In today’s fast-paced work environment, employees are facing increasing frustration and burnout. This gave rise to trends such as “quiet quitting” and “bare minimum Mondays.”
This blog post will shed light on the challenges employees face and their implications for employee retention. It will also explore the causes behind these behaviors and what organizations can do to create a more supportive and engaging work environment and improve their retention rate.
Understanding Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting is where employees disengage from their roles without formally quitting. It manifests as a subtle withdrawal, resulting from various factors that undermine their job satisfaction and well-being.
Its characteristics may include decreased enthusiasm, reduced productivity, and a lack of commitment to organizational goals.
Exploring Bare Minimum Mondays
Four out of ten employees reported their job had an extremely negative or somewhat negative effect on their mental health.¹ As such, employees have embraced the concept of “bare minimum Mondays” as a proactive response to modern work-life challenges.
This practice involves prioritizing self-care and well-being at the start of the workweek. These days, employees prioritize self-care and intentionally reduce their workload to prevent burnout. Bare Minimum Mondays encourage individuals to have the physical and mental capacity to perform their best throughout the week.
Factors That Can Increase Employee Retention
The prevalence of quiet quitting and the adoption of bare minimum Mondays reflect deeper issues that organizations should address to enhance employee retention. They include the following:
1. Practice Sustainable Work Practices and Reasonable Expectations
Consistently assigning excessive workloads while expecting employees to accomplish an overwhelming amount of tasks within limited time frames can create constant pressure and stress, leaving employees overwhelmed and unable to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Before pushing for productivity and meeting deadlines, assess your employees and look for ways you can help them deliver quality work. By knowing the capabilities of your workforce, you ensure that everyone is given the right workload in the right time frame.
By removing the pressure, employees can be more productive, eliminate the risk of burnout, address their physical and mental health needs, and be more motivated to engage in their tasks and company affairs.
2. Welcoming Company Culture and Strong Leadership
Employees thrive in environments where they feel valued, respected, and supported by their peers and leaders. They can perform their tasks better knowing they’re welcomed, appreciated, valued, and connected to the organization.
Effective leadership plays a crucial role in employee engagement and satisfaction. A survey from Gallup shows that when employees feel their leaders are more involved, they’re four times more likely to be engaged.²
3. Encourage Self-Care and Prioritize Personal Well-being
Employers must acknowledge the importance of work-life balance and employee well-being. Prioritizing physical and mental health allows employees to have time for personal matters and allot their energy where it matters most.
This includes offering flexible work schedules, remote work arrangements, promoting mental health initiatives, and encouraging a culture that values self-care. Offering accommodations empowers individuals to manage their work responsibilities effectively while maintaining a healthy balance.
4. Plan for Career Growth Opportunities
When individuals feel like their skills and potential are not fully utilized or recognized, they may become disengaged and start exploring other career options.
Allow employees who consistently exceed expectations to have opportunities to take on additional responsibilities and advance within the organization. Promoting deserving employees and providing them with exciting opportunities does not go unnoticed in any organization, and can be instrumental in creating a better work culture that keeps employees motivated because they know their rewards and contributions will be valued.
With a clear path for growth, they’ll know their career is pushing forward, making them more motivated to excel and contribute to an organization’s success.
5. Adequate Pay and Benefits
Create better compensation benefits that align with an employee’s contributions and the values they bring to the organization. By adjusting your salary and benefits packages, your employees will be more satisfied, ensuring loyalty to the company.
Offering additional or personal perks and incentives, such as professional development opportunities, training and upskill programs, and comprehensive healthcare coverage, can further enhance their overall employee experience, leading to higher retention rates.
It can lead employees to be more grateful, creating a strong desire to pursue higher positions and new opportunities that propel your company to greater heights. It also gives you the ability to attract qualified candidates and retain top performers.
6. Allow Work Autonomy and Organizational Involvement
Most employees like to work at their own pace without their managers constantly micromanaging their tasks or scrutinizing their every move. It makes employees feel that their expertise and insights are recognized, allowing them to maximize their contribution to the organization.
Fostering a culture of work autonomy and involvement can lead to higher levels of employee job satisfaction and engagement, where they can feel empowered and fulfilled in their roles. Involve them in decision-making and let them voice their opinions about work more to create a more inclusive and supportive environment.
7. Provide Workplace Support and Resources
Employees perform effectively when employers provide them with the necessary support, like tools, resources, guidance, and mentorship, leading to a more productive workforce.
Accommodations, like assistive technologies or flexible schedules, also help individuals with disabilities to perform their tasks, giving them adequate workplace support and resources that enable them to contribute their skills effectively.
Offering necessary support allows organizations to retain valuable employees and show their dedication to diversity and inclusion. With these, they can meet high-performance targets and provide quality work that creates paths to success.
Importance of Increasing Employee Retention
Enhancing employee retention positively impacts different facets of an organization. Aside from providing a better working experience to employees, investing in your employees brings several key benefits, such as:
- Improving your company’s overall performance and brand image.
- Reducing recruitment and training costs.
- Retaining experienced and skilled workers.
- Maintaining institutional knowledge, continuity, and operational efficiency.
A stable workforce fosters stronger working relationships and collaboration, promoting a positive and supportive work culture and enhancing employee morale, engagement, and overall job satisfaction.
PARTNER WITH GALT FOUNDATION TO TRANSFORM EMPLOYEE RETENTION
At Galt Foundation, we are committed to providing equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities and empowering employers to create inclusive work environments.
If you are looking to make a difference in employee retention and address the challenges of quiet quitting and bare minimum Mondays, get in touch with us. Learn how our staffing services can help you create a diversified workforce.
References
1. Witters, Dan and Agrawal, Sangeeta, “The Economic Cost of Poor Employee Mental Health: Gallup, 13 Dec. 2022, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404174/economic-cost-poor-employee-mental-health.aspx.
2. “Leadership and Management” Gallup, https://www.gallup.com/404252/indicator-leadership-management.aspx. 20 Jun. 2023.
