National polling of the U.S. workforce indicates a majority of employees are burnt out (58 percent), up from 45 percent in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among employees who report burnout, 35 percent say it is attributable to COVID-19 circumstances, up from 25 percent in April.
These findings are contained in the 2020 Eagle Hill Consulting COVID-19 Employee Burnout Survey conducted on April 8-10, 2020, and August 13-17, 2020.
“Labor Day can serve as an inflection point for employers to re-calibrate with their workforce,” says Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. “This level of burnout is problematic and could increase as millions of employees continue to work from home, and many schools remain unable to fully open. We’re in this pandemic for the long haul, and employers have got to find a way to make workloads sustainable for employees and better equip managers to lead. Otherwise, companies risk harming their bottom line and brand.”
When asked about the causes of burnout:
— 47 percent attribute burnout to their workload.
— 39 percent say it’s balancing work and their personal life.
— 37 percent indicate it stems from a lack of communication, feedback and support.
— 30 percent point to time pressures and a lack of clarity around expectations.
— More than a quarter (28 percent) say it’s performance expectations.
The 2020 Eagle Hill Consulting COVID-19 Employee Burnout Survey was conducted online by Ipsos on April 8-10, 2020, and August 13-17, 2020. Each online survey included more than 1,000 respondents from a random sample of employees across the United States. The survey polled respondents on COVID-19 and its potential impact on their work experience and environment.
Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Strategy & Performance, Talent, and Change. The company’s expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, from financial services to healthcare to media & entertainment. Eagle Hill has offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Boston, MA and Seattle, WA. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.