Employee well-being drops hard as staff shortages rise, says ABN Amro

There has been a sharp decline in employee well-being, especially now that many companies are struggling with personnel shortages, ABN Amro said. The Dutch issued a warning about the problem in its well-being monitor, which examines the welfare of Dutch workers.

"Work pressure has increased, burnout complaints are back to pre-coronavirus levels, and the pay gap between the workforce and those at the top is increasing," the bank's experts surmised. The researchers looked at a total of 89 variables, and concluded that employee well-being decreased by 2 percent last year.

Work-life balance in particular was out of step for many people. The health of the participants also declined, which weighs heavily in determining the level of well-being in the method used by the researchers.

According to the bank, the study clearly shows the impact on employees when an economic revival happens in combination with staff shortages. ABN Amro experts said this is part of a vicious circle. "Where there is a shortage in the workplace, more employees experience greater pressure, which means that they also call out sick more quickly. If absenteeism increases, the pressure on other colleagues grows, so that they also quickly run into limits, and the risk of burnout symptoms rises."

ABN AMRO economist Sonny Duijn pointed out that employee well-being is important for attracting and retaining staff. "Less attention to well-being therefore has consequences not only for employees, but also for the continuity, or even the survival of a company."

He advised employers to set goals for well-being that are prioritized as highly as their company's finances.