Employees were experiencing burnout long before Covid-19, but the switch to remote working has placed wellbeing front and center and a greater number of business owners are now committed to creating a healthier workplace.
These are the conclusions of a new report from collaboration platform Slack. The majority of respondents (56 percent) said their employers were already making improvements to work culture, setting up various initiatives to promote wellbeing or provide greater flexibility.
More than a third (36 percent) of the respondents said that companies offering sliding working hours are most attractive. A quarter also fancied organizations who actively fight burnout by being proactive about the mental health and wellness of their employees.
Burnout seems to be a burning issue nowadays. Since March 2020, 3 in 5 (56 percent) workers experienced emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by stress. The figure jumps to 66 percent among those who changed their jobs in the last year.
To tackle the issue, a third (32 percent) of workers in the country would love to see a more mindful culture, with set work boundaries. Employees also said they were worried remote working perks would be withdrawn after the pandemic subsides.
“Business leaders must take employee experience to the next level, in order to benefit from the new post-pandemic trend of hybrid working,” said Stuart Templeton, Head of Slack UK.
“They need to take time to connect with people and be more aware of everyone’s physical and mental health. This means creating a culture that champions employee wellbeing and provides workers with the right tools to be productive, both at home and in the new-look office environment.”