New research published by The Hartford has determined the majority of American workers are happy with their jobs and strive to do well in their professions, but are still facing the threat of burnout.
The Hartford”™s 2023 Future of Benefits Study, which polled workers and human resource officers, found 84% of respondents saying they were at least somewhat happy with their work ”“the percentage breakdown was 9% extremely, 31% very, 44% somewhat ”“ while 16% indicated they were either not very happy or not at all happy at work.
Despite the trend of “quiet quitting” in the workforce, 92% of workers said they get their work done well or go above and beyond (49% and 43% respectively). Baby Boomers (52%) were more likely than Gen X (41%), millennials (42%) and Gen Z (36%) to say they went above and beyond the expected requirements at work.
However, 60% of respondents said they were experiencing some level of burnout at work as more than half of employers maintained high expectations of their workers, including being expected to work after normal working hours.
Aside from salary, the top three sources of worker happiness were paid time off (37%), work-life balance (29%) and a sense of accomplishment (27%). But 30% of respondents said their financial health always or almost always negatively affects their productivity at work ”“ a higher share than the impacts of mental health (24%) and physical health (18%) on productivity. U
Employers stated they were primarily focused on creating work-life balance (46%), providing good employee benefits (43%), and improving company culture (39%).
“We are in a unique era in the world of work as employers and workers navigate shifting workplace models to discover what will be the new normal,” said Jonathan Bennett, head of group benefits at The Hartford. “It is encouraging to see most workers are happy in their jobs, but employers must take note of the burnout trend. Companies that have benefits and programs in place to support the personal and professional wellbeing of their employees will foster a happy, healthy, and productive workforce that can help their company thrive.”
