53% of staff think managers are ‘less empathetic’ in latest lockdown
It also said that 52% of employees claim their managers have not noticed signs of burnout with staff WFH
Whilst initial lockdowns saw a positive response from managers looking to support their teams, it seems maintaining this level of empathy a full year later is proving unsustainable for some leaders, with 53% of employees saying managers are less empathetic in the latest lockdown.
This is according to the latest figures from business training course provider The Hub Events, which surveyed 1115 employees who work from home.
Having asked employees what has been their employer’s biggest failings when it comes to empathy during the most recent lockdown it found:
| Employer’s biggest failings during most recent lockdown* | % of respondents |
| Expecting the same productivity levels despite continuing crisis | 63% |
| Not noticing signs of burnout with staff WFH | 52% |
| Managers not asking if everything is ok | 48% |
| Not offering enough support to employes WFH | 32% |
| Managers seeming fatigued and uninterested themselves | 23% |
Christine Macdonald, founder of The Hub Events, said: “Looking at the results, it’s shocking to see 52% highlight managers not noticing signs of burnout. What’s most worrying here is the suggestion that not only is there a lot of burnout amongst staff at the moment, it’s not being noticed, let alone addressed.
“This could have huge implications for retention and productivity. It’s therefore vital that managers bring more empathetic practices into their workplaces to counter this. Working in a leadership role can be trying at the best of times, and it goes without saying that things are tough for everyone at the minute.”
She added: “Employees are struggling to maintain positivity and productivity with seemingly endless lockdowns, and after a year of living within the pandemic and having to manage entire teams from home, many managers are suffering themselves – it’s telling that 23% of respondents said that their managers seemed fatigued or uninterested themselves.
“Before tackling empathy towards teams, show some to yourself first – if you’re feeling better, you’ll be better at tackling the problems of those around you.”
