Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER SEPTEMBER 2019 22 INSIGHT Too many coping with burnout N ow that we've moved to a new office downtown, I'm trying to bike to work every day. A stretch of beautiful summer weather has helped my cause. As much as I'm craving a rainy day so I can enjoy a relaxing streetcar ride for a change, I'm really enjoying my 30-minute commute on two wheels. I don't have to rely on transit or contend with unexpected traffic delays — a bike pretty much always gets through. It's also a great way to destress. A bike ride at the end of the day lets me temporarily shed the challenges of the office. I hop on, weaving through bike lanes and pushy drivers and disoriented tourists, and lose myself in the chaos and the calm. Burned out Because, in my years on the job at various companies, I have felt moments of burnout. And, appar- ently, I'm not alone — 95 per cent of Canadian workers say they are at least somewhat burned out, according to a recent survey by staffing firm Accountemps. Adding fuel to the fire, 96 per cent of senior managers also think their team members are experiencing some degree of burnout. On average, employees said their level of burnout is 5.6 out of 10, while managers pick 5.7 for employees. ose are some hefty numbers. Pretty much everyone thinks they're burnt out at some point in time on the job. And it's not just perceptions that are validating the issue. Burnout has just been included in the 11 th Revision of the Inter- national Classification of Diseas- es (ICD-11) as an "occupational phenomenon," according to the World Health Organization — though it's not classified as a medical condition. e definition? "Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as re- sulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been success- fully managed." It is characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one's job, or feel- ings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy." Those are some strong de- scriptors and I'm happy to say I haven't felt that level of burnout often. But the fact that the WHO is delving further into the prob- lem suggests we should be very concerned. Putting out fires As to what's behind this trend, the Accountemps survey cites unmanageable workloads, con- stant interruptions and "putting out fires." Unfair treatment at work, lack of role clarity, lack of communi- cation and support from man- agement and unreasonable time pressure are other top factors cited in a 2018 survey by Gallup. I'm also inclined to think tech- nology is a big influencer. Not only are some people expected to be available at all hours, there's also the temptation to check mes- sages after-hours — something I do myself. While my intention is to try to get ahead of any potential "fires," it also can boost my stress levels at a time when I should be disen- gaging from work. We're also reminded with an- nual surveys of how bad Cana- dians are at taking their allotted vacation time. Making that es- cape from a job is so important to mental health and yet many people believe they can't afford the time or the expense. at's not too surprising, con- sidering the lacklustre pay raises we've seen of late. A recent survey by Mercer found merit-increase budgets rose only slightly in 2019 in Canada, to 2.6 per cent — up from 2.5 per cent the preceding three years. For 2020, 2.6 per cent is once again expected. With the cost of living continu- ing to climb, those are not the kinds of numbers employees are going to be excited about, espe- cially if they're already experienc- ing burnout. So, what's the solution? ere's been a lot of focus on wellness in the workplace, with all kinds of programs vying to boost employ- ee morale and well-being. But I wonder if that's just applying a Band-Aid to a major wound. Better communication, I'm sure, would help. Whether that's managers supporting their teams or employees making themselves heard. And I'd suggest it's also about understanding that newer tech- nologies can make a difference — good or bad — but that doesn't mean everyone should always be "on." NO MORE DONUTS MOJOKERTO, Indonesia — About 50 police officers in a province in Indonesia have been ordered back to the gym because they're considered overweight. e officers were given a two-week program of aerobics, swimming and jogging, according to Reuters. ey were also given guidance on good nutrition. "Being overweight makes us less agile when we are on duty and we often fall sick," says Iwan Sutanto, an officer who lost about eight pounds during the program. "Body shape determines whether the officer is fit to serve the public," says Frans Barung Mangera, a police spokesperson. The force wants all employees' weight totals (in kilograms) to be their height (in centimetres) mi- nus 110, he says. "We think all the selected personnel don't have the ideal body weight." e program is expected to be rolled out to other areas, meaning more officers will have to forego that second — or third — donut. SUSPICIOUS BOOKINGS RICHMOND, B.C. — For a lot of people looking to book driving tests online, the wait can be inter- minable. But one driving instruc- tor in B.C. is alleged to have used hacking skills to skip the queue hundreds of times. Instead of the average wait of 70 days, the in- structor booked appointments for his students in as little as two days, reports the CBC. "is type of ac- tivity is not humanly possible and is believed to be being completed by a computer program or BOT," said the search warrant, leading to an investigation of the instruc- tor's home and computer records. It's believed a computer program was insinuated inside the Insur- ance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) booking system to "auto block, release and book future road test appointments." At press time, the instructor hadn't been charged. VIRAL VERMIN TOKYO — Rats are generally the last thing you want to see at a place where you buy food. But employ- ees of a FamilyMart convenience store in Tokyo probably have some work to do to get rid of the vermin after a viral video showed at least six rats doing some unauthorized shopping at one of the chain's loca- tions, reports Reuters. "We deeply apologize for making you feel uncomfortable and uneasy," the company told customers after the video was seen at least five million times on YouTube. "We take this case seriously." e convenience store was shut down so workers could sanitize surfaces, as the crit- ters were seen snacking on bento meals and rice balls. NERVOUS POOCH GREENSBORO, N.C. — Gener- ally speaking, flight attendants don't have to worry about dog bites while on the job, but that changed recently. During an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Greensboro, N.C., an "emotional" support dog became agitated and took a chomp out of a flight attendant, according to FOX8 News. "We need to make sure, as part of our caretaking for them, that we're not putting them in situations that they're not ready for and unprepared for," says Kat Carver, trainer at Saving Grace K9's, a Lexington, N.C.-based rescue dog shelter that provides training for support animals. RAP REGRETS NEW YORK — A racially charged rap video created by a police officer culminated in a hostile- workplace lawsuit filed against the New York City police depart- ment. Atisha Samuel joined the force in 2017, but soon after a video she made in 2016 surfaced — with lyrics that included: "It's the war against the white man on the beat — with his handguns, quick to pull out on a n—ga if he dare run." One officer interviewed by the New York Post reported he now didn't feel safe on the job. e suit alleges Samuel was told to "ask for forgiveness" by a union official and was brought into in- ternal affairs where her loyalty was questioned. RUNAWAY CHAINSAW KITCHENER, Ont. — It has to be seen to be believed. Tree work almost turned fatal for two people working on branches in Kitchener, Ont. With both standing on a ladder, the contractor's chainsaw stuck in a branch suddenly came loose and swung precariously toward a woman on the ladder below, according to the Daily Mail. A video captures the terrifying incident, which resulted in no injuries, though a larger ladder knocked over by the branch hit the contractor on his helmet, knocking it off. "e ensuing chaos of falling chainsaws and rickety ladders is right out of Final Destination," says the videographer, referring to the horror movie. "ere had already been a few near misses, so I didn't have a lot of confidence that the contractor knew what he was doing," says the observer. "He looked like he was in over his head." Credit: Havroshechka (Shutterstock) W EIRD ORKPLACE THE Vol. 32 No. 9 –September 2019 PUBLISHED BY HAB Press, a subsidiary of Key Media 312 Adelaide Street West Suite 800 Toronto, ON M5V 1R2 ©Copyright 2019 by HAB Press Ltd. All rights reserved. CANADIAN HR REPORTER is published 12 times a year. Publications Mail – Agreement # 41261516 Registration # 9496 – ISSN 0838-228X President: Tim Duce EDITORIAL Editor/Supervisor: Sarah Dobson - (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@habpress.ca News Editor: Marcel Vander Wier - (416) 649-7837 marcel.vanderwier@habpress.ca Employment Law Editor: Jeffrey R. 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Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 CUSTOMER SERVICE Call: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5082 (Toronto) (877) 750-9041 (outside Toronto) Email: info@habpress.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR sarah.dobson@habpress.ca CHRR reserves the right to edit for length and clarity. Sarah Dobson Editor's Notes A KEY MEDIA COMPANY A KEY MEDIA COMPANY "Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."

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