Wood Words

How has COVID-19 Impacted the workforce?

How has COVID-19 impacted workplace well-being… for the long term?

COVID-19 has been a challenge for us all. In the short term, it forced changes to the way we worked and the processes we followed for safety. But the situation has added to already-present stress and in the long-term, workers are suffering mental health problems as a result.

Burnout was already a concern

Overworked and mentally drained employees already existed prior to COVID-19. Burnout is an issue that reduces productivity and job satisfaction and often leads to turnover. However, not all organizations are equipped to provide burned-out employees with the right support.

Additional stress from COVID-19

The pandemic introduced new stress into already stressful work situations. On top of their job duties, employees had to adjust to safety precautions and fully remote or hybrid schedules. Many essential employees were faced with an increased workload on top of new policies and procedures for safety. While workers in some industries, such as health care, found themselves handling ever-increasing demands, many work-from-home employees found themselves with longer workdays and less work-life balance. And on top of it all was the worry of getting sick.

A Harvard Business Review survey of 1,500 respondents reported that:

  • 89% said their work/life balance was getting worse.
  • 85% said their well-being had declined.
  • 56% said their job demands had increased.
  • 62% were struggling to manage their workloads had experienced burnout “often” or “extremely often” over the past three months.

Providing support is critical

As an employer, providing the support employees need for better work/life balance and on-the-job well-being is important. The following tactics can help:

  • Reviewing and adjusting workloads
  • Offering more flexibility in work schedules
  • Honestly addressing what we’re all feeling, rather than brushing it aside
  • Allowing some meetings to be held by phone, rather than video
  • Encourage workers to ask for help when they need it

Need to staff up?

As many workers adjust to returning to the office and worries crop up over the Delta variant, stress and burnout persist in many companies. To handle workloads, you may find yourself in need of additional staff. And Wood Personnel can help. To learn more about our available staffing services, contact us today!

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email