2021 was the year of The Great Resignation. A record-breaking 47.4 million people voluntarily left their jobs, and the numbers for 2022 are showing little relief for companies in their search to retain talent. Burnout has been cited as the number one reason employees are leaving their jobs, and it has presented itself as a hurdle that companies and HR leaders are facing, with 44% of employees saying that they are more burned out on the job. Burnout can affect not only workplace happiness and satisfaction but also have serious long-term consequences on individual health, leading to poor sleep and ultimately higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, as well as anxiety and depression.

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly led to one of the biggest shake-ups in the corporate world in the last few decades. The workplace has been hit by endless cycles of closures and re-openings, restrictions on indoor capacity and operations, and other disruptions that have altered business in more ways than one. But, with the world gradually returning to normal, employers have met new realities in the workplace, with major paradigm shifts that are redefining business. 

Anxious about contracting the illness, employees are faced with a pervasive need to avoid all potential sources of the virus, one of which may be the workplace. Now many business leaders are concerned – will workers quit when you force them to return to the office?

A lot of uncertainties and anxieties have marked the workplace for much of the year. Businesses are beginning to reopen, and tensions are high. Therefore, employers must consider short-term and long-term strategies to safeguard the workplace and protect workers amid this global health threat. 

By focusing on the important connections between body, mind, and environment, and steering away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach, companies can better structure their wellness offerings to ensure that employees are happy, healthy, engaged and inspired at work

In the ongoing battle to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control, it’s clear that employers in the private sector have an important role to play.

While the US has made tremendous strides in the last year in beating this virus and administering more than 300 million vaccine shots in the US, but our fight against this virus is far from over.