“Employer expectations and employee wellbeing are not mutually exclusive – in fact, it should be in the best interest of employers to put their people first, thereby fostering an environment of mutual trust, appreciation, and success,” Stettler told HRD. “Unfortunately, 26% of Canadians still say that their direct leader expects them to work outside regular business hours. Yet, when Canadians felt like it was up to them to decide when to stop working, there was a 47% increase in wellbeing.”
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This disconnect between employer expectations and employee needs is dangerous – for both parties. As teams report feeling increasingly overworked and underappreciated, it’s now or never for leaders – wellbeing simply will not wait. So, if you don’t want to see a mental health crisis in your organization, try adhering to Stettler’s sound advice.
“Use technology to build meaningful connections through regular one-to-ones, informal chats, and recognition moments,” she told HRD. “In the absence of physical interactions, we’re all struggling to create connections and looking for ways to fill those gaps. As leaders, we need to be sensitively aware of our people by listening, and letting them know they’re supported, on the right track and doing meaningful work. And let’s be honest, doing the expected right now, in many cases, is going above and beyond.
“Our research shows that employees who reported frequent one-to-one conversations with their supervisor were 77% less likely to be depressed, and those that were recognized within 30 days were 44% less likely to experience burnout. Clearly, nothing can take the place of frequent, meaningful, and memorable connection points between leaders and employees in times of crisis.”
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