Even business leaders are facing wellbeing concerns

Perhaps disturbingly, 73% of executives said they are finding it increasingly difficult to unplug from the workplace and, as a result, seven out of 10 are looking for an exit door to better serve their own wellbeing.

“It’s time for the C-suite to become more health-savvy by embracing the expanding focus on wellbeing in their role. This critical shift will not only benefit their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their people, but also the long-term success of their organizations,” said Jen Fisher, Deloitte’s US chief wellbeing officer.

These leader sentiments toward better health outcomes are being felt by 81% of respondents, according to Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence’s survey of more than 2,100 employees and executives across the US, UK, Canada and Australia in February.

“While it’s promising that so many executives feel they should be responsible for employee wellbeing, many also feel that they aren’t taking enough action,” said Fisher.

Only about two-thirds of executives surveyed said they take all of the personal time off, walk away from the desk during the day, get enough sleep time or spend enough quality time with family and friends.

Around one in three leaders “always” or “often” felt exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed, lonely or depressed, finds the survey.

Social media clues

But for those workers who have had enough of the daily grind, many are leaving organizations en masse, and burnout and mental health concerns are seen as the top reason why this is happening, according to an analysis of 2,698 postings on Twitter and Reddit between March 2021 and May 2022.

Having a bad leader and arguments around the organization’s COVID or masking policies were the next most discussed reasons given for why people have left their jobs.

Rounding out the top causes of discontent are inadequate work-life balance, money or salary concerns, having an empty feeling about their jobs, looking for greener pastures, discrimination on the job and the demands of a second job, according to the analysis courtesy of a StandOut CV survey.

Exodus still strong

While all of this employee movement is not surprising as the “great resignation” remains something that keeps employers and business leaders up at nights, those numbers are rising, according to another new survey done by Robert Half.

Thirty-one per cent (31%) of respondents are currently looking or say they plan to begin searching for a new job during the latter half of 2022, which is a jump from 28% six months ago.

“Companies in Canada continue to face a scarcity of skilled talent,” said David King, Canadian senior managing director of Robert Half. “Attracting and hiring candidates is top of mind for many organizations right now as workers explore new job opportunities that offer higher compensation, better perks and benefits, and remote work options.”

When asked why they are thinking of leaving the organization, the survey of more than 500 workers in Canada found that higher wages (58%), more opportunity to advance their careers (37%) and a desire to work away from the workplace permanently (33%) were cited.

However, being forced back into the workplace is a major problem for more than two in five (41%) remote workers, found another survey by IWG.

When asked if they would consider a new job if they were forced back to the workplace, 45% said they would consider leaving if this happens.

For 81% of respondents, the availability of hybrid work options are favoured.

“Daily commuting is expensive and unnecessary, and it’s clear to see that Canadian employees are taking back control of this time. Employers who don’t offer hybrid working are going to miss out on the best talent. Not only do employees benefit from dramatically improved work-life balance, but by switching to a hybrid model, businesses can expect to save an average of more than $13,000 per employee — all while minimizing their carbon footprint,” said Wayne Berger, CEO of Americas, IWG.

The IWG survey of 1,012 workers was conducted between April 29 and May 2, 2022, and it also pegged a number of benefits of hybrid working.

Work/life balance (84%)
Mental health (80%)
More time for hobbies and to see friends (76%)
Better job performance (74%)