The Great Resignation - Well-being at Workplace

The Great Resignation – Well-being at Workplace

The years 2021-22 saw a trend that hurt the corporate giants worse than the covid-19 pandemic, “The Great Resignation”. The Great Resignation is a term used to describe the high number of employees resigning and migrating to different opportunities, this has left organisations desperate to fill key positions. But what caused this sudden want of employees to separate themselves from their employers? Was it related to stagnancy in growth?

The pandemic saw firms firing employees in huge numbers, calling it a strategic move to cut costs and improve the efficiency of operations. This caused the now remaining employees to take up the excess workload which was previously taken care of by other roles in the firm. The firm on the other hand did not increase the pay and decided to turn this into the “New Normal”.

How Is It a Mental Health Issue?

A thankless job, working extra hours, and no increment in pay lead to a tipping point for many employees. In a work culture where empathy was lacking and work-life balance was getting worse by the day, the natural choice for employees was to look in a different direction.

A study from Uprise health shows that:

43% of employees feel overloaded with work
39% feel frustrated with their co-workers
28% feel their contribution at work remains unrecognized

By now it’s pretty obvious that The Great Resignation is a Mental Health crisis.

But How can the employees cope with it?

Identify the symptoms of getting Burnt out: Symptoms of work burnout include fatigue, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness/hopelessness, and difficulty with satisfaction and interest in work.
Draw a work Schedule: Work efficiently by planning ahead, creating a work schedule and a priority or To-do list and working towards completing the goals. This helps by proving a sense of accomplishment and is easier to track.
Take breaks in between:Ideally, take a small break to stretch, walk or get a snack every 2 hours, away from the screen and work. This helps your mind relax and recharge.
Ask for help: There seems to be prejudice in asking for help by a lot of us, as it makes us look weak. But remember if you need help, ask for it.
Self Care: Indulge in activities that you enjoy, the activities that relax you. This is a good way to recharge your mind and body and keep yourself energised.
If it gets toxic at work, walk away: Every employee is entitled to dignity and equality. If your workplace is constantly making you question your worth and undervaluing your contributions, walk away.

The road to improvement is a two-way street where amends have to be made from the recruiter’s end as well. A fun Friday or office outing won’t cut it.

But How can the employers cope with it?

Do away with the culture of employees having to provide justification for taking leaves, this discourages a lot of people to ask for leaves especially if it’s for mental health.
Stop patronizing overworking and staying late in the office and making it synonymous with hard work. Identify the area of improvement required for an employee to get better and be more efficient.
Listen to your employees, conduct polls or ask for opinions in meetings regarding issues that will directly affect their work-life balance.
Recognize the talent amongst your employees and reward them for a job well done. It boosts morale and provides a sense of belonging, that way you don’t lose an employee and they happily work on their job.
Seek to find ways to improve the employees instead of firing them, chances are they will improve and make a considerable contribution to your project after overcoming challenges. This helps create a sense of Job security and a will to do better.

To Summarize the article

With the Pandemic changing the way, business is conducted and work is getting done, it’s very important to recognize that employees are not machines and they need to be treated with empathy and provided support from time to time. A workplace where the employee gets a sense of security, growth and a positive work environment, is the kind of workplace that will retain employees that are happy, efficient and productive.

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