Are COVID-19-related pressures burning out your people?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought massive uncertainty to South African and global businesses. Psychologist James Gower says that up to 80% of employees – especially those working remotely – feel the need to prove to that they are working hard. With fear of retrenchment looming large for many employees, people are burning the candle at both ends to prove that they are worth keeping. Gower adds that, on average, those working from home are working nearly four additional days a month. Many employees also feel that managers have begun to disregard working hours, making demands of them at all hours and causing workloads to double or triple. Employees feel that they need to be online and available as much as possible. As restrictions ease and these exhausted employees return to the workplace, the risk of a burnt-out workforce is more real than ever before. What do we all need to know to take care of our mental and physical health at this challenging time and recognise the signs of burnout before we suffer serious harm?