Why Companies Need to Address Pandemic Burnout
I have never seen such a burnt out workforce. Employees begrudgingly go to work every day, doing what they need to do to survive. It is commonplace for leaders to be apathetic towards meeting company objectives, simply going through the motions of their job. A lot of people are confused about what is going on.
The last few years have been extremely stressful for everyone because of the pandemic and all of the changes that have resulted from it. Whether we want to admit it or not, the pandemic was traumatic: so many of us were worried about our and our loved ones’ health and survival while juggling the demands of work and family. Many of us undertook this herculean task without support, while others did it after losing their jobs, and sources of income, at the same time as having to isolate ourselves in order not to become infected by COVID-19.
The last two years have been cortisol-inducing and dysregulating for our nervous systems. Our nervous system is a complex and delicate network and when it isn’t regulated, it can result in depression, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and poor memory.
The only way out of nervous system dysregulation is by allowing the body the time it needs to heal and to regulate itself after prolonged periods of stress. Although taking a deep breath can relieve minor bouts of stress, dire situations require anything from a relaxing weekend to permanently extracting oneself from a taxing environment. However, much more than that is required to heal the long-term exhaustion caused by months of isolation and uncertainty.
To recover from pandemic burnout, it is essential that we be more empathetic towards our employees in order to help them regulate their nervous systems. Most people weren’t fortunate enough to get a break from all their stressors and immediately jumped back into their ‘normal’ lives without having had adequate time to recuperate. With their nervous systems already dysregulated, having to adapt to the quotidian demands of their jobs induced even more stress.
Some of the ways in which I’ve seen this manifest in the workplace is that people are angrier, and it’s because they’re still in survival mode, making management of their emotions harder. They also exercise poorer judgment as a consequence of lingering pandemic-induced ennui, or because their cortisol levels are still high and they’re still overwhelmed. This can be consequential for a company.
The stakes for companies, especially startups, can be perilously high, and, as a result, they have a propensity to squeeze their employees even tighter. Nonetheless, it is crucial that they ensure their employees are, first and foremost, taking care of themselves, otherwise they will remain listless and put minimal effort into their duties. Worse still, their indifference will result in decisions that adversely affect both their teammates’ effectiveness and the company’s bottom line.
Problems that we sweep under the rug don’t miraculously disappear on their own—on the contrary, they usually get worse. If we don’t become proactive in rectifying these problems, businesses will continue paying the price for a burnt out workforce. Everything from increased mental and physical health issues to employee attrition and low productivity will persist.
So what can we do about it?
I always encourage leaders to ask their own employees what they need. Everyone is different, so there's no one-size-fits-all solution, but I have some suggestions on how to tackle the problem based on what I have seen work with clients:
Allow employees to take vacations that are at least a week long, during which time they are completely logged off. Because it takes time for the nervous system to relax, if employees don’t receive sufficient time for their bodies to reset, they won’t settle back into their pre-pandemic selves.
Some companies offer sabbaticals, and if you’re in a position to offer one, I highly recommend you do so. Sabbaticals were a big part of Salesforce’s culture when I worked there, and it unquestionably extended the careers of many of the company’s employees. Not only did it give employees crucial respite from the daily grind of their jobs, it allowed them a break from their normal routines and often resulted in their contributing innovative solutions upon their return. While I worked there, even C-level executives were encouraged to take extended breaks when they needed them, because the company understood that great talent is both difficult to find and to retain, and supporting their self-care efforts resulted in diminished attrition.
For smaller companies that cannot afford sabbaticals, offer your employees flexible hours. I often hear employers talk about how they need their employees to work certain hours, however, I am challenging those leaders to question the necessity of such a rigid rule. If your employees are productive teammates who consistently deliver their objectives and participate in meetings, should you really care which exact hours they work? For knowledge workers, gone are the days that bosses micromanage their lives because results are the only thing that matter.
Some companies offer job share programs that allow more employees to work part-time. I've never understood why more companies don’t offer such flexibility. If those companies would, their workforces would be more productive and it would lengthen employee tenures because individuals would have the freedom to adjust their work hours around their personal lives, and in coming out of the pandemic, it could unlock untold productivity.
As employers, you need to care about your employees’ health and wellbeing, and they will notice! Investing in your employees long-term instead of short-term will accelerate your company’s scaling, allowing your business to be around for many years to come.
