71: How to Beat Burnout & Prioritize Employees’ Health and Wellbeing

The past year has taken a huge toll on both tax professionals and taxpayers, something Taxgirl talks about frequently. According to a 2021 survey from Robert Half, more than 44% of employees say they are more burned out on their jobs today than they were a year ago. Employers and employees are seeking all kinds of solutions to burnout and the labor shortage.

“People want to work in peace, not in pieces.” In today’s age of workplace burnout, retaining happy and healthy employees is more important than ever.

On today’s episode of the Taxgirl podcast, Kelly is joined by Iralma Pozo to discuss how tax professionals can prioritize their wellbeing to curb burnout. Iralma is an independent consultant with more than 15 years of financial expertise, and an adjunct lecturer in Accounting at John Jay College in New York. She is an active member of the New York State Society of CPAs, and most of her experience is in the not-for-profit sector, having held financial leadership and public accounting related roles. She has also worked for the IRS, and has experience working with entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the real estate and insurance sectors.

Listen to Kelly and Iralma talk about burnout and workplace wellbeing:

• What does Iralma think the tax code and related provisions can offer taxpayers, and how can tax professionals remain fulfilled and excited about their careers?
• Working from home (and spending more leisure time at home) means we are sitting more often than we used to. Iralma and Kelly talk about how standing desks, the benefits of carpet, and going for walks can all impact a person’s mental wellbeing and productivity.
• How much of an employee’s wellbeing falls on the employer? What items, practices, or trainings are truly “essential” to efficient and healthy remote work?
• What are the tax credits and/or benefits available to businesses to help them make employees most comfortable and prepared in such trying times? So many businesses say they’ve already accommodated everything they thought could be useful, so what else is there to help put their employees at ease?
• What are some things employers can do to turn things around for their employees? Iralma references Section 139, to start. Kelly says, happy employees are productive employees.
• Where does mental health and mental illness factor into employee wellbeing? Iralma talks about the remaining stigma with mental health, and what employers can do to bridge that gap.
• Iralma says, “Employers should be looking at supporting the whole person.” What does that mean for all aspects of an employee’s work? Does it mean cutting down on meetings, covering therapy costs, offering more flexible hours? How can companies take into account “modern day living,” as Iralma calls it, and what can be done to ease the pressure on employees?
• Some companies like Bloomberg have started to offer anonymous tiered benefits (such as therapy) that have levels available to the employee without cost out of pocket. How are these services impacting the employee’s wellbeing, for better or worse? How are these services being communicated?
• How can employers simplify their accommodations and benefits to their employees? So many employees say they weren’t aware of certain benefits or didn’t know they could submit a certain expense. Whether it’s regular emails or an annual follow-up, HR departments can remind their employees of the benefits available to them.
• “Employers need to start incentivizing people by the results and the value, not just the utilization rates and the facetime,” Iralma says. People have new priorities these days, and when employers don’t respect those, it contributes to stress and burnout.
• How can employers reshape the notion of “fun” or “perks” into self care, while maintaining the same level of priority and respect for employees that desire those aspects?
• Ultimately, employers are dealing with real people. Different people have independent priorities and expectations of their employers. Iralma says, there will be a lot of residual stress in the coming years, but we also have the tools to help aid that stress.
• For small and medium sized businesses, what does Iralma recommend for getting started when creating tools and options for employee’s wellbeing? Agency and education go a long way; Iralma says it’s key to give their employees a voice. Bring in a consultant to start things off.
• Financial stress is the enemy of health and wellbeing. An employer has a responsibility to be mindful of their staff’s health, and to appreciate the perspective they have on their employee’s lives.

More about Kelly:

Kelly is the creator and host of the Taxgirl podcast series. Kelly is a practicing tax attorney with considerable experience and knowledge. She works with taxpayers like you every day. One of the things that she ...