Over 50% employees are experiencing workplace burnout and looking for more supportive organizations. The great resignation is a result of great reflection where with the increased realization of vulnerability of human life, people are questioning their own choices, and reflecting on whether their workplace supports them in leading a holistic life. 

Workplaces are taking burnout seriously

World Health Organization (WHO) describes Burn-out as an ‘occupational phenomenon' resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by: (1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, (2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and (3) reduced professional efficacy.

With our work and personal lives entangled like never before, organizations can no longer rely on old periodic-event-based wellbeing initiatives for avoiding burnout. Future wellbeing needs a daily focus to ensure higher commitment at work and a happier + healthier life.

Organizations are looking inwards, reflecting on their environments and treating wellbeing as a business priority: (1) articulating a business case for wellbeing, (2) measuring current wellbeing levels, (3) setting wellbeing goals with leaders and managers, (4) reporting progress & rewarding success.

While initiatives like insurance, medical help, health and wellness assistance programs have become a norm, employees today increasingly expect custom benefits that support their own stage of life. Here are 4 options that are creating a positive impact:

1. Training managers on empathy

Organizations are investing in training managers in supporting wellbeing and not leaving manager-employee relationships in this area to chance. They are coaching managers to not use the one size fits all approach and be more flexible by: (1) giving more control to team members on their work schedules to navigate work - life challenges, (2) managing workload + ensuring adequate staffing and (3) listening to them regularly & checking what support can they provide to make things easier.  

Even in businesses where work from home is not possible, manager support has been the primary driver for workplace engagement. Studies in health care and grocery store settings reported training programs for managers to increase personal needs-supportive behaviors, resulted in promising findings for work-life balance and health. Organizations also benefited because teams whose managers underwent this training reported higher job satisfaction, better job performance, and less interest in leaving their jobs.

2. Caring for the caregiver

A Mckinsey report says, managers who are parents, and in particular women, provide much of the social support in organizations. Their report revealed that women managers have supported employee well-being throughout the pandemic at a higher rate than their male counterparts. Losing these women could erode an organization’s social fabric, further intensifying the burnout that companies have been grappling with since the pandemic began.

When Gretchen Goldman, scientist & research director, posted her honest photos (below) of working from home, they resonated with everyone and went viral globally. She says "I felt like I wanted to be honest about the situation. Parents, especially moms, are struggling right now. It's really hard."

The blurring of lines between home+work & the relentless pandemic has taken a huge toll on caregivers. Organizations understand this and have introduced more flexible policies and leave programs for support.

For example, when Google’s recent annual employee survey reported a decline in well-being, the company decided to expand parental leave, caregiver leave and paid vacation time for all.

3. Simple actions like fewer and shorter meetings

Eric Yuan, the CEO of Zoom was asked whether he ever gets Zoom fatigue, he said: "I do! I can tell you. Last April [one day], I had a total of 19 Zoom meetings! I'm so tired of that! I do not have any back-to-back meetings anymore. I think I feel much more comfortable."

Organizations are adopting no meeting days, limiting each meeting to 30-45 mins and limiting the number of meetings per day. For example, Citigroup made one day a week off limits to video meetings to combat the mental exhaustion. Fridays were designated a Zoom-free day for internal meetings, CEO Jane Fraser said "When our work regularly spills over into nights, very early mornings, and weekends, it can prevent us from recharging fully, and that isn't good for you nor, ultimately, for Citi."  In addition to no-Zoom Fridays, her memo encouraged employees to take their vacation time and urged them to stop scheduling meetings and calls outside business hours.

4. Bolder experiments with shorter workweeks

For roles which can work from home, organizations are considering permanently limiting work from office days and designing more flexible policies around commuting to office. For roles which need to be onsite and where with 24/7 shift support is needed, organizations are experimenting with flexible shift schedules and shorter work weeks for all. For example instead of having 3 shifts for 6 days, organizations are now experimenting with 2 shifts with a 4 day work week.

4 day workweek experiments have provided positive results with increased productivity, improved wellbeing and lower costs for both employees and organizations. With the new code of wages and gig economy boost in India, this is another initiative that organizations are likely to adopt to attract & retain talent in these times.

The future of work is here, like technology, people practices also need to evolve to support humans in achieving more with less. That means we need to test some new rules. Organizations focused on personal wellbeing, reducing burnout and measuring impact instead of hours are willing to experiment as they know going back to the old normal makes no human sense.