Employee burnout, pretty privilege, and more ways to use AI at work
Hello, and welcome to WorkLife’s 3 things newsletter. In this weekly newsletter, we will spotlight five things to know about the latest issues affecting modern workplaces.
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Here are 3 things to know about work this week.
1. Why we’re getting the expensive problem of employee burnout — and how to fix it — all wrong
We hear a lot about worker burnout, but a new study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine puts an eyebrow-raising price tag on it. It found that a worn-out employee can cost an organization $21,000 per year in lost productivity — meaning that for the average 1,000-person company, workforce disengagement and burnout could ring up to $5 million a year.
It would appear that despite the avalanche of wellness programs, well-stocked office pantries and RTO days, we’re still getting burnout — and the solutions to it — all wrong. Here’s why, and how to actually fix it.
2. WTF is ‘pretty privilege’?
Pretty privilege, as you might imagine, is when looks mean more than substance, and there are clear advantages afforded to conventionally attractive people over the rest of us plain Joes and Janes.
More than 4 in 5 respondents believe that conventionally attractive people have an easier time getting ahead. Meanwhile, those who rate themselves as “extremely attractive” pocket nearly $20,000 more annually than their less superficially blessed colleagues.
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3. Dreading that difficult work talk? AI may help
Say you have to confront an employee about a missed deadline or deliver some tough feedback. Or you have to negotiate a contract with a contentious vendor, or talk to the boss about something sensitive.
Let’s face it — nobody looks forward to the difficult work conversation.
Maybe AI can help.
While businesses integrate AI into all sorts of workflows, many may have not yet considered the tech’s potential for perfecting one-on-one dialogue. However, Abdow suggests that AI-assisted communication could empower employees at all levels to engage in conversations they might otherwise seek to avoid. (Meanwhile, it’s not unheard of for companies to use AI to automatically monitor and fire underperforming workers. No difficult conversation necessary.)
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This newsletter was curated by Courtney Marabella, senior social media/audience manager for Digiday. Let us know what you think, or what you hope to see more of, by dropping us a note at courtney@digiday.com.