Stressed businessman
Employees are more stressed and burnt out than ever, due in part to rising health care costs, financial vulnerability, and fears about the long term wellbeing of their families. A new study by Aflac found that 3 in 5 Americans say they are affected by burnout at work and 38% of employees say they have high levels of stress, compared to only 33% in 2023.
According to the study, both younger employees and Hispanic employees were more likely to experience greater burnout and higher stress levels than their counterparts. The data shows that 66% of millennials say they are facing moderate to high burnout, compared to only 55% of Gen X and 39% of boomers. Additionally, the study found that Hispanic employees were twice as likely to feel very high levels of burnout compared to non-Hispanic employees.
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“In an ever-changing ecosystem, the results of the Aflac WorkForces Report reinforce the importance of employers doubling down on their understanding of what drives stress and potential signs of burnout among their employees,” said Jeri Hawthorne, senior vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer, Aflac Incorporated. “With a keen grasp of the pain points, employers can proactively develop programs and put measures in place to ensure employees feel supported both on and off the clock.”
Heavy workloads and long work hours were both key contributors of workplace stress identified by the study.
As a result of these increased stressors, 50% of employees have admitted to at least one counterproductive behavior that represents a “quiet quitting” approach to work. Thirty-seven percent of employees surveyed admitted to not performing all of the tasks required in their job description and 47% admitted to taking on secondary work without getting permission from their employers.
“Understanding performance dynamics of all workplace models is crucial for employers as they try to create work environments that will satisfy their employees and keep productivity at peak levels,” said Hawthorne. “At the same time, employees may need to understand that decreases in productivity will signal to employers that their current model, whether on-site, remote or hybrid, is not working and they will likely consider changes.”
Many organizations are addressing employee burnout with corporate social responsibility efforts (CSR). But the study found that while 91% of employees report CSR initiatives have a positive impact on their well-being, 1 in 4 employees say they aren’t aware of their employers’ CSR initiatives.
“Employers can help improve employee well-being and create more engagement and participation by increasing internal communication and external storytelling efforts,” the study said.
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