Feeling stressed? Here’s how 3 Boston startups fight employee burnout

by Justine Hofherr
February 7, 2018

Even employees who love their job suffer from burnout now and then.

Maybe you just got back from the holidays and have 300 emails sitting in your inbox, or you’ve just finished a major project and you’re struggling to get back into the swing of things: whatever the reason, burnout can creep up on just about anyone.

Luckily, many employers are putting policies in place to help fight burnout. From dog-friendly policies to generous paid time off, the following three tech startups have made great strides toward creating happier and healthier cultures for their employees —  and it shows.

 

fuze
Photo via Fuze

Content Marketing Director Amanda Maksymiw said Fuze has quite a few perks and benefits baked into the culture that keep employees feeling energized.

How does your company help employees fight burnout?

We embrace remote work. Our research has found that 80 percent of people feel they don’t need to be in an office to be productive. Embracing workplace flexibility is crucial after the holidays when people are adjusting back to the workday and avoiding burnout. This is especially important in areas where weather can make commutes difficult or dangerous (snowstorms, icy roads, etc.).

Technology enables people to be connected regardless of location so we make sure employees have the opportunity to work remotely when it makes sense for them. Fuze actually has a “work from anywhere policy” which allows our employees to work with their employers to create an in-office schedule that works for them.

We also ensure people look forward to coming back to work. At Fuze, we actually scheduled our holiday party for mid-January to give our employees something to look forward to upon returning to work. Schedules can be crazy leading up to the holidays so this gives our employees an opportunity to have some fun without worrying about when they’re going to get their holiday shopping done.

Most popular health and wellness perks:

We support New Year’s resolutions. Living a healthier lifestyle is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Creating fun office competitions for people trying to get active and eat healthily can create a sense of camaraderie and make people excited about the year ahead. We've done similar contests in the past where we've asked employees to share their best tips on how to stay healthy while working from anywhere — the tips included installing a pull-up bar in the doorway of your home office, standing while working, or requesting a room on the same floor as the hotel gym so you have no excuses.

 

greathorn
Photo via GreatHorn

Christy Lynch, VP of marketing, explains how GreatHorn’s team lunches offer time for employees to share their biggest successes (and challenges) of the week.

How does your company help employees fight burnout?

At GreatHorn, we help our employees stay active and also make a conscious effort to create community through transparency. We encourage regular exercise and, in fact, many of our employees are involved in martial arts, boxing and other types of group exercise classes that help people stay fit and get them energized for the day.

Most popular health and wellness perks:

It's important to feel in the loop and part of a team. This is why we bring in lunch for the company on Friday and have an all-hands meeting to wrap up the week. During this meeting, everyone gets a few minutes to share their accomplishments from that week and also engage their co-workers to help solve a problem they’ve run up against. It’s a nice way for employees to get a better view into the company’s operations, their co-workers' triumphs and challenges, and also better understand how their role plays a part in GreatHorn’s success.

 

zagster
Photo via Zagster

Jon Terbush, communications manager, said each Zagster employee receives a stipend toward the purchase of a bike or bike parts to help them stay active, happy and healthy.

How does your company help employees fight burnout?

We work in a fast-paced startup environment within a rapidly evolving industry, which means things can get a little hectic from time to time. To fight burnout, Zagster offers generous time off for employees to enable them to recharge. We also offer a flexible work-from-home policy so everyone can work from where they'll be most comfortable and productive. Additionally, we also strive to make the office an energizing environment through a whole range of efforts — a dog-friendly policy, ample snacks and cold brew on tap, rotating kegs of cider and beer, and regular company outings for food, fun and bonding.

Plus, as a company committed to promoting active lifestyles, Zagster offers subsidized gym memberships and stipends toward the purchase of bikes and bike parts to help our employees stay happy and healthy. At a minimum, we’re focused on making Zagster an exciting and enjoyable place to come to every morning, which goes a long way toward helping our employees avoid burnout and stay happy, healthy and productive.

Most popular health and wellness perks:

Generous time off, subsidized gym membership and a stipend toward the purchase of bikes and bike parts.

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