Employees Feeling Overworked? Here’s Why & How The Best Employers Care

Posted by Onsurity Technologies Pvt Ltd on April 14th, 2021

A survey by FlexJobs and Mental Health America found that 40% of American workers are feeling overworked due to COVID-19. A global survey by Glint found that comments related to burnout doubled from March 2020 (2.7%) to April 2020 (5.4%). Burnout, stress, exhaustion all have many reasons, but probably none as important as overworking.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) recommends 48 hours per week for work. Yet, that’s a number that is regularly ignored. In fact, four states have allowed factories to extend working hours to up to 72 hours per week. That has serious consequences that many employers fail to see. 

How Feeling Overworked Impacts Employees 

As an employer, you should know that there are severe consequences to employees feeling overworked. Here are just a few ways feeling overworked impacts your employees– 

Poor Sleep Schedules 

Excessive working hours and high-stress levels can lead your employees to suffer from insomnia or other sleeping disorders. If they are feeling overworked, they will struggle to fall asleep and stay awake, leading to something called “sleep debt”. 

As a result of debt, employees are likely to be low on energy, leading to mistakes since they can’t pay attention. In severe cases, it can also lead to a heart attack. No amount of coffee can fix this, only a proper sleep schedule.  

Lack Of Exercise 

If employees are feeling overworked the first thing they are likely to do is to skip exercise. The World Health Organization recommends 30 minutes of exercise daily. Without that, your employees are at greater risk of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and other deadly diseases. 

A lack of exercise can also lead to mental wellness issues since exercise is known to improve mood and happiness. That’s why it is vital you encourage them to work out daily.  

Unhealthy Habits 

Employees who are feeling overworked tend to resort to alcohol, smoking, and drugs. You do not want employees who indulge in such habits since they are putting themselves at greater risk of being hospitalized. You will end up with employees who can’t deliver their best. 

Another habit you need to watch out for is increased caffeine consumption. Late-night sessions are often accompanied by coffee or other caffeinated drinks, which harms their body and sleep cycle.  

How To Avoid Overworking 

The first step to ensure your employees aren’t feeling overworked is to talk about it. Be open and ask them to let you know if they are. Then find ways to reduce their workload, either by hiring additional employees or getting an existing employee to help. It’s important you have this conversation one-on-one, and then with the team as a whole. 

Responsible employers look for the signs early and intervene so that their employees aren’t overworking to the point that they are forced to quit. Not only does it improve your productivity, but it helps create a caring team spirit and helps build healthier people.  

One way to do so is to get employee healthcare benefits for your team. Affordable employee healthcare for startups and MSMEs allows employers to provide healthcare benefits like group health insurance, and build healthier teams.