Hope, Belonging and Resilience Are Remedies for Protecting
Workers Against Burnout and Job Stress
BOSTON, June 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As a counterpoint to the
extremely high numbers of employees experiencing pessimism in its
winter 2023 Workforce Well-being Survey, meQuilibrium (meQ)
investigated a positive emotion–hope–in its latest research. The
new survey of 5,989 adults released today, which examines
persistent burnout, stress, quiet quitting, and turnover, found
that hope–the combination of optimism and self-efficacy–is a
powerful emotion that can protect employees from pessimism and
negativity.
Hope is a powerful positive force that can greatly enhance
employee well-being. Employees with the highest levels of hope are
74% less likely to suffer from burnout, 74% less likely to suffer
from anxiety and 75% less likely to suffer from depression, meQ's
research found. Hope also reduces the risk of quiet quitting and
turnover with the most hopeful employees 33% less likely to endorse
quiet quitting than the least hopeful employees. Turnover
intent is cut in half (49% less) among the most hopeful
employees.
"Our study identified resilience as the key driver of hope,"
said Brad Smith, PhD., Chief Science Officer, meQuilibrium.
"The data show that it is not just resilience writ large, but
specific cognitive characteristics--positivity, self-efficacy and
problem solving--that underlie a strong sense of hope.
Organizations that focus on cultivating these characteristics can
achieve remarkable gains in employee well-being."
In addition to serving as a key driver of hope, resilience
emerged as a remedy for burnout, stress, quiet quitting, and
turnover. The key drivers of positivity, self-efficacy and problem
solving boost hope-driven, goal-directed behavior by 50-85%.
Compared to the least resilient respondents, the most resilient
employees showed 70+% reductions in the risk of anxiety, depression
and burnout.
Belonging also showed powerful protective effects. Employees with a
strong sense of belonging face substantially reduced risks of
burnout (-10.1%), anxiety (-19.9%), and depression (-19.9%).
However, only half (50.6%) of those surveyed felt a strong sense of
connection with work colleagues.
Furthermore, managers play a pivotal role in employee
well-being. More than eight in ten (84.1%) employees with
strong manager support feel respected and valued by teammates,
compared to only 53% with weak manager support.
"This study, along with our previous scientific research,
continues to demonstrate the vital roles of resilience and strong
managers in fostering a thriving workforce," said Dr. Smith. "Now
that we have identified hope and belonging as powerful forces in
significantly enhancing employee well-being, engagement,
productivity, and retention, it's crucial that we empower employees
with a sense of hope and belonging which will enable them to better
cope with stress, overcome obstacles, and find meaning in their
work."
Methodology
Approximately 5,989 employed adults
participated in meQ's scientific study of hope, belonging, and
resilience. The study used the Locus of Hope scale to identify the
least to most hopeful groups in determining the part hope plays in
burnout, anxiety, and depression. This is meQ's 5th year of
biannual well-being trends research reports, which examine
well-being trends among thousands of employees across a variety of
industries, allowing us to take the pulse of the workplace on the
hot topics of the day.
About meQ
meQ, the world's leading workforce
resilience expert, identifies, addresses, and measures the root
cause of risks to workforce performance, engagement, and
well-being. Our data analytics-based approach uses AI to predict
workforce risk and to personalize solutions for each employee and
team at global scale. meQ's mission is to make any workforce a
workforce for growth. The meQ solution is available in 14 languages
and serves global enterprises in 130 countries. Learn more
at https://www.meQuilibrium.com.
Media contact:
Beth Brody, BrodyPR
379472@email4pr.com
908-295-0600
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SOURCE meQuilibrium