Back-to-back Zoom calls. Long hours staring at screens. Answering emails before and after working hours. Not taking enough breaks.
On top of managing their work, employees are navigating through the fear, loneliness, and stress of an unprecedented global pandemic; add in family responsibilities, childcare, and subsequent lockdowns, and it’s no surprise that workers are stressed out, exhausted, and tired.
So much of the workforce is burned out from working longer hours for months on end. Four in 10 people have suffered from overwork and burnout during the last 12 months.
Burnout is not a new concern, but it remains a pressing issue, our research shows. Thirty four percent of women said mental wellbeing has worsened over the past month. It’s even worse for younger leaders: 54% of young leaders report that they have experienced burnout, the same group who shoulder significant responsibility for future progress.
Around the world, countries and companies are struggling to manage the effects of employee burnout. Companies like LinkedIn and Bumble are shutting down their offices for a week to offer workers a break. Others are giving employees free days off to help ease the pressure of the past year and a half. These are only two examples of countless other trends. From free vacation days to evolving sick day policies, companies are grappling with burnout and trying to figure out how they can help their employees – before it’s too late.
To fully understand the rising and shifting expectations and attitudes of both employees and managers in this new era of work, the Adecco Group commissioned an eight-market study into attitudes, behaviours, and outlooks of office-based workers on the future of work. Resetting Normal: Defining the New Era of Work helped businesses and organizations better navigate uncertain times in 2020.
The second edition of Resetting Normal, which you can download here, builds upon our original research and expands on the outlook for the future of work for 2021 and beyond surveying 14,800 knowledge-workers across 25 countries.