Nearly half of US companies surveyed report increased productivity since COVID-19 outbreak, but employee well-being is declining

According to a September survey of 330 HR executives primarily from large US companies, almost half (47 percent) believe that productivity has increased for their workforce since the COVID-19 outbreak, compared to only 23 percent in our April survey. This productivity increase could be partly due to employees working longer hours since the start of the pandemic, as 60 percent of companies report.

But this increased productivity may come at the cost of employee well-being. Many surveyed companies report that their employees are spending more time in meetings (63 percent), as well as suffering more burnouts (42 percent), decreased work-life balance (46 percent), and more mental health problems (40 percent).

“These sobering statistics beg the question of whether increased working hours are sustainable in the long term,” said Robin Erickson, PhD, a report coauthor and Principal Researcher at The Conference Board. “To further support the health and well-being of their workers, companies can consider implementing quiet periods without email, mandating use of vacation time, or even offering more benefits related to health and wellness to mitigate stress.”

For more HC COVID-19 survey results, see Adapting to the Reimagined Workplace: Human Capital Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic.