Although Women’s History Month is coming to a close, that doesn’t mean we have to stop talking about important issues facing women today. One issue that continues to be more relevant now than ever is the concept of “female burnout.” To better understand this concept, picture the following scenario:
Juliette is a third-year sales representative working for the same company that extended her a job out of college. Originally, Juliette was ecstatic with this high-paying job offer, but as time went on and she became more familiar with the work environment, her attitudes quickly changed. She realized that her income was not that high relative to her colleagues and her work environment was biased towards different employees. Few opportunities for professional growth, lack of balance in authority, and difficulty voicing her opinion are just some of the reasons why Juliette and many other women experience higher rates of “burnout” in the workplace.
As described by the Mayo Clinic, job burnout is a special type of work-related stress associated with a sense of reduced accomplishment and a loss of personal identity. Maestro Health, a third-party administrator for employee health and benefits, found that 70% of women suffer from workplace burnout, and according to Dr. Laura Gallaher, “In a patriarchy, women are impacted disproportionately because of stereotypical gender roles, prejudice and discrimination. In difficult times, like what we're in now, fear goes up and people resort back to cognitive shortcuts, like [gender] stereotypes.”
PRISM prides itself on its organizational diversity and ability to provide equal opportunities for its members, regardless of gender identity, age, race, or socioeconomic status. PRISM is using this new year as a mark to encourage others to discuss these previously taboo subjects and shed light on how we can not only make the workplace, but the world, a better place.