Rest.
It’s a term that’s been popping up more and more frequently in my social media feeds and conversations with friends, family and especially with colleagues. In the age of COVID-19, many of us are still working from our homes, struggling to strike a balance between "home life" and "work life." The lines between the two blur, and even though we’re inside sitting in front of a laptop for most of the day, many of us power down after 5 p.m. without much energy left for those we take care of, let alone ourselves.
Rest.
The constant attachment to work that many feel at home can have detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. There are countless studies out there showing the meteoric rise of stress, depression and anxiety — none of which are friends to our immune systems. So why is it then, that we’re all so tired and worried, but unable to rest or recharge? These are not normal times, and perhaps our normal remedies don’t work the way they used to. Or maybe it’s because my dining room is my office and I can’t quite let go of the work day every time I pass by en route to the kitchen.
Rest.
Along with taking advantage of an employer’s EAP for mental health care (or finding low-cost or sliding-scale resources), going for walks to get out of the house, staying connected with loved ones for much-needed social support, we also deeply need a break. A real one. Not a day off here and there where you’re still checking e-mail because it’s there.
Compared to most advanced economies, the US has paltry paid time off practices. Many working Americans don’t have any paid time off. No sick leave. No benefits. It’s seemingly impossible for millions of people to actually take a break. To rest.
Rest.
Along with kicking our individual averse habits or guilt related to fully taking time away from work, COVID-19 has forced corporate responsibility front-and-center of the issue. Not only has it made thousands of companies switch to fully-remote work in a matter of days, it has also made businesses and governments change their time off practices, especially for part-time and essential workers. A new statewide law in New York requires all employees are provided with sick time and family leave. It also prohibits employers from firing employees for taking paid time off. This pandemic has forced the needle to move, but still not enough, especially for demographics already on the margins.
Rest.
Management also plays a key role in how employees experience and use their time off. It matters when your boss tells you to take time off and they really mean it. An organization’s HR department might share that employees are encouraged to take time off during this crisis for their mental health — but what happens when a few team leaders are still texting and calling their employees during their PTO or even after work hours? Not only does this negate the positive benefits of taking a break, it also can create resentment amongst co-workers whose managers implement time off differently.
Time off can’t be just a talking point. It has to be an active and fair practice.
Rest.
It can feel like an act of rebellion to actually rest. To turn off. To choose stillness over activity. I’m a millennial. I graduated into a recession and worked multiple part-time jobs without benefits for years. We were made to feel like we had to grind ourselves to the bone, to take what we could get and to be happy with it. A day off meant a day without pay. And that’s still true for millions among us.
But then, my generation changed the way work happens. Start-up culture of ping pong tables and beer in the fridge translated into flexible work schedules, remote work capabilities, inherent trust without in-office face time, and all the things we need to survive in this new environment.
As a generation, the thought of a pension is absurd. Retirement still feels out of reach. Student loans keep us financially stagnant. And that’s for so many of us who would still consider ourselves deeply privileged. What we missed out on in corporate loyalty, job security and wage growth, we demanded better work-life balance. More paid time off. More professional development opportunities. We’re still waiting on paid parental leave to catch up, or even exist.
The work is always there. Both metaphorically and literally. In your dining room. Your couch. Your bed. It’s not going anywhere, but you should. Take a break. Allow breaks for your employees and change policies that punish working people for being human, that tie our value to how many hours we clock, how many hours we are available.
Rest.
Rest.
Rest.
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Rachel Semigran
Communications Manager
Goodwin College of Professional Studies