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You have a mountain of work on your desk. Your people are working overtime. The inbox is overflowing. And yet... you postpone important decisions. It's a pattern we all recognize, but the true cost of this procrastination is now painfully visible.

The reality at the workplace

You see it happening around you. Experienced employees are dropping out with burnout complaints. Absenteeism is rising. And the workload? It only gets higher for the ‘healthy’ part of your team. It's a vicious cycle that reinforces itself.

Recent research (See source at the bottom of this blog) shows that one absent employee costs your organization an average of €250 to €350 per day. Add to that the increased workload on your other team members, and you see the real impact: even more risk of dropout.

The time is now

We can no longer push it aside. The signs are more than clear:

• Burnout complaints are increasing exponentially (TNO research)

• Recruitment is becoming increasingly challenging (unemployment is around 3.5% and barely rising. - CBS)

• Existing teams are under extreme pressure

• The costs of doing nothing are rising daily

The good news? There has never been a better time to change. The tools are there. The knowledge is available. All that's needed is that first step.

Why is it so hard?

Change is exciting. It requires time, attention, and energy - exactly the things we are already short of. But that’s precisely why it's so crucial to take action now. Because tomorrow we'll have even less of all this.

Think of that old Chinese wisdom: the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.

The impact of action

Organizations that take the step see immediate results:

• Reduction in workload within 2-3 weeks

• Significant decrease in absenteeism

• Higher employee satisfaction

• Better quality of work

Start today

Start small, but start nonetheless. Choose one area where your team experiences the most pressure. It could be recruitment, administration, or perhaps the daily operations. Focus on that.

Perfection is the enemy of progress. You don't have to solve everything immediately. Every small improvement gives your team more breathing space. More room to breathe. More energy to take the next step.

A message to all HR professionals

Your people deserve to go to work with joy. To have energy left for their life outside work. To be proud of what they do, without constantly running on empty.

You can make that difference. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today.

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Sources used:

https://www.salarisvanmorgen.nl/2023/02/23/de-financiele-cijfers-achter-werkstress/

https://www.tno.nl/nl/newsroom/2023/09/burn-outklachten-jongeren-onderzoek-202