Genuine policies and empathetic leaders help decrease burnout

Employees experience less burnout when they believe their organizational policies are genuine and their leaders demonstrate empathy when creating those policies, according to a survey of nearly 7,000 employees in 14 countries.

According to a recent report from nonprofit Catalyst, 68% of employees viewed COVID-19-related policies for their care and safety at their organizations as performative, rather than genuine. An example of a performative policy is allowing remote work but not providing flexibility for employees who need to manage childcare and schooling. However, the 32% of employees who did see their organizations’ policies as genuine reported being able to balance life-work demands, feeling respected and valued, and experiencing inclusion more than those who didn’t.

Further, employees who believed their leaders demonstrated care and concern for them and used empathy to create policies reported less burnout: they were 30% less likely to have high levels of general work burnout and 29% less likely to have high levels of COVID-19 work burnout.

Source: Catalyst