Women facing higher workplace burnout - Decoding the facts! The pandemic did not only bring millions of employees to the brink. It is causing long - term burnout among working professionals worldwide. Sadly, the numbers are pretty discouraging. In an annual survey by Mckinsey and LeanIn.org, it was found that women were facing burnout more than men. What is more saddening is that in their issue named "Women in the Workplace," the gap has widened since the pandemic. Did you know that more than 40% of women in America alone felt burnout, which was around 30% during 2020? Furthermore, one - third of women considered scaling bac k in their careers or leaving it altogether. Shockingly, the figures jumped approximately 10% compared to the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the Indian corporate world isn't immune to the impact of pandemic burnout. Undoubtedly, women's repres entation increased at all levels ranging from entry - level jobs to C - suite roles during the past few years. But the pandemic started putting these gains at risk. To put it simply, the pandemic pushed millions of women professionals out of the workforce. A llow me to explain the sudden change in dynamics. Let's dig a little deeper! Indian Women are becoming the victims of "double burden syndrome." Or Working Women in India are becoming the victims of "double burden syndrome." Or The India View - Women are becoming the victims of “double burden syndrome.” If you talk about "the New India," clearly the opportunities for women professionals are increasing and rapidly expanding. However, things took a 180 - degree turn during the pandemic. As per the Nielsen survey, many women respondents blame the work - home rol es disruption as the primary challenge. According to them, it is a leading cause of workplace burnout. Commented [1]: Mention -- 'The India view' or something in this section title since it is talking about India Commented [2]: added Commented [3]: Mention -- 'The India view' or something in this section title since it is talking about India Commented [4]: added Let's not forget that family expectations and social mores remain deeply rooted in our Indian tradition. Hence, it's no surprise that they will feel mor e stressed. After all, they juggle the demanding obligations at home and in their careers. Believe it or not, traditional family structures impact Indian women , whether they are from an urban or semi - urban area. Women often have to conform to the paradigm of "ideal daughter, ideal wife, or daughter - in - law." You will be shocked to know that many successful women professionals had to wake up at 4:30 am to make b reakfast and lunch for their children or in - laws. Only after that could they return to their work. Moreover, ambitious women professionals had to overcompensate at work, too. Result? Despite the technological prowess of Indian companies or outsourcing fi rms, the basic infrastructure is still lacking in work - from - home arrangements. Hence, resulting in complete workplace burnout. In fact, as per the human resources advisor at Infosys, Hema Ravichandar , even in companies with better facilities, flex time is rarely an option. Still not convinced? Let me give you some insights into this issue. Also read: Building a long - term career plan in unpredictable and uncertain times Has it been tough on women professionals? Let's find out! With pandemic shutting many service providers, women who were dependent on services to support parents could no longer rely on these services . Hence, the excess burden fell on women. A study conducted by academics fr om Harvard University found that women had to spend more time on child - care and household chores during Covid - 19 than they had to do pre - pandemic. For example, ● The co - founder of Mad Street Den (computer vision and AI startup) said that the pandemic amplified the pressures of caregiving. She anticipates that more women professionals will leave the workforce if it stays the same because of burnout. ● Priya Chetty R ajagopal, a managing partner at Multiversal Advisory, says women have to perform caregiving duties. However, with the pandemic, there isn't clear segregation between work and home chores. It won't be wrong to say that more than 80% of women faced challeng es while WFH amidst the pandemic. In fact, as per the survey conducted by SCIKEY Market Network, only around 20% of women could find some "me time" amid this chaos. Further, only 21% of the respondents said that they would like to continue working from hom e. But what concerns me more is that more than 60% of the respondents felt conflicted between work and home demands. That's not all! 24/7 Work Culture Impacting Women Professionals The mental stress or workplace burnout increased for around 88% of re spondents. The worst part is that only 12% of the women confirmed that their organisation supported improving or nourishing mental well - being. Many women mentors are recognising these burnout signs and are helping their team members to navigate the chall enges. However, by doing so, this is causing an additional workload on them, causing burnout. Clearly, women are at a higher risk of workplace burnout. Quite evidently, everyone is mindful of workplace burnout these days. But what next? Watch this video: Decode Your Emotions For Better Emotional Wellness - By Dr. Sucharita The Next Steps If companies don't want to lose their competent women workforce, they need to: ● Reestablish work - life boundaries. ● Limit emails outside business hours. ● Encouraging communication about work hours and availability. ● Performance reviews shouldn't be around rewarding employees who work more. Many companies like Infosys, Cognizant, DocuSign, Facebook, Bumble are identifying these stress points that make women leave organisations. For instance, ● Infosys created policies like Infosys Women's Inclusivity Network (IWIN). Using this, they recognised that working women quit their jobs after the birth of their first child. They introduced a one - year child - care sab batical where they gave women the option to work part - time for the next two years. More companies need to follow in their footsteps. They must create a women - friendly environment. Only by doing that, women professionals can focus on their traditional careg iving chores and professional engagements. ● Bumble introduced flexible schedules for working mothers to stay on their career tracks and earn more. They provide regular training and development opportunities and a monthly wellness stipend to help the workf orce stay their best self. ● Hubspot launched Women@Hubspot groups that support the professional development of women and provide a variety of benefits so that women don't have to choose between career and motherhood. Also, read: BARRIERS THAT HINDER WOMEN’S CAREER ADVANCEMENT Key Takeaways Women facing higher burnout since the pandemic hit the world is true. Now, women professionals and companies need to address these issues rather than ignore them. If you are feeling optimistic about this whole concept, you can never talk about the elepha nt in the room. While this scenario might be quite a treat for a few women, most women professionals face the brunt. Clearly, the demarcation of office and house makes them empowered and valued. So, if you are not creating an environment, they might los e out on opportunities and become less productive. Instead, companies should focus on providing child care support or else they have to mine the talent again. And from the standpoint of women , they need to make things clear with their employers about the designated tasks and timelines. Only then can one juggle between household activities and work responsibilities efficiently. Are you also facing workplace burnout? Please share your stories with us!