There is no doubt that employee burnout and mental health issues have been a persistent problem in recent years. But despite employers’ various investments in employee benefits to combat stress and improve emotional well-being, employees still face significant anxiety.
According to one study, well over half of employees (57%) experience at least moderate levels of burnout. recent Aflac report. At the same time, employees’ confidence that their employer cares about them has declined significantly: 48% said they are confident their employer will care about them in 2023, compared to 56% in 2022 and 59% in 2021.
And, said Aflac CHRO Jeri Hawthorne, with a presidential election approaching — and the polarization and heated conversations that come with it — coupled with financial worries, long work hours and other factors stress, burnout could be even more of a problem this year.
“Mental and emotional well-being will be a major topic, especially heading into an election year,” Hawthorne said. “People tend to have much more polarized opinions. Maybe five or ten years ago, people could just disagree and have different views on certain topics, but today the situation has become much more polarized and sometimes even aggressive. Mental health – and areas aimed at reducing stress and improving emotional wellbeing – will be a major priority for next year.
Human resources managers, Hawthorne explained, should be at the forefront of helping to improve statistics and employee situations.
SHRM online recently spoke with Hawthorne about the reasons for employee burnout, its impact on the workplace, and how HR leaders should plan an improved benefits strategy in 2024.
SHRM online: How big is the problem of burnout in the workplace, and to what extent should this be a call to action for employers?
Hawthorn: This is significant. Since the pandemic, we have continued to see an escalation of stress and burnout. Stressed people are less productive, and not only are they less productive, but there are also higher levels of absenteeism and irritability in the workplace, which sometimes creates a behaviorally toxic culture and can certainly create employee relations problems. Burned-out employees are less likely to go above and beyond customer expectations, so you actually have a downstream impact on your business’s performance.
On top of that, exhausted people will think about quitting their job, especially if they feel that their employers don’t care about them, take care of them, or help (to improve) the situation. Nearly half of employees surveyed this year don’t think their company really cares about them. So there may also be an impact from a staff turnover perspective.
SHRM online: This figure that employees don’t think their employer cares about them is obviously problematic. Why do you think fewer employees think their employer cares about them, and how does that contribute to some of the problems we’re seeing?
Hawthorn: That’s a very good question. I think this is driven by several things. When you turn on the television or read the news online, there is a lot of negativity about what is happening in the political environment, what is happening geopolitically, and conflicts in the world. Inflation is at an all-time high, so when employees go to the store or the gas pump, their dollar doesn’t go as far. A lot of these factors lead employees to say, “Hey, everywhere I turn, there’s this kind of negative pressure. And besides, I have to go to work, I have to work hard and nothing changes. Many employees tell us they would actually prefer more time off to engage in self-care rather than a pay increase. This shows how important it is for them to take care of themselves and to see the company committed to well-being.
SHRM online: Very interesting. So what can and should employers do to show their employees they care and try to correct this statistic?
Hawthorn: It is incumbent on employers, both because it is the right thing to do and because it leads to better performance for their customers, to proactively and actively engage employees around these topics. This involves reminding employees of paid leave; remind them of the (benefits) available; remind employees that if they are not feeling well, they can stay home. We’ve proven for two and a half years that people can mostly work remotely. So if people have the option to work remotely if they’re not feeling well or their children aren’t feeling well, it’s important to give employees the option to do so and ensure that they can take time off when they need it. It’s also important for companies to give their employees the opportunity to give back, volunteer, or even donate through payroll, as there is a direct correlation between employee well-being and feeling good in his skin, in his company and in what the company actually does.
The other thing from an HR perspective is to make all these offerings, tools and programs understandable. They need to be ready when people need them, so they’re not searching through the maze of a company portal or trying to call a 1-800 call center for a benefits team. It’s important for businesses to proactively ensure employees know what offers are available, where to find them, and how to use them, and that they have an easy way to access this information.
SHRM online: Is communication and ease of understanding one of the missing elements and a reason why some of these welfare numbers are not improving much?
Hawthorn: That’s part of it. I think most companies offer a lot of (benefits), and it’s really about making sure people know what they have and understand how to navigate it, because it can be overwhelming. I mean, I work in HR and I think it can be overwhelming.
It’s about helping employees navigate all of these different offerings. It’s difficult and you can’t just do it on open enrollment. Many companies are fantastic at open enrollment: they make beautiful brochures, host a benefits fair, and bring in vendors. But it’s once a year. It’s really necessary to continually engage employees: to talk to them – and talk to them again and again – about the different wellness programs you offer.
SHRM online: We are at the beginning of the year. Is there anything in particular that employers and HR managers should keep in mind regarding benefits communication and strategy?
Hawthorn: I think it’s a good idea for teams to sit down and ask themselves: “What are the key areas we want to focus on in 2024?” Where should we focus on employee education? And when do we think it should be done, and how often? (At Aflac) we provide a calendar and (timeline) of topics that we focus on each month and engage vendors in. Sometimes we tell stories and post them on our internal portal and ask employees to go and read them at their leisure.
We will offer a webinar or in-person session on a specific benefit several times per month. We do this outside of open enrollment so employees have the opportunity to train. We host financial wellness planning sessions throughout the year. And as we recruit new employees, we also actively introduce them to benefits. Sometimes we focus on specific demographics, whether they are women, employees planning a family, employees with children preparing to go to college, or employees approaching of retirement.
The other thing employers should think about at the start of the year is talking to employees, asking their opinions on benefits, or even conducting a survey. Ask them what they are looking for, what they want help with, what benefits they are interested in. You should ask them, “What else can we do?” Then try to act on the feedback.
