Your employees need spaces at work where they can be vulnerable
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the heightened focus on racial injustice, political unrest, and environmental issues like the climate crisis, employees had to largely bury their anxieties, put on a brave face, show up to work, and perform as usual this past year. But nothing about the past year has been “usual.”
Under such circumstances, the “usual” isn’t going to cut it. In 2019 the World Health Organization defined employee burnout as a medical condition, citing the cause as chronic workplace stress. While many companies took an active role in prioritizing employees’ physical health during the pandemic, consumers are also calling on employers to take an active role in employees’ wellbeing and mental health. Our Customer Experience Trends Report shows that 54% of customers want to support brands that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplaces. It is not only time for leaders to prioritize employee mental health, but go a step further to facilitate spaces where people can come to work, openly share their emotions, receive peer support, and feel seen, heard, and—most importantly—understood.
At Zendesk, where we shifted to an entirely remote work environment practically overnight, we understood that many employees were about to face intensified emotions of stress, sadness, and anticipation. Then the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor—as well as other racial and social injustices—shook the world, leaving our employees unsettled and sometimes angry—and understandably so.
