An overwhelming feeling that consolidates week after week and leads to vacillation in a vortex of negativity in which thoughts are clouded: one loses clarity while fatigue and stress alter the sleep-wake cycle. Connecting with the rest of the world becomes increasingly tiring and, slowly, the spark of motivation that has always accompanied our days is extinguished, giving way to feelings of anxiety, irritation and, finally, apathy.
What we have described coincides with the typical symptoms of Burnout Syndrome (literally “exhausted”), which the World Health Organization (WHO) has included in the International Classification of Diseases, defining it as a “syndrome conceptualized as a consequence of chronic stress in the workplace that is not successfully managed.”
Burnout Syndrome is punctuated in stages and is recognized as a typical phenomenon of the occupational setting that falls exclusively within the professional sphere.
Among the various triggers of this condition, we can point to the undignified professional environment which, often, is accompanied by a lack of professional role definition from which conflicts triggered by unfeasible work demands arise. Sometimes it is the overload of responsibility that leads to the intensification of symptoms, others monotony that is not conducive to professional development, or even inflexible rostering.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has exacerbated the onset of this Syndrome, due to the lack of definition between personal and professional boundaries in addition to the uncertainty that has pervaded everyone without distinction: in fact, estimates from the Global Culture Report report a 15 percent increase in Burnout Syndromes in 2021 alone. This is a not insignificant number when we consider how crucial it is to ensure the mental and physical health of every worker.
How, today, can companies safeguard their employees, triggering virtuous circles that at the same time foster the continuous development and innovation demanded by the market?
Welfare System and Sustainability Welfare Systems and Sustainability are the key words for companies that want to stand out and deal with the change taking place: we are talking about an approach that puts People at the center, that protects wellbeing through a good life-work balance that respects the needs of every human being.
Companies are called to a profound action of social responsibility, aimed at ensuring a work-life balance, between health and safety in the workplace: conditions that are part of the standards of protection of workers and that, today, are a distinctive element to face change and be competitive in the market.
In the UN 2030 Agenda, among the Sustainable Development Goals, in point 8 we find the promotion of decent working conditions, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and the development of entrepreneurship and decent professions for all: actions that cannot remain only on paper, but must see a deep commitment from everyone.
In 2021, theSME Welfare Index , estimated that virtuous SMEs, in this respect, in Italy reached 26,6%: about 9 percent more than the 2017 estimates. This data bodes well, but still indicates a long way to go to ensure good levels of work-life balance for People.
Now is the time to invest resources and time to put Human Capital at the center with concrete actions to improve the corporate climate, to foster the development of relational and team-building skills that help manage and overcome conflicts and enable People to achieve personal and corporate results in line with their expectations.
