Growth in professional burnout - different countries have different rates
More than 30% of frontline employees and IT professionals who took part in the study said they experienced burnout at work during the pandemic. In different countries, this level is different - in Brazil, 44% of respondents faced this, in the USA - 31%, and in Germany only 10%. The main factor influencing the feeling of burnout is the increase in the length of the working day [2], for example, in Australia, this indicator increased by 45%. In Germany, the figure remained virtually unchanged.
The causes of stress in the workplace are different for frontline and remote workers
Among the main stressors that affect employee well-being, study participants noted anxiety about the risk of contracting Covid-19, the lack of boundaries between work and personal life, a sense of disconnection from colleagues, and difficulty in managing workload.
The study found that the main stress factor for frontline employees is the fear of contracting Covid-19. At the same time, remote workers are most concerned about the lack of distinction between work and personal life and isolation from colleagues.
Over the course of six months, the number of communications grew, while the boundaries of working hours were erased
The study found that in the six months since they started telecommuting, people have significantly more meetings, calls and chat rooms than before the pandemic. The proportion of Microsoft Teams users sending chat messages outside of business hours more than doubled. This means that many of the employees who previously did not work after the end of the working day are now doing it.
Digital assistants can improve productivity
In 2017, the Microsoft team conducted a study in which a digital assistant in chats helped employees get ready for the start of the work day and end it by asking a series of questions in parallel. Some were related to work tasks, others were based on emotions so that employees could assess their experience of the day. Each hour, participants also rated their performance on a scale of 1 to 5 with and without the digital assistant. The study found that 6 out of 10 people felt more comfortable when a digital assistant reminded them of the beginning and end of the day. At the same time, productivity increased by 12-15% on average.
Based on this research, Microsoft has partnered with Headspace to develop custom tools to help users improve their productivity with a set of exercises that include meditations and day-to-day analysis, as well as help with pending tasks in Teams and Outlook.
Meditation Can Help Fight Burnout and Stress During the Workday
70% of those surveyed said meditation helps them reduce work-related stress. Research has shown that consistent headspace meditation can help reduce burnout and improve your ability to respond to negative feedback. This is why, in addition to mindfulness and meditation exercises, Microsoft Teams will offer the ability to schedule special, repetitive breaks to focus.
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