Workplaces are by no means created equal. What remains relatively constant is the fact that leaders set the precedent, as we discussed in our earlier blog post, Follow the Leader.
That is why a particular stat from Udemy Report (2019) sticks out to us. They found that 59% of managers feel pressure to work through lunch. As most employees observe the tone of their manager and follow their lead, employees are likely to adopt the behaviors of their first workplaces and carry that with them when they become managers.
However, it's important to note that the current work climate is often separated by generation:
Gen Z and Millennials tend to be the employees
Older Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers tend to be the managers
And your generation matters because there is a VAST difference in feelings of burnout depending on the generation that you are a part of, even with a constant definition of burnout.
There are three significant components to note from this data:
Gen Z and Millennials have a pretty consistent definition of burnout for themselves. They know how to identify it, even if they do not know how to remedy it.
Within a year, Gen X felt significantly more burnout.
Baby Boomes don't feel burnt out. But it doesn't mean they aren't or haven't experienced burnout.
Our intention at Spark This Day is to co-create a world where burnout is the exception, not the norm. Thus, we help folks in getting better at identifying burnout in themselves and others through our programming. Because, you can only make changes in the workplace when you are aware of the problem at hand--albeit the 59% of managers who feel they need to work through lunch or the reply to an email that comes in at 11:30pm on a Friday evening.
Much of this work starts with the leaders and helping them identify effective boundaries for themselves, setting the expectation for their staff. One way we are doing that is through this month's Say No Challenge! Join us!