During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer Moss, who had previously studied burnout extensively and collaborated with organizations to address it, experienced a sense of living in a disaster movie. The pandemic seemed like an approaching wildfire, threatening to engulf an entire city. Despite the preexisting knowledge about burnout, firsthand experience during the pandemic shed light on its true extent and devastating impact.

Before the pandemic, Jennifer had been actively raising concerns, signalling that burnout was rising and was a workplace issue more than a worker issue, and it was causing significant suffering, damaging employees’ happiness and impacting performance.

However, an unprecedented shift occurred when billions of people entered lockdown and workplaces worldwide either fully or partially closed. Remote work became the norm, with platforms like Zoom experiencing a surge in daily active users.

In this article by Jennifer Moss, written for Harvard Business Review, Jennifer explains the sudden and dramatic change in daily routines and work environments, how it exposed the vulnerability and exhaustion experienced by everyone, and how it amplifies the effects of burnout. This eye-opening realization emphasized that burnout is not merely an individual issue but a systemic problem that necessitates organizational solutions.

Just How Bad Is Burnout?

Though occupational burnout emerged in the 1970s, there had been ongoing debates within the medical community about its definition. Finally, in 2019, the World Health Organization recognized burnout as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." This acknowledgment shifted the focus from individual to organizational responsibility in addressing burnout.

To better understand the root causes of burnout, scholars like Christina Maslach, Susan E. Jackson, and Michael Leiter identified six main organizational factors contributing to burnout:

1. Unsustainable workload

2. Perceived lack of control

3. Insufficient rewards for effort

4. Lack of a supportive community

5. Lack of fairness

6. Mismatched values and skills

Despite recognizing these organizational factors, many initiatives and remedies have been centred around self-care, prescribing practices like yoga, meditation apps, and gym memberships. While these tools may enhance well-being, they fall short of preventing burnout. We desperately need upstream interventions that tackle the organizational roots of burnout.

Unmasking Burnout During The Covid-19 Pandemic

To delve deeper into the extent of burnout and its impact during the pandemic, a collaboration between researchers, including Leiter, Maslach, David Whiteside, and myself, created a survey. Combining evidence-based scales like the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS), we gathered insights from over 1,500 respondents across 46 countries, representing various sectors, roles, and seniority levels during the fall of 2020.

The survey results painted a grim picture of burnout as a global problem. Here are some statistics on the pandemic’s impact on workplace well-being:

• 89% of respondents reported that their work life was getting worse.

• 85% said their well-being had declined.

• 56% indicated an increase in job demands.

• 62% of those struggling with their workloads experienced burnout often or extremely often in the previous three months.

• 57% felt that the pandemic significantly affected or completely dominated their work.

• 55% struggled to balance their home and work life, with homeschooling being a specific challenge.

• 25% found it challenging to maintain strong connections with family, 39% with colleagues, and 50% with friends. Only 21% rated their well-being as "good," and a mere 2% rated it as "excellent."

Moreover, the respondents in our survey exhibited higher levels of burnout and predictors like exhaustion and cynicism compared to pre-pandemic data from the MBI-GS. The rise in cynicism reflected a lack of trust in the world, exacerbated by governmental shortcomings and highlighted injustices during the pandemic.

The Seeds of Burnout Planted Pre-Pandemic

While the pandemic undoubtedly intensified burnout, its roots were deeply embedded in our work culture and practices. Consider professions like teaching, where long hours and chronic underpayment were common even before the pandemic. Healthcare workers, especially nurses and physicians, experienced extreme burnout due to notoriously long shifts exceeding 16 hours, despite research showing the correlation between long shifts and increased patient errors.

In other sectors, overwork was celebrated, with individuals glorifying excessive work hours, ignoring research that debunked the idea that working more than 55 hours a week improved job performance. Organizations like Tesla and Amazon had cultures of long hours, perpetuating a harmful work ethic.

Missed Opportunities in the Face of Crisis

As the pandemic unfolded, many organizations failed to recognize the true impact and initially expected a quick resolution. Instead of analyzing and adapting to the changing circumstances, they relied on temporary measures that worsened burnout.

1. Failure to Adjust Workloads

Overwork contributed significantly to burnout, with emails and work demands encroaching on personal time. Many employees felt overwhelmed by the constant pressure to produce, and boundaries between work and personal life blurred.

2. Lack of Control and Flexibility

Parents faced an unprecedented challenge, juggling homeschooling, remote work, and household chores. Organizations that failed to provide flexibility during these difficult times disproportionately impacted women, leading to a decline in maternal labour force participation with grave consequences.

3. The Rise of Virtual Meetings and Screen Time

Video calls, while vital for remote collaboration, took a toll on employees' well-being, leading to video call fatigue. Longer workdays and an increase in meetings contributed to heightened stress and exhaustion.

4. Ignoring the Extent of People's Struggles

Some employees faced tragic consequences of burnout, emphasizing the urgent need to recognize and address the struggles faced by individuals in a crisis.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the deep-rooted issue of burnout. Still, it highlighted the urgent need for organizations to prioritize their employees' well-being and implement effective strategies to address burnout's organizational roots. As we continue to navigate life beyond this global crisis, a collective effort is required to build a work culture that promotes balance, flexibility, and empathy. By taking proactive steps and addressing the systemic factors contributing to burnout, we can create a healthier and more sustainable work environment for the future.

Would you like to connect with Jennifer Moss? She's an internationally renowned female public speaker, an award-winning author of Unlocking Happiness at Work and The Burnout Epidemic, and a distinguished UN Global Happiness Committee member, ready to offer her help!

Jennifer is consistently engaged on LinkedIn, where she's eager to connect and dive deeper into the latest trends in workplace well-being and employee happiness. Let's continue the conversation there!