The pandemic has been an especially stressful time for everyone, certainly including employees. Even before this hard global event, burnout rates were creeping higher than they had ever been before. A study by Indeed saw that over the past year, over half of the respondents to their study were feeling burned out, and more than two-thirds felt that their burnout and stress had worsened during the pandemic. Burnout has horrible long-term consequences for those experiencing it, and companies that cause it will end up with a less engaged staff. Stress this serious is a huge problem when trying to foster a happy work environment that creates loyal, long-term staff. 

Unfortunately, burnout due to COVID-19 stress is at an all-time high as employees are being asked to return to the office. While many companies have to bring their workforce back eventually, doing so with compassion and care will be key to ensuring that workers feel safe and heard. There should be a clear understanding of the fears that these employees may be feeling, and you need to reassure your employees that you aren’t discounting their feelings regarding the change at all. 

Back-to-Office Burnout

To combat the negative effects of burnout, you first have to understand where it comes from and truly see the seriousness of the issue. A Flexjobs study found that 75% of people have experienced burnout at work, with over half of that amount saying they have felt burnout specifically during the pandemic. Gallup says that they saw a similar number - about two-thirds of employees experience burnout on the job. So, this issue is common, but what effects does it have on employees and companies?

Gallup’s study saw that burnt-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day, and 2.6 times as likely to look for a new job. If they do stay at your company, they have 13% lower confidence in their performance and are less likely to discuss performance goals with their managers. More seriously, burnt-out employees are 23% more likely to visit the emergency room. On top of actually getting ill, 78% of employees who call in sick really aren’t, they often do so because of stress, personal needs, and family issues, all of which have been exceedingly hard to manage during the pandemic. 

Mental health, of course, is of chief concern when talking about employee burnout, especially right now. Flexjobs reports that before the pandemic, 5% of employed workers said that their mental health was poor or very poor. More recently during the pandemic, that number jumped to 18%. While much of the current-day stress comes from factors outside of a company’s control, that doesn’t mean that they don’t contribute. More than three-quarters of the survey respondents said that the workplace was affecting their mental health, leading to bouts of depression or anxiety. 

Combating Burnout

 

Benefits of Gift Giving

One of the five languages of appreciation is corporate gift-giving, which isn’t just any gift but items that truly show you know your employees or clients. Paul White, the co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation,  found that “When appreciation is shown in the ways most meaningful to the recipient, many positive results occur: improvement in relationships with colleagues and supervisors, decrease in absenteeism, increase in employee engagement rises, as do customer satisfaction ratings.” A genuine employee gift that is meant to convey your appreciation can have a huge impact on your workforce when used in conjunction with the other languages of appreciation. 

One way you can make your gift-giving even more impactful is by combining it with the “Words of Affirmation” appreciation language. A complaint that Mr. White said many employees complain that “If I receive some gift but I never hear any praise, no one stops to see how I’m doing, or I never get any help – the gift feels superficial.” Giving a unique corporate gift that also comes with a message or action that reinforces its message can help make the gift feel more genuine. A Shopify report saw that only 28% of employees said that they had received a personal note with their gifts. Taking the time to personalize your gifts can really make a difference. 

 

 

Why Green Giving is Better

Here at Lively Root, we are not only passionate about plants but believe they can help improve lives. Our green collections bring us immense joy, and we craft a personalized experience to ensure that your corporate plant gifts bring your employees and clients just as much happiness. We have seen that plant gifting in particular has been shown to reduce employee stress and even increase productivity, meaning not only are you showing appreciation but furthering your investment through your unique corporate gift. 

We believe that the entire plant gifting process should be special and customized, from your initial designs to your unboxing experience. Shopify found that when your present is memorable and interesting, employees are 70% more likely to say that the gift helped them feel a better connection to their employer. Our goal is to help you make unforgettable corporate plant gifts for your business that feel genuine and exciting for your recipients. Here is how our process works:

We give you agency throughout the process so that your corporate thank you gifts feel like true appreciation, from our addition of a personalized note where you can also give Words of Affirmation to letting you pick the perfect plants for your recipients. From corporate succulent gifts to unique tropical plants, we believe that green gifts not only help our planet but help bring joy into the lives of those who receive them! 

Interested in looking at what we can do to help your employees feel more appreciated as they come back to the office during this stressful time? We want to help. Look here for more information on what we can do to help you here!