It can be hard to see the positive side when you have too many responsibilities. In the UK, for example, recruitment company Reed recently discovered that almost nine in ten (85 percent) workers have experienced symptoms of burnout or exhaustion, while almost half (47 percent) have needed to take time off work because of their deteriorating mental health.
Young workers have been facing the most pressure, with 91 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 94 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds saying they have experienced symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and headaches because of their work.
In addition, more than a quarter (26 percent) of workers who have never taken time off for their mental health say they have needed to but were unable to do so because of their workload, fear of judgment, or concerns over their financial situation.
Reed's research also showed that perceptions about mental health issues differed between age groups, with 19 percent of those aged 55 to 64 and 16 percent of those aged between 45 and 54 believing that mental health "should be dealt with outside of work." This is compared to just 8 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds.
In the US, the picture is pretty similar. Only 31% of American employees are engaged, the lowest level in a decade, according to Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplace report.
This matters because engaged employees are emotionally invested in their work and committed to their organization's success — they show up with energy, purpose, and a drive to perform at their best.
According to Gallup, the cumulative impact of employee engagement is seen across key business metrics, from retention to revenue:
- 78% less absenteeism;
- 14% higher productivity;
- 51% lower turnover (low-turnover organizations);
- 21% lower turnover (high-turnover organizations);
- 18% higher sales productivity;
- 10% higher customer loyalty;
- 23% higher profitability.
But if the employees aren't serious about their problems, chances are, they're not at the top of the boardroom's agenda list as well.
One Columbia study found "that executives talk about customers 10 times more often [in earnings calls] than employees. And when they do, executives perceive customers to be analogous to opportunities and employees to risks."
And even when companies mention good employee experience, they still usually act on customer experience.
