The gentle sway between two spheres, employer and employee, one side to the other, in time and rhythm. Sometimes there is a lot of give, and other times, more take, but it all normalizes out. Until our skills shortage entered our world. The fight for talent changed the employer-employee relationship and balance profoundly.

As every leader, manager, and organization raced to fix the problem, flexible everything was on offer: late starts, early finishes, compressed workweeks, workcations, etc., and so much more. With very little restraint and too much of a good thing, we lost the equilibrium.

We underestimated the appropriate tools, structure, and, yes, discipline to support successful hybrid working. Juggling working patterns between office and home and adjusting hours, even if only slightly, makes routine hard to establish. It takes its toll emotionally and psychologically. And the statistics show this.

Burnout is becoming more prevalent, not less: 77% of workers are experiencing burnout at their current job, and over 50% cite more than one occurrence. For further clarity, 86% of remote workers are experiencing burnout, 70% of in-person workers report the same feelings, and hybrid workers sit somewhere in the middle at about 81%.

Originally published by www.fastcompany.com