How insurance companies can manage ‘quietly quitting’ employees

“It’s a new name for an old behavior,” replied Mary-Lou MacDonald (pictured), national practice leader for health and performance at HUB International.

People trying to balance their personal lives by reducing their work output is nothing new. The pandemic has set up the perfect storm to quietly quit smoking, not the cause of the phenomenon.

“People have been pushed to their limits given all they have had to deal with the pandemic. They have realized they are in control of their health and well-being,” McDonald said rice field.

Quiet smoking cessation may be the result of burnout, an extreme and chronic stress that has increased sharply in recent years. According to last year’s Canada Her Life survey, one in three working Canadians feels burnt out. Insurance companies (39%) reported burnout rates above the national average (35%), he is one of five industries.

read more: Work-life balance as an insurance professional

Health and patient care had the highest rates, with more than half of workers (53%) feeling burnout, including 66% of nurses. Transportation, education, childcare staff, and first responders are also experiencing high levels of burnout.

“It’s not necessarily that they don’t want to put their energy, innovation and creativity to work,” McDonald said. “Rather, we recognize that discretionary work should no longer be considered the norm, especially when it comes at the expense of relationships, health and well-being. , we want to offer to employers who feel they deserve it.”

More positively, the trend shows that more employees are getting smarter about setting boundaries to protect their health. It’s not about quitting. It’s about realigning and realigning priorities,” McDonald continued.

This trend is also strongly affecting younger employees. For McDonald’s, quietly quitting reveals a lot about what the workplace’s youngest cohort values ​​in their professional lives. As Gen Z becomes a dominant force in the real world, organizations must listen carefully for clues as to what these young workers want and need to succeed.

“For many generations, salary was the biggest determinant in choosing a career, but for Gen Z there are more important factors such as mutual mentoring, technology and mental health,” says MacDonald. .

The pandemic has forced many companies to consider ways to support the mental health of all employees, regardless of generation. But for the most part, organizations and leaders were not up to the task, McDonald said.

“Maybe it wasn’t supported in place, robust enough, customized enough, or communicated well enough across generations. I was not trained to recognize that I was struggling with

read more: Survey reveals changing perceptions of mental illness among Canadians

Rather than individually blaming employees who quietly quit, insurers need to focus on how to prevent burnout, increase employee support, and create resilient organizations.

“I always say it’s a shared responsibility. As employees, it’s our responsibility to be at our best mentally and physically at work every day. That includes getting enough sleep. , getting the exercise you need to stay healthy and functioning at a high level, managing your family and health issues, and eating well,” McDonald explained.

“It is the responsibility of employers to create a workplace where individuals can thrive and do their best work. That means removing barriers, making work fair and equitable, and controlling the amount and pace of work employees have to deal with. It also means communicating expectations and timelines clearly.Knowing your employees well and building a collaborative relationship builds mutual trust and that goes a long way.”

Leaders should strive to equip themselves with mental health education so they can better support their employees. This includes knowing where to direct your resources and benefits for easy access by your employees, but it also means proactively spotting the warning signs of burnout.

“There are perfectionist and pleasing mindsets in the workplace that leaders need to be aware of,” warns MacDonald. “Some people are so enthusiastic about their role that they overwork themselves voluntarily.”

She said people with these mindsets are more likely to burn out over time. It is the employer’s responsibility to exercise caution and to model that behavior by leaders, and they should also avoid putting more work on employees they know will work harder. “