn’t a new issue within the workforce, a new study commissioned by The Office Group has discovered that the age at which it starts to seriously affect workers is dropping rapidly. The research polled 2,000 workers and found that many are now experiencing career burnout by the early age of 32. Approximately 59% of the respondents blamed it on working long hours, noting the increase started when they transitioned to remote employment due to coronavirus lockdowns – some have worked an extra 59 hours in five months. A further third blamed their exhaustion on the need for remote working as coronavirus continues to affect working life and the mix between working to live or living at work.

When quizzed on why this time has been difficult, 31% reported feeling obligated to continue working past the end of the working day now that their office is at home. 27% also noted that they miss the socialising with colleagues and that this respite from work simply no longer exists.

In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised ‘burnout’ as a legitimate medical diagnosis.

According to the Robert Walters’ Burnout Guide, there are six key areas which can lead to or exasperate workplace burnout. They are:

  • Unmanageable workload expectations
  • Lack of autonomy and control
  • Lack of recognition
  • Poor company culture
  • Lack of equal opportunities and fairness
  • Lack of purpose

The number one priority for businesses should be to create an environment where employees feel able to be open about any mental health challenges they may face. Without a positive culture around mental health, employers lose a valuable opportunity to proactively support their employees.  Further, Companies must put defences in place and guard against elements which might cause stress and anxiety, and looking forward, they must make robust changes to ensure employees are protected, particularly during times of uncertainty.

Here are just a few suggestions of  some of the things businesses are doing to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their employees.

  • Ensuring regular 1:1s and check-ins are taking place, and the manageability of workload levels discussed and adjusted where required.
  • Regularly pulse check – running frequent check-in surveys to monitor the health of your workforce so you can take action quickly on any hotspots.
  • Allowing staff to work more flexibly giving them greater freedom over when and where they fulfil their corporate responsibilities. The level of flexibility needed will likely vary from person to person therefore it is crucial that employers ask employees about the level of support that they need.
  • Relaxing core hours rules to cater for those who might want to use recreational and exercise facilities when they are less busy, or to respond to family commitments.
  • Re-designing offices ergonomically – to create a compelling workplace experience they crave then the freedom to choose home or office environments.
  • Instilling recharge days – bonus vacation where the whole office closes for all or part of a day.
  • Enhancing work health insurances to provide mental health support
  • Emotional literacy training workforce wide – ensuring staff have a common language to discuss mental health.
  • Mental Health & Resilience Training for Managers – to help them understand and respond to employees suffering poor mental health. This can improve managers’ abilities to listen to and support their employees, equipping them with knowledge, self-awareness and empathy as well as boost their own resilliance.
  • Instilling digital free time zones to allow staff to step away from computer screens
  • Regularly Communicating Cultural Standards – Some mental health issues may be caused by the workplace itself, such as excessive workloads or bullying so reinforcing what is expected and ensuring open channels for feedback and whistleblowing are available.

If you would like support with designing your wellbeing and culture strategy to ensure it is well placed to guard against burnout please get in touch on hello@HROptimisation.co.uk

 

 

 

Hannah Powell