Already considered a stressful industry to work in, coronavirus has exacerbated the pressure faced by those with jobs in advertising, communications, and marketing. The added stress has led to an increased rate of workplace burnout, according to industry experts.
In response, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s media training institution News Media Academy launched a campaign called #StoptheBurn in February to raise awareness about these industry challenges.
The campaign looked at how more needs to be done, on the agency side and the client side, to stop workplace burnout, particularly in junior members of communications teams who often feel obliged to put in long hours and work hard. The campaign, which included a short video, emphasised how coronavirus has aggravated the situation, explained Margaret Flanagan, co-founder of Tales & Heads communications agency.
“Those lines between work and home no longer exist, so it’s all about an ‘always on’ work environment. Everyone knows you are not going out in the evening so there is this expectation and work just creeps into your home life,” said Flanagan.
“This is particularly true because of technology where we are all on multiple WhatsApp groups and there’s that need to respond instantly, which can be quite dangerous in terms of our mental health and the need to take a break,” she continued.
Margaret Flanagan (R) and fellow co-founder Lisa King launched their own Dubai-based communications agency, Tales & Heads.
However, coronavirus did have a positive impact on this situation in that it brought issues relating to mental wellness to the forefront.
“We have all seen a positive side of one another during Covid-19. We’ve seen into each other’s homes and connected on a more emotional level with clients so those barriers have been broken down,” said Flanagan.
“There is a far greater willingness to talk about mental health and to let people know if you are struggling and to reach out and bring these subjects out,” she continued.
This is particularly true with the millennials and Gen Z who have no qualms, when compared to previous generations, about raising mental health concerns and who view mental wellbeing the same way they do physical wellbeing, said Flanagan.
While the initiative was raised last month, Flanagan believes workplace burnout in communications is an issue that needs to be continuously addressed.
“It’s an issue that has been here for a very long time and will continue to be, so unless we really look at the key issues that are causing it, whether it is under-resourcing, poor planning or silo-ed working within organisations,” she said.
“I think clients are often under the same pressure that agencies are and they have the same expectation of needing to always be on. It’s also about organisations perhaps bringing in communications and marketing at the last minute rather than making sure it is fully integrated within the planning process so that agencies then have more time to think and resource properly,” she added.
شاغر وظيفي لغاية الساعة 2 صباحاً! فريقنا يشارككم التفاصيل عن كثب مع تداعيات ضغط العمل على الموظّفين#StopTheBurn pic.twitter.com/kkjd50Gh4u
— New Media Academy (@NewMediaACDMY) February 2, 2021
Employees in these industries often find it hard to know when to say no and switch off, Flanagan said.
“There is a saying in our industry which is that we work in PR not ER meaning we are not in those life and death situations so sometimes you need to take a step back and ask what the priorities are and whether some things can wait until tomorrow,” she explained.
Almost as a reaction to this situation, Flanagan and fellow co-founder Lisa King launched their own Dubai-based communications agency, Tales & Heads, in early March drawing on their combined 40 years of experience in the field.
“The pandemic gave us a new perspective and we wanted to do things differently. We felt there was an opportunity to launch an independent agency that focuses on strategic consultancy, cultural relevance and storytelling,” said King.
“The pandemic made us realise that virtual working is easier than ever before and actually gave us the opportunity to not only work with creative people in the UAE but across the globe,” she added.
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