Word of the week: Resenteeism
Corporate vocabulary constantly evolves as a new generation enters the workforce daily. Every week, Forbes India will decode and simplify workplace and business-related words or jargon to bring you up to speed with the lingo of the day
Resenteeism: Physically showing up to work but mentally wanting to be anywhere else, counting down minutes till one can escape
“A toxic work environment and lack of employee engagement in some companies are leading to a noticeable increase in resenteeism.”
-Coined by RotaCloud, a staff management software provider
Unlike quiet quitting, where quitters are happy to do the bare minimum, resentees make their dissatisfaction known.
According to RotaCloud, the company that coined the term, factors such as recession, an increasing cost of living, and the fear of job loss, may be behind resenteeism.
“When resenteeism sets in, employees don’t just mentally step back from their work—de-prioritising their job and how it contributes to their identity— they actively resent it,” says the company’s blog post.
A few signs to look out for will be to notice if there is a change in employees’ attitude or behaviour, a dip in enthusiasm and quality of work, and not being emotionally invested in the job.
An increasing number of cases of resenteeism in an office can affect everyone’s morale. Therefore, the key to controlling it would be promoting open communication within the organisation.
Encouraging the team to take breaks and go on holidays can also greatly help. It is also important that managers appreciate their team members to keep them invested and celebrate their success.
Additionally, if employees are given an opportunity for professional development, such as training courses and other avenues of growth, it will avoid the building up of feelings of stagnation. Supporting the staff with information about their mental health and normalising talking about feelings towards work is also of utmost importance.
If not kept in check, resenteeism can negatively affect the workplace atmosphere and decrease productivity among other employees, ultimately resulting in reduced business performance.
