The concept of resentment is often associated with personal relationships—a failing marriage or poor familial relations. But how about returning to the office cubicle?
“Resenteeism” is the new term in work cultures to describe some employees’ attitudes toward their jobs—especially as return-to-office (RTO) mandates have increased following the pandemic. According to BetterUp.com, the number of primarily remote jobs has been cut in half since their post-pandemic peak. After years of proving they can effectively juggle working from home with a bit of laundry and the occasional plumbing appointment, losing one of the biggest perks of the job is resulting in bad feelings, studies reveal. Data shows employees actually dedicate more time to their jobs working from home than at the office—making it all the more frustrating for dedicated workers who view RTO as a demonstrating a lack of trust.
Having to jump back into a daily commute hasn’t helped much either.
Resenteeism—a combination of the words “resent” and “absenteeism”—is causing disengagement among employees, resulting in the feeling of being on “autopilot” throughout the day.
Studies show workers often value their “emotional salary”—non-monetary benefits of a position such as work-life balance—more than monetary compensation, as long as the income meets basic needs, according to the Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI). But as companies cut back on certain work-life-balance perks—while wages remain stagnant and the cost of living increases—workers are finding fewer reasons to go the extra mile at the office.
What’s more, resenteeism is boiling over into open frustration at the workplace. According to findings in a MyPerfectResume study about worker burnout, about 87% of workers surveyed said they’d had an outburst at work in the last six months—more than half having such outbursts more than once. Such outbursts include leaving meetings early, threatening to quit, yelling at colleagues and managers in anger or simply crying.
To help mitigate resenteeism and burnout, AWI recommends HR departments make efforts to upskill managers in how to create positive, safe and welcoming environments that help employees feel supported emotionally and comfortable voicing concerns.
Or, they could retain work-from-home flexibility to provide the work-life balance employees value most.
10 tips for preventing ‘resenteeism’
Create a positive workplace culture
Schedule regular check-in meetings with employees
Conduct exit interviews and stay interviews
Provide various ways employees can express their concerns
Clearly define expectations
When warranted, discipline employees promptly
Develop programs to rewards and recognition employees
Express appreciation
Provide career coaching
Address stress and burnout
