If your cynicism is taking over at work, if you have to drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started, if you lack the energy to be productive, if you are a stressed and disinterested employee and if it is also affecting your sleep, chances are that you have hit a career burnout and it is time to take a breather. As alien as these feelings may be at first, just know that you are not alone. Rather, this has become a mass phenomenon that has the world in a chokehold.
An overworked joke that this society is quite familiar with is the one about lazy workers and ‘kids these days’ where it is mostly Gen Z and younger millennials who are at the receiving end. However, a recent Gallup poll called ‘State of the Global Workplace 2023’ has found that employees worldwide are experiencing high levels of stress, disengagement from their jobs, and conflicts with their supervisors and that it is not just ‘kids these days’.
The study examined how workers perceive their work and lives, which can have a significant impact on the performance and resilience of organisations.
The survey results showed that a considerable 59% of the workers are disengaged, meaning they are not actively invested in their work. About 44% of the employees said they are under a lot of stress at work. Additionally, 18% of employees fall into the category of “loud quitting”, indicating that they are actively disengaged from their jobs while still remaining employed.
The study estimated that this lack of engagement is having a substantial economic impact, costing the global economy approximately US$ 9 trillion. This suggests that the disconnect between workers and their jobs has far-reaching implications for both individual organisations and the overall global economy.
The anatomy of disengagement
“By the time I am done with work, I am so worn out that I barely have the energy to walk straight or breathe” is something that we hear more often than a ‘good morning’ or a ‘good night’ greeting. And this is mostly due to stress.
The nexus between stress and disinterest is often a result of multifaceted issues that collectively chip away at an individual’s connection to their work. A significant driver is the pace of the digital age which constantly blurs the line between work and personal life. This acts as an added pressure on the employee because they may not know where their work life begins and ends. Most days seem like an enjambment with no clear-cut full stop that indicates when they reported to and signed off from work. The incessant pressure to meet deadlines, coupled with the compulsion to be on standby and available around the clock, leads to burnout and kills any enthusiasm. Which leads to disengagement.
When employees were asked by Gallup as to what would make their jobs more likeable, a substantial portion of them did not even mention salary or benefits. But their complaints were all stemming from concerns such as lack of autonomy, unclear goals and not being acknowledged for the value they bring to the workplace.
The stress that most employees are subjected to also stems from being exposed to poor leadership. The primary cause for individuals leaving their jobs is having a poor boss or immediate supervisor. Effective leadership and adept management play a central role in fostering employee engagement and are essential drivers for attaining the objectives of an organisation.
In addition to this, toxic workplace culture is another catalyst that causes employees to lose heart. A condition as such emerges when managers or colleagues engage in harmful behaviours such as claiming credit for others’ efforts, excessive micromanagement, and obstructing the growth of their peers.
These elements combine to create an unhealthy environment that detrimentally affects employees’ careers. This situation can result in heightened stress, anxiety, tiredness, and potentially even depression. Ultimately, it undermines employees’ effectiveness and belittles their overall commitment to the organisation.
All of these amount to a giant stress ball and the employees will eventually be on their last leg. This is when they move into the ‘employee burnout’ phase.
This is a condition that is even recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO) where it refers to a specific form of workplace stress. It encompasses a sense of overall discontentment with one’s job and an exhaustion that seeps into mental, physical and even emotional aspects. In simple, the brain of an employee will be satiated to a point where even a morsel of more work will result in a nauseated feeling.
From an organisational perspective, the situation can result in higher rates of employee turnover, attrition and a negative impact on the workplace culture. These consequences can have broader implications on the overall performance of the business.
Seeking solutions
A diagnosis of the symptoms that a disengaged and stressed workforce shows is a clear indication that right about now would be an excellent time to take measures. Most employees can be stressed when they are allocated a set of tasks that are above their skill set. When your staff lacks the necessary capabilities to perform their duties with efficiency, their job performance will inevitably suffer.
Consequently, they become susceptible to heightened stress and burnout, resulting in disheartened employees who lack the motivation to fully engage in their roles.
By identifying and bridging the skill gaps within your team via effective, research-based online training, the employees will acquire essential competencies relevant to their responsibilities, accompanied by a renewed sense of self-assurance in their capabilities.
Additionally, this will act as a green flag which frames the company as one that values employees and will go the distance to ensure they possess the aptitude to excel in their roles.
Moreover, employees like to have a sense of bonding and develop a rapport with the rest of the employees and managers. In the absence of such attributes, they tend to shrink away from the workplace dynamics. Engagement from the end of managers and higher-ups matters more than where workers work.
The ongoing discussion among organisations with remote-enabled staff revolves around the optimal work arrangement: remote, hybrid or fully on-site. Remote work enhances flexibility and removes the stain of commuting, while on-site work fosters relationship-building, teamwork and mentorship.
As per Gallup’s analysis, the impact of employee engagement on stress is 3.8 times greater than that of the physical work location. An individual’s job satisfaction is heavily influenced by their interactions with their team and supervisor, overshadowing the effects of whether they work remotely or on-site. The minute that their radar registers that they are being mistreated or ignored at work, they tend to disassociate, either deliberately or unconsciously.
The epidemic of stressed and disinterested workers is a warning sign for organisations to reassess their priorities and foster environments that give prominence to employee well-being and growth. A collective effort that ensures proper leadership, policy changes and nurturing a culture of appreciation is vital to reverse this concerning situation.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)