Bumble gives entire staff a week off to recover from COVID-19 burnout

An American tech company is giving its entire staff a week of paid vacation.

The company behind the Bumble dating app says they want their workers to have a chance to relax and refresh, as other workplaces ramp up with COVID-19 restrictions being lifted.

Still, like during the pandemic, there are “essential” workers who will continue to steer the ship, but they’ll get a week off of their choosing later this year.

The World Health Organization defines burnout as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

The symptoms include feelings of exhaustion, detachment and cynicism towards one’s job and reduced productivity.

In Canada, a recent survey conducted by Angus Reid Group for software company Sage Canada found that one-third of workers worry exhaustion will affect their ability to do their job. Among employers, nearly half of small and medium-sized businesses said they are concerned that employee burnout will hit their bottom line.

1:43 Health care workers face an impossible dilemma: burnout or leave

Earlier this year, Royal Bank of Canada decided to give staff an extra day off in 2021 as workers reported feeling more burnt out than ever with the COVID-19 pandemic dragging on.

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“Many of you have told us you’re feeling more exhausted now than at any point in this crisis, and I know this reality is having an impact on friends, partners, colleagues, and family members,” RBC CEO Dave McKay said in a company-wide email.

“We need to eliminate the stigma associated with asking for time to focus, concentrate, and in some cases, log-off and recharge. So, please prioritize taking care of yourself.”

Exhaustion and stress have been more prevalent among Canada’s workforce compared to the global average, according to Microsoft’s latest annual Work Trend Index.

The report published in March was based on a January survey among 31,092 full-time or self-employed workers across 31 countries. It said nearly half of Canadian workers (47 per cent) reported feeling exhausted, compared to the 39 per cent global average. It also found that in a typical workday, 51 per cent of Canadians feel stressed compared to the 42 per cent global average.

— With files from Global News’ Nicole Gibillini and Erica Alini