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The majority of US and Canadian workers are stressed and quiet quitting, according to Gallup’s annual State of the Workplace report released this week. But unlike the Washington Nationals’s 2023 season, there’s hope for change.
Quiet quitting remains. Gallup found that US and Canadian workers are the second most actively engaged in the world, at 31%, which is still down from the peak of 36% in 2020. And while workers are engaged compared to other regions of the world, more than half of them (52%) are quiet quitting or are disengaged. Gallup says that quiet quitting employees are the best place for potential productivity gains, if they can be motivated and inspired.
“We’ve seen both a decline in the percentage of employees who are engaged and an increase in the percent who are actively disengaged,” Jim Harter, chief scientist of workplace and well-being at Gallup, told HR Brew. “People feel less connected to the mission or purpose of the organization. They are less likely to feel that they have opportunities to learn and grow at work. They’re less likely to say they have opportunities to do what they do best, and feel less cared about.”
This all leads to people feeling less connected to their employers, he explained.
The study found that remote and hybrid workers are more engaged, but Harter believes that just because they’re in the office doesn’t mean that workers can’t be engaged. He said that it really comes down to good management. “Have at least one meaningful conversation with each employee every week,” he recommends. Harter also said that employers should look for ways to provide flexibility, such as a four-day workweek, regardless of the employee’s location.
Stress is increasing. If your eye is twitching more than usual, or your stress has caused you to eat an entire bag of Doritos, chances are you’re not alone. US and Canadian workers are tied with South Asia for the most stressed in the world, with over half (52%) reporting they feel stressed, up 2% from a year ago. And while hybrid and remote workers are more engaged, they’re also more likely to carry stress. Women also appear to be taking the brunt of the stress, as 57% of women reported feeling stressed at work, compared to just 48% of men.
“There’s less predictability in [remote work]. And so there are more variables that people are trying to manage. And so their everyday stress might be a little bit higher,” Harter explained. He said remote workers may also feel less connected to the purpose of the organization, so they need hands-on managers who will thoughtfully and intentionally plan in-person time to combat any uneasiness that accompanies remote work.