WHITNEY Wolfe Herd pulled a masterstroke this week. The CEO of dating app Bumble gave her 700 staff an extra week off on full pay, to recover from burnout.
The last 15 months have been both busy and lucrative for the company. That said, she didn't have to do this, but she recognised that her staff were collectively running on empty, and she offered some help.
I would say that's good leadership. The global media coverage, whether part of her plan or not, has been nothing only positive and has generated free publicity for her company.
This move has portrayed Wolfe Heard as a progressive leader who invests in her employees. Many have speculated that she will see a huge return in loyalty and commitment from her staff because of this extra week's leave.
While most of the working population look on in envy, this story has started a really interesting and important conversation about work/life balance.
Is burnout the responsibility of the individual, the employer, or does the balance lie somewhere in between?
The conversation around pressure and stress in the workplace is hard to manage and has not been normalised.
People react to stress in so many different ways. Some power through stressful situations, and make small changes as they go; some use stress as an excuse not to work. Others become overwhelmed and have to take time out; others choose to leave the job and that environment altogether.
There are many variables and it can be difficult to read the situation, but does that mean that stress should be ignored completely?
An extra fully-paid week off work is a short-term approach to managing and tackling workplace stress. If we reach the point where we have let ourselves burn out completely, a week off will not fix what has by that stage become a serious problem. A more gradual long-term approach has to make sense.
I spoke to life coach Catríona Walsh on my radio programme last week. She experienced burnout herself, worked out that she needed to change career and she now helps busy professionals to strike the healthy balance.
One of the points she made is to look out for changes in your attitude - if you are becoming resentful, negative in your outlook and tired all the time, chances are you are heading towards burnout.
Ultimately, burnout is a message. It is your body's way of telling you that something is not working and that you need to make some changes.
Strong mental wellbeing is the baseline from which we all work well and are able to manage stress.
More and more employers are recognising the importance of employee wellbeing and that it needs to be prioritised. Individuals also have a responsibility to recognise the warning signs that things are not as they should be.
This week, a four-day working week is being trialled in the Republic. Is this the way to go? It might focus the working week on being productive, rather than the number of hours worked.
This approach might not be applicable to every job, but where it would apply, if we get the same amount of work done in fewer days - leaving more time off to spend with family, to relax, to live - surely that is a win-win?
It will be interesting to see how work culture changes as we come out of the pandemic.
If a self-employed person or someone who works as a freelancer has stayed with me this far without screaming - thank you.
Most people who work for themselves will tell you that they can not afford to burn out, but in my experience, they need to be even more aware of burnout. There is only so much one person can take on.
It can be perceived as a sign of weakness to admit that you are feeling the pressure of a particular job, leaving you in a vulnerable position.
In the current climate, it could be even more difficult to admit that stress is affecting you at work, because the demand for jobs is so great.
We should not just get on with it and be grateful to have a job if we're feeling like we are burning out.
The chances are if someone mentions that they are stressed or fatigued to colleagues in the workplace, they might be criticised or not listened to.
If stress and burnout are to be taken seriously, this culture has to change. Are we ready for that?
