Toxic customers, unproductive employees, and contagious pessimism: How the hopelessness epidemic is taking the workplace by storm

Fortune ^ | Jan 16, 2024 | Jen Fisher, Jennifer Moss

[anthropocene_x]

Hopelessness is at epidemic levels and taking a toll on people and organizations. Workers of all ages are feeling more hopeless than ever. A national poll released this past spring by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School found that nearly half of Americans under 30 years old reported feeling “down, depressed, or hopeless” at least several days a week. In 2023, U.S. employee engagement fell at a rate 10 times faster than in the previous three years, according to one estimate. Globally, employee stress is at a record high, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 report.

As the pandemic moves into our rearview, the rapid adoption of new technology and AI is keeping uncertainty at the forefront. Gallup data shows that more workers fear that technology is making their jobs obsolete. That fear jumped by seven points since 2021 and has grown more in the past two years than at any time in Gallup’s trend since 2017.

In 2020, there were 183 unruly airline passenger reports. In 2021, there were more than 5,981.

An organization (or a community, or a family) filled with people that have a sense of meaning and purpose is stronger than one made up of disengaged, unhealthy, and unhappy people.

[AppyPappy]

Too many people wanting to work remotely and claiming that going into the office is “killing them”. What people don’t realize is that working remotely can put you out of work. Why pay an American to work remotely when you can pay 4 people in India with no benefits?

[wally_bert]

Excellent explanation.

Can’t argue that at all.

They’ve tried calling retired people and mostly gotten no thanks.

[bert]

The Jen Jenn duo is pathetic. Having nothing to report but needing a job now, they combine their efforts to drag out a year old Harvard study.

[Fury]

Hopelessness is at epidemic levels and taking a toll on people and organizations.

I see they've read the some 2024 election threads. The number of whiny quitters is noticeable.

[oldtech]

This is certainly not a time to be losing faith in God. In fact, I would say it’s more important than ever, considering all that’s happening. If this is a tough time for anyone,then this is the time to put more & more faith in God. It may be the only thing that will pull us through. My own faith is possibly not all it should be, but it has pulled me through.