A serious debate about workplace culture and employee welfare in corporate environments has erupted with the death of Anna Sebastian Perayil, a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young (EY) India, who tragically passed away in July, just four months after joining the firm. Her parents have attributed her death to the excessive workload and pressure she faced at her new job.
EY’s India chief, Rajiv Memani, has since said the firm attaches the “highest importance” to the wellbeing of its employees. “I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top-most priority and I will personally champion this objective,” he stated in a LinkedIn post.
While every company wants their teams to work hard, and produce, it’s important to remember more hours don’t always equal better results. Overwork can lead to the creation of a toxic work environment which – along with low productivity and stressed-out employees – often creates burnout and eventual quitting.
According to recent research:
* 33% of workers feel constantly exhausted due to work pressure
* 44% of U.S. employees report feeling overworked
* 50% of full-time employees work more than 40 hours a week.
A toxic workplace (also considered a hostile work environment) is characterized by a negative and harmful workplace that can have a significant impact on employees’ mental and physical health, as well as job performance.
For example – many companies, that underwent layoffs earlier this year, are now burdened with employees stressed out and overwhelmed by increased workloads, having to pick up the pace as well as handle the workload created with the loss of the laid-off workers. These employees, often not compensated adequately for their additional responsibilities, are quitting or considering leaving their jobs.
Clinical Health Psychologist Amy Sullivan PsyD says “A toxic work environment is a feeling and not necessarily a checklist. People know when they’re in a toxic work environment because you pay attention to what your gut is sharing with you as well as any physical responses. Your gut reaction is intuitive, but it’s also that feeling of, ‘something feels off for me right now. Either the way I’m being talked to or the way I’m not being included,’” says Dr. Sullivan.
And, by the way:
An employer can force employees to work mandatory overtime plus terminate an employee – either salaried or hourly – for refusal to work the required overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as formed by the US Department of Labor, is responsible for establishing the 40-hour work week for employees. However, the law does not place a maximum limit on the number of hours employers can require their employees to work.
Workers, psychologists tell us:
Employees have changed their attitude towards work since COVID – prioritizing work-life balance, and seeking less stressful jobs. Plus unwilling to return to what they now realize has been a toxic work environment in favor of continued remote work.
People are becoming more aware of the importance of mental health and are willing to sacrifice higher salaries or job titles for a less stressful work environment. Bottom line – prioritizing work-life balance is essential for overall well-being and job satisfaction.
I totally agree: employee dissatisfaction is growing. There is a need for a motivational boost. Creating a work environment based on trust, cooperation and well-being is a goal that can no longer be postponed.
Not only workloads but also the lack of meaning, the lack of recognition of one’s skills, the discomfort resulting from highly conflictual, anonymous or unhealthy contexts are the sources of the fatigue and suffering that still weigh on the lives of many.
Moreover, the more advanced society is, the more expectations grow. And therefore creating a work environment based on trust, cooperation and well-being is a goal that can no longer be postponed.
In today’s society, true wealth is time. This means in short the need for companies to implement all those actions that contribute to balancing free time and work time of employees, increasingly divided between private and professional commitments.
A great post that handles a pressing issue, Jean.
The pressure for more productivity may temp some managers to overwork and overload their employees.
“While every company wants their teams to work hard, and produce, it’s important to remember more hours don’t always equal better results. Overwork can lead to the creation of a toxic work environment which – along with low productivity and stressed-out employees – often creates burnout and eventual quitting. :
There are imbalanced managers. They do not realize that crossing the fine line between productivity and overload is counterproductive.
You explained this well and with sound reasoning.