GrokTalk Blog

We all thought it would be over by now. The pandemic, the disruption, the uncertainty. But here we are, 18 months in, and we're still not quite sure what surprises or setbacks are around the next corner. While we're making progress towards getting back to "normal," we're feeling tired and unmotivated, struggling to feel like our old selves. As a result of everything — the relentlessness of everything — senior managers are desperate to help their employees, bring them together, and give them something they can count on.

That's where our new 30-day program, the Employee C.A.R.E. Package, comes in.

Identifying workplace stressors ranks among the crucial issues facing modern industry leaders. Fast-paced technologies and increased drives to complete more tasks at a rapid pace prove counterproductive in the long run. That’s largely because frontline workers experience symptoms of stress, anxiety, and develop an aversion to being at work. Today’s thought leaders have a unique opportunity to pivot away from outdated models that pretend workplace stress doesn’t hamstring the organization. By identifying workplace stressors and making positive change, organizations are better equipped to succeed.

The number of employees struggling with addictive substances has surged since 2018. Nearly half of American workers abused substances, and the number of people who were absent due to alcohol and substances almost doubled through 2020. The issues with drugs and alcohol in the workplace don’t even account for the overuse of prescription drugs.  

Don’t be fooled by the alliteration or juvenile appearance, the Sunday scaries are not something out of a fairy tale or children’s book. Facing the Sunday scaries, like a bad case of the Mondays, is a serious problem that is shared by workers all over the world. 

In the U.S., 83 percent of workers experience work-related stress at the cost of 300 billion dollars a year. Statistics show that mental health conditions are increasing, and occupational stress plays a role. Incorporating stress management in the workplace can create a healthy environment that supports employees and their emotional health and wellbeing. 

Employee burnout is responsible for an estimated 125 billion to 190 billion dollars in healthcare costs each year in the U.S. Stress with a job is not new. Still, this particular brand of it does appear to be escalating. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared employee burnout an “occupational phenomenon” in the 11the version of the International Classification of Diseases. What causes employee burnout, and what can employers do to prevent it? 

At work, you’re prepping for the 2020 benefits year, reviewing company policies, running year-end reports, and recovering from office holiday parties. At home, you’re prepping for family get-togethers, reviewing shopping receipts, running last-minute errands, and recovering from late nights spent watching endless holiday movies.

Is it really any wonder that the World Health Organization considers stress to be the “health epidemic of the 21st century?” Stress weighs heavily on the minds (and bodies) of employees today:

A healthy workplace is a happy workplace. Most employers today are aware of this: 80% of organizations provide wellness resources and information, and 70% of organizations offer wellness programs.

It’s an effort embraced by many healthcare providers, but given the most typical source of stress and the high cost to employers, it’s an initiative that would make a lot of sense for companies to take seriously.

Burnout isn’t always about work. That new mom for whom you just threw a “welcome back” party – the one with the increasingly dark circles around her eyes? And that dad with three kids under 10, who looks like he’s struggling to stay awake during afternoon meetings? Parenting burnout, not work burnout, is what’s hurting these people.

A recent study of parental burnout published in Frontiers in Psychology found that the symptoms mirrored that of work burnout: exhaustion, emotional withdrawal, and feelings of inadequacy. The study found that 12% of parents surveyed suffered from high levels of burnout – that is, experiencing all of these symptoms in a single week.

In her latest post, Grokker CEO Lorna Borenstein urged us to make it personal. As Lorna tells us, “By making employees and their families the focal point of your company, you create a community.”

Numerous studies have shown that social support plays a key role in both health and overall happiness. A January study found that people who feel socially connected to family or friends have lower health risks. Researchers found that socially-integrated teens were 48 percent less likely to be obese, and older adults who were socially integrated were 54 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure.

Karl’s co-workers have noticed that he hasn’t been himself lately. Once collaborative, energetic, and deadline-driven, Karl now snaps at people in meetings, is lethargic, and requires multiple reminders to submit his reports. He always seems to be watching the clock, yet constantly complains about feeling like he doesn’t have enough time in the day to get everything done.

Karl is exhibiting classic signs of burnout. Coined in the 1970s by the psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, there is no single, widely accepted definition of burnout¹. However, it’s become a fairly widespread modern malady, due in part to our always-on culture.