Most employees with remote learning children feel burnt out

28 October 2020 Consulting.us

Most (65%) of US employees with remote learning children are feeling burnt out, according to a recent survey from management consultancy Eagle Hill Consulting. The survey polled more than 1,000 respondents in mid-September.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has caused a majority of schools in the US to offer remote learning as their sole instructional model. This means that many harried parents have to juggle working from home while also managing home-bound students. Add in the Covid-19 pandemic – with its anxiety around finances and health – and you have a potent mix of stressors.

Burnout refers to mental and physical exhaustion caused by chronic workplace stress – with affected workers often feeling overwhelmed or emotionally drained. According to the Mayo Clinic, burnout can also involve a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. Some experts think that other conditions, including depression, can be the root cause of worker burnout.

The typical drivers of burnout are work-life imbalance, a lack of social support, extreme work activity, and dysfunctional workplace dynamics (like a bullying boss or staff).

Most employees with remote learning children are burnt out

The Eagle Hill survey found that 65% of parents with remote learning children are burnt out, while 52% of workers without remote learning kids are burnt out – still a high figure. Many attributed the stress to the pandemic – at 42% of parents with remote learning kids and 28% for those without.

“These findings shouldn’t be surprising to employers. Families and workers were burnt out even before the pandemic,” said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “This isn’t an easy situation for employers to resolve, with work life balance taking on a whole new meaning during this health crisis.”

“Employees are bouncing back and forth between their work computer to their child’s device, struggling to do two jobs at once. The only solution for employers is to work hand-in-hand with employees to meet their individual needs. That may mean adjusting work hours, workloads, or job expectations,” Jezior added.

The top causes of burnout identified by respondents with children learning at home were workload (45%), work-life balance (42%), lack of communication, feedback, and support (33%), and time pressures (32%).

Based in Arlington, Virginia, Eagle Hill provides consulting services in strategy and performance, talent, and change. The firm has additional offices in Boston and Seattle.