Dive Brief:

• Attrition and anxiety are the two prevailing trends of the current phase of the pandemic, according to a June 21 report from benefits technology firm Businessolver, yet the company said it has observed a decline in the level of empathy employees perceive among employers.
• Specifically, Businessolver found that 69% of employees said their organizations were empathetic, down from 72% in 2021. This perception particularly extended to CEOs, with fewer workers stating that the CEO played the most important role in building workplace empathy; instead, many said they look to direct managers to meet that need. Additionally, while 69% of CEOs surveyed by Businessolver said they believed it was their job to build empathy, 79% struggled to be empathetic and 77% were worried that they would lose respect if they were too empathetic.
• The report outlined a number of strategies for building empathy, including empowering and training managers; offering flexible work; and offering benefits that address workers’ mental health challenges. Mental health may be key, as two-thirds of surveyed employees said they believed that employers viewed those with mental health issues as either “weak” or “a burden.”

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