ONE of the causes of Malaysians resigning during Covid-19 is the additional stress that they shoulder as workers try to navigate their way through the long pandemic.
Even if we were to put aside the overall heightened health concerns and worries about career trajectory in an economically uncertain period, there is also the increased workload that employees now have to carry.
As many businesses were forced to lay off workers during Covid-19, the remaining staff would have found themselves taking on the work of their retrenched colleagues in addition to their pre- existing responsibilities. This in turn forces workers to perform to a higher Key Performance Index but with stagnant or even lesser salaries, as some impacted businesses have also slashed wages.
Overworked and underpaid staff may experience burnout and seek opportunities with a better work-life balance, or choose to be self-employed by starting their own businesses. Others whose salaries were affected during the pandemic may look to more stable employers or more secure industries.
Coping with stress
Dr Patricia Lau from Monash University Malaysia’s School of Business explains that the multiple lockdowns, uncertainty, and rapid external environmental changes caused by Covid-19 have altered the way we work and the requirements of work.
According to Lau, who specialises in human resource development and management, these changes affect the work itself, roles, functions, job responsibilities and previous ways of doing tasks. With remote working, employees were required to have massive and intense learning within a limited time frame, leaving little space to breathe, reflect, and think about arising problems and their solutions.
Furthermore, Lau says that the blurred work and home boundaries may have shaped the common assumption that employees are obliged to be available 24/7, overwhelming them.
These changes caused by Covid-19 have led the younger generation, specifically millennials and generation Z, to perceive work differently.
“Work refers to a purposeful activity that is not only pleasurable but has values contributing to the community and their future,” she says, pointing to youths who move into jobs with more social purpose and activism. Some youths also go into content creation, and choose to become YouTubers, bloggers, and Vloggers as that relates to their passions and interests, and can also be a profitable career.
With the challenges felt at work and home, working mothers are the hardest hit, says Lau.
“In society, they are perceived as traditionally holding mother and wife roles. The additional domestic responsibilities together with the increased workloads may push them to quit their jobs and become full-time homemakers,” she adds.
The employment relationship between employers and employees should be balanced but this is hard to achieve, especially during Covid-19, Lau observes.
“Employers’ expectations are getting higher for employees to perform. Employees are expected to undertake massive and intensive learning, and additional unrecorded workload during this pandemic,” she explains.
Although the expectations are inevitable, employers can balance the relationships by promoting ethical work climates. For example, if fairness and accuracy are practiced in performance evaluations, it will build trust with employees to stay and commit to their organisations, says Lau.
She adds that work flexibility can also be designed in a way that eases employee stress by taking into consideration things like childcare responsibilities, leading to better loyalty and wellbeing as well as reduced turnover.
In short, Lau says that mitigating the Great Resignation will require employers to “humanise” the work system by placing importance on human dignity and respect.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
