Why Service Workers are Burned Out
The World Health Organization recognized burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” in 2019. While it’s often discussed about office workers, studies show service-sector workers are uniquely affected by burnout, thanks to a combination of factors including long workdays, odd hours and a lack of regular time off. Many nations, including the United States, are often under-paid, under-resourced and undervalued, with no sick pay or holiday-pay provision. This article touches on topics of Burnout in the workplace, burnout prevention and the fact that self-care is not the cure for burnout, featuring commentary from Jennifer Moss Author of The Burnout Epidemic.
From the article:
Industry exodus
Moss says the pandemic has made it easier for burnt-out workers like Oliver to make career changes. “We’ve all gone through 20 months of facing our own mortality,” she says. “We have questioned, intentionally, what we want to do with our lives, what we want to do with work. We’ve also learned high levels of emotional flexibility, which makes you much more open to change.”
Half of former hospitality workers looking for other work say no pay increase or incentive would make them return to their old restaurant, bar or hotel job
If companies in the service industry want to keep their employees, they may need to start playing a major role in combatting burnout. Among entry-level staff, Moss says the relationship has long been transactional. “There is an expectation that they are going to leave, and we need to stop thinking like that,” she explains. “That means changing the way that we support those employees.”
This could be allowing workers to share their gripes openly without fear of repercussions, ensuring all assigned workloads are sustainable, checking in with employees to gauge their well-being and making workers aware of clear steps for career advancement.
“We’re in a paradigm-shifting moment in our workforce right now,” adds Moss. “Those companies that did a good job of listening to people, caring about their mental health, providing them with the support they needed, developing trust, building two-way communication and feedback – those types of organisations are the ones that will see their employees stay.”
Moss hopes the current situation may serve as a wake-up call, heightening awareness of burnout and its effects not just in office cubicles and hospital wards but also behind café counters and store registers. And with more attention to the problem, perhaps all of us can begin to reflect on our own interactions with service industry workers and start the process of de-normalising the poor behaviour reported in recent months, too.
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