Despite the allure of turning our calendars to 2021 and putting 2020 behind us, ringing in the new year will not immediately sweep out our “new normal.” Zoom meetings and kitchen-tables-turned-classrooms-and-home-offices will continue for some time. Though critical to surviving the crisis, these measures are taking a toll on employees, particularly women, people of color, and those with caregiving responsibilities. Indeed, burnout — defined as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” — is at an all-time high.
Help Your Team Beat WFH Burnout
The widespread shift to remote work brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is here to stay for a while longer, and may even persist after the crisis is finally over. The past several months have shown that women, people of color, and people with caregiving responsibility are experiencing higher levels of burnout, which can lead to anxiety, lowered productivity, and even departure from the workforce. Leaders must understand which of their employees may be particularly at risk of pandemic-related burnout and take steps to protect them from it. Three concrete steps can do this during and after the pandemic and benefit the entire organization. First, proactively check in on your employees. Second, offer flexible work arrangements. Finally, make sure remote workers actually take some recovery time.