• Research by the University of Vaasa shows that exhausted supervisors damage relationships and work ethic for staff and for themselves
• Remote work is gaining popularity, but it can decrease productivity, hinder team building and affect employee mental wellbeing unless employers take steps to foster connections
• Building a community, establishing boundaries, and simply saying “thank you” leads to work fulfilment and better mental health

By, Rachel Varnham

It’s 9pm, and you’re winding down from a day at work. You’re watching a new episode of your favourite show, escaping into a book, or you’re spending quality time with family or friends… then your phone buzzes and snaps you out of your downtime.

It’s a message from your boss, despite the late hour, telling you about an urgent task that needs completing, or asking a question about something you were working on. You feel the pressure to respond instantly, driven by a need to match your boss’ levels of dedication.

You’ve now lost your zen. The next thing you know, you’re checking emails and finishing projects late into the night, only to return to your desk the following morning and feel like you haven’t had a break.

Research from MIT scholars found that more than half of professionals check email or complete tasks every weekend, and that Sunday is disproportionately used for anticipatory work ahead of Monday. Similarly, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index finds that nearly 20% of workers cave to the temptation to check and respond to emails before noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

Some may say these consequences are on you, as you chose to respond to your boss, but for many workers, the consistent blurring of the lines between work and home life is leading to overwhelm and burnout.

Incidences of bad and inconsiderate management are contributing to a rising number of workers throwing in the towel. A survey carried out by Unmind found that 67% of UK workers had admitting to leaving or considering leaving a job because of bad management, and a further 46% stating they felt unable to approach their managers about their mental health and wellbeing.

Further to this, according to the World Health Organisation, around 12 billion working days are lost each year due to depression, a condition that is manageable, and even preventable, with the right tools and help.

Of course, such high levels of absence and staff turnover is bad for business, and something for managers to tackle, but the burnout problem, research shows, often travels further up the chain, to the similarly overworked and over-burdened boss who also feels the pressure to never fully switch off from professional life.

All work, no play 

Research by Jussi Tanskanen, a project researcher from the University of Vaasa, has shown that those in managerial or supervisory roles are struggling just as much as the staff at the bottom of the pyramid. And this creates a significant problem for organisations.

Exhausted supervisors, the study finds, lack the motivation to develop and maintain high-quality relationships, with their employees, especially when working remote roles.

And that exhaustion has a dangerous knock-on effect when it comes to employee relations and wellbeing. 

Whilst your boss doesn’t need to be your best friend, the study shows that a lack of real connection between managers and their staff can have significant consequences, leading to a collapse in employee dedication.

Jussu Tanskanen points out that supervisors are the check-in point for the rest of the team. They oversee operations and are a crucial contact to ensure work continues smoothly. The study found that when a supervisor lacks the resources for genuine interaction and compassion, their exhaustion directly influences the relationships with their subordinates, leading to overall weakened company performance.

For supervisors, Tanskanen continues, maintaining a good relationship is crucial, as these lead to greater rewards both personally and professionally, and a better work ethic all round.

Poor relationships, on the other hand, lead to divided teams and a perception of unfairness between staff.

In tackling employee burnout and disconnect, providing sufficient support to middle managers and team leads to be able to manage their workloads and still have the capacity to effectively support others under their watch will provide significant benefits. 

The benefits of finding compassion and community

There are, of course consequences of a poor work-life that spill into other areas of life too. Professor Siddharth Sarkar from the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and his co-authors explains that staff experiencing employment arrangements that lead to poor mental health and wellbeing can see their dissatisfaction spill into their personal lives, influencing family and their social circles.

These findings are echoed by economist Natalia Emanuel, whose article in Science explains that those in remote work spend more time alone, leading to them avoiding social activities with friends and spend entire days without human contact. This leads to mental distress and prolonged isolation.

Connection can be hard to establish and maintain when staff are not physically present. Tanskanen explains that working from home creates thinner relationships between colleagues and supervisors. But for supervisors, Tanskanen continues, maintaining a good relationship is crucial, as these lead to greater rewards, and a better work ethic all round.

So how can bosses better manage their own work-life balance, ensure they’re not passing their stresses and bad habits on to others and strengthen the relationships they have with their teams to protect their staff’s and their own wellbeing.

Research points out that there is a benefit to be gained from adding themselves into the mix, becoming a more human point of contact for staff to work with. 

An article in Forbes notes that 48% of Gen Z say that work feels transactional, lacking the ability to bond with colleagues, and leading to a feeling of disconnect from their work. Gen Z want flexibility to work from home, create a work-life balance, but they also crave connection and community, which is exactly what supervisors need too.

After work drinks and social events, even virtual quizzes are far more welcome a prospect than work updated emailed at 8pm or reminders for the next day’s meetings. In navigating effective remote work policy, organisations should ensure staff and their supervisors adhere to work hours for work commitments and build in space in the working day to enhance social connection as well as work output.

Another way of bridging the digital divide, research shows, is through staff’ connection to the work they’re tasked with completing.

Working for a cause 

Research from Trinity Business School reminds us that as humans, we have a fundamental need to give meaning to things, and the same goes for work. Undertaken by Dr Amanda Shantz, alongside researchers from ESCP Business School, the study finds that employees who find meaning in their work perform better and contribute more to the company’s effectiveness.

Working for a goal that resonates on a more personal level creates better commitment and wellbeing – especially when the pressure ramps up.

Organisations therefore, would do well to consider what matters to and motivates their staff – and that goes for those in supervisory roles too.

However, answering the question of what brings a person fulfilment can differ for the individual, of course, as each person has different goals to strive for and things to make them get up each day.

Assistant Professor Kevin Hoff from the University of Houston seeks to make the task a little more straightforward. “As long as it’s something you don’t hate doing, you may find yourself very satisfied if you have a good supervisor, like your co-workers, and are treated fairly by your organisation,” he shares.

The work itself may not have to be endlessly thrilling, but building a close-knit team and a firm relationship with a superior can help to mitigate feelings of distress, disconnect or dissatisfaction. 

Taking steps to ensure supervisors can achieve a sense of fulfilment provides significant benefit to the company, as having a good, motivated supervisor can improve the work of their subordinates, as well as their attitudes and outlook, further contributing to the overall work ethic and productivity of the wider company. It’s a win-win situation.

Maintaining a work life divide 

There also needs to be rigidity to stop home life bleeding into work life too. Research by Professor Jakob Stollberger from Durham University has shown that home distractions harm remote workers’ wellbeing and productivity, as it increases the chances of “cross-domain interruptions”, which are domestic tasks that interrupt work.

Shifting continually between work priorities and domestic tasks disrupts what Professor Stollberger calls “work-flow” – the ability to sink the mind deep into work and make good progress.

But the answer is not dragging staff back to the office. Boundaries need to be put in place. Much like how people have the urge to answer those late-night texts from bosses at night, or to quicky empty the washing machine, there needs to be a clear line between work and play, and organisations need to help establishing and maintaining those boundaries before staff collapse under relentless pressure.

A ‘thank you’ won’t hurt

Conversely, when it comes to tackling supervisor and employee burnout and exhaustion, Tanskanen from the University of Vaasa believes that organisations must grant them greater responsibility – specifically when it comes to decision-making power. Supervisors must have the autonomy to set their own boundaries and allow their staff to do the same.

The study specifically makes the same point regarding reward. Rewards don’t imply monetary benefits, but rather genuine appreciation towards and from supervisors.

Communication is crucial, and relationships work both ways. Showing appreciation for staff by rewarding them and respecting their time, creates a far better result in work mentality, practice, and in wellbeing.

And simply saying thank you for their day to day efforts – not only the ones that go beyond expectations can make those instances of high pressure work and long hours easier to manage.

Going the extra mile does not have to mean high productivity and emails at 9pm. For supervisors, ensuring they have the right team and resources to feel supported, access to development schemes and flexibility, as well as the autonomy to know when to stop.

When it’s time to clock out, it’s time to relax. Don’t always expect staff to answer hours into the night, as everyone deserves time off.

As they say, ‘a warrior needs rest’. 

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