Energizing Your Pandemic Fatigued Employees

Let’s face it, we’re all tired of talking about the pandemic.  But it’s still here and it’s giving leaders a run for their money.  Usually, stressful situations are more short term.  Something bad happens, we find a way through it, and we’re back on our way again.  Two years in, that’s just not true for this.

During 2021, SHRM reported that 75% of employees reported feeling burned out and 78% said that their mental health was negatively impacted by the pandemic and surrounding events.  That’s not the recipe we usually think of for energizing our employees.  Ironically, some employers tried to reinvigorate their teams during the quarantine with more virtual meetings, happy hours, etc., but then received pushback that another virtual meeting wasn’t the solution for employees who are tired of Zoom.  In person gatherings created their own concerns for employees who did not feel safe attending.

So what can we do?

As employers, the last thing we want to do is to turn our backs on the time we’ve spent developing a positive culture.  But this one is a real challenge.  A couple of things to consider if you want to rebuild those energy levels:

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• Check in with your team members regularly.  Even if you aren’t fixing anything, letting your employees know that you are checking in on their well being will go a long way to showing them you care.  That helps. A lot.
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• Offer resources.  Let your employees know what options are available for mental health coverage in your benefits plan.  If you offer an EAP, remind employees of the resources there as well.
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• Meet employees where they are:  Have some extroverts on your team who can’t stand another day at home?  Provide opportunities for them to meet, gather, and connect.  Have employees who are immunocompromised or who are concerned about avoiding Covid?  Make certain that you keep the appropriate safety measures and options in place for them.
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• Be flexible.  If two years of surprises has taught us anything, it’s that we should expect more surprises in the future.  That may include new ways of doing business, new ways of working, etc.  Be flexible and willing to try new things.
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