Holistic care, which discussed on this page, isn’t just the right thing to do – it also has a positive impact on performance and output.
Employees are more than their job descriptions. They’re complex human beings, navigating challenges and demands both inside and outside of work. But for years, the professional world has turned a blind eye to anything that didn’t neatly fall inside of an employee’s job description. The assumption has been that workers show up to their roles ready to roll – unaffected and undistracted by personal struggles or obligations.
Why Does Compartmentalization Fail?
It makes sense on the surface. Businesses want – and need – their employees’ full attention and focus. Anything less is disruptive.
But this line of thinking relies on a false assumption – that workers can neatly compartmentalize the various parts of their lives and walk into the office (or log on), leaving everything else behind.
In reality, this is simply not how humans work. When employees are dealing with personal challenges – say financial worries or relationship strife – those concerns can have a significant impact on cognitive functions such as decision-making, information processing, and memory. Their ability to concentrate and regulate emotions can also be affected.
It’s not about commitment or character. Plenty of workers desperately want to rise above personal trials and hit their stride professionally. But when dealing with prolonged stress, the brain can become so narrowly focused that employees may have trouble identifying workplace priorities, approaching new problems, or even interacting effectively with their co-workers.
It’s also not just a question of mental distraction. When workers’ personal lives are in turmoil, they may have to rearrange their schedules to attend to caregiving responsibilities or medical treatment – or they may simply call in sick more often.
Employees who fear being judged for bringing their whole selves to work may be reluctant to raise concerns or ask for help with manageable challenges, which can balloon into crises and lead to errors, absenteeism, and workplace strife.
Emotional Burnout at Work
Employees suffering from emotional burnout may:
- Have trouble concentrating
- Be irritable with customers or co-workers
- Withdraw from feedback sessions and team meetings
- Struggle with tasks that were once easy
- Make mistakes or have to redo work
- Feel exhausted, demoralized, or ineffective
- Take more unscheduled PTO
Burnout doesn’t just affect individual workers – it can ripple out and impact entire teams. Workers who are demoralized and disengaged may struggle to effectively communicate with their co-workers or feel as though they’re shouldering an unfair portion of the workload.
Responding to Warning Signs
Burnout often creeps up on employees – and on their employers. It can be tricky to pick up on signs of burnout in individual workers, particularly when performance indicators are the primary yardstick for measuring employee success.
If an employee who’s typically reliable starts missing deadlines or making out-of-character mistakes, it may be a sign that something’s amiss. Rather than jumping to conclusions (or disciplinary action), consider the situation holistically. Could the employee be struggling with something outside of work? What support could you offer?
Employees need to feel psychologically safe in the workplace – comfortable enough to raise challenges and concerns, admit when they’re stretched too thin, and ask for help without fear of repercussion. That doesn’t mean you should pry into employees’ personal lives or expect them to open up to you about their struggles. But it does mean making it your mission to create a workplace culture and offer resources that promote well-being.
Holistic Care Is Good Business
Employees who don’t feel psychologically safe at work can’t perform at their best – no amount of innovative technology or productivity goals can make up for that gap, and investing in employee wellbeing and performance creates a safer and more resilient workforce. By investing in your employees’ holistic wellbeing, you’ll cultivate a stronger, more connected, and ultimately more productive workforce.
So how can you best support your workers? Beyond championing a culture of empathy and connection, consider partnering with a provider that offers holistic employee support – and make sure your leaders are well-versed on how to access and promote those resources. Rather than assuming support is available when and if employees need it, leaders should understand the resources their organization offers and be prepared to field questions. How quickly can employees receive confidential support (can they count on getting a response within 48 hours)? It’s these seemingly small details that can make the difference between workers who receive holistic support and those who don’t.
Leadership Builds Resilience
Employees aren’t going to bounce back from stress and burnout if leaders normalize always-on expectations, last-minute deadline changes, chronically short-staffed teams, and poorly defined priorities. Resilience only goes so far – leaders must be willing to step up and tackle the root causes of burnout before employees check out emotionally (and professionally).
Leaders also need to be trained on how to empathetically approach workers they suspect may be struggling, how to have (and know when to have) a one-on-one conversation, and when and how to refer employees to additional resources. Leaders can start small: notice changes in an employee’s behavior or performance, approach them privately, acknowledge the changes you’ve noticed, ask how you can support them, and share resources that may be helpful.
A Holistic Approach to Employee Wellbeing
Employees’ mental and physical health doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it’s deeply connected to their sense of belonging at work, stability at home, access to healthcare, financial health, and more. While there are limits to what your organization can do to support employees’ holistic well-being, there are steps you can take to make sure you’re not exacerbating workers’ challenges with inflexible policies, tone-deaf leadership, and inaccessible resources.
Consider partnering with a provider that offers round-the-clock, confidential employee support, training for leaders on supporting their teams’ mental health, and guidance on accommodations, PTO, and workload conversations. Make sure whatever steps you take are perceived by employees as confidential and equitable – workers who don’t perceive support resources as confidential are less likely to seek help until their struggles have snowballed, negatively impacting their performance (and morale).