Monday, December 5, 2022

Unreasonable Expectations and Double Standards Lead to Burnout

Why isn’t putting in the effort good enough? Why is extra effort expected?

By Ryan Griffioen, Representative

Job quotes and job descriptions should be one and the same. But for some reason, employers treat them differently.

A contractor will bill you for any extra material required or extra work performed that wasn’t included in the original scope of the quoted work. On the other hand, the contractor will question an employee as to why he isn’t putting in extra effort.

With healthcare staffing in crisis, we all too often see staff working short with the expectation of still completing all the required tasks of their shift. Most healthcare employers are unwilling to address the wages necessary to attract and retain healthcare workers in this economy.

This has led to constant frustration by staff who are made to feel as though it is their job to do the work of more than one person.

I believe that living up to the expectations of your role is good. And by good, I mean as your role is intended—not just good enough but actually good.

Why isn’t putting in the effort good enough? Why is extra effort expected? Is the employer setting expectations too low that in actuality they want all workers to exceed expectations?

No, I think they just feel cheated by employees who simply meet expectations. They would charge a customer for extra work performed but demand extra effort of their worker without extra pay.

I appreciate wage grids and documented criteria for advancement. It clearly defines your pay for work performed. Plus, it provides incentive for workers to seek training to improve their skills so they can increase their pay commensurate with greater responsibility and better production.

Too often though, we see simple pats on the back for going over and above expectations, and not an increase in pay for the extra work. This can be depressing for workers looking to advance and confusing for those trying to grasp what is truly expected of them.

It’s a culture of unreasonable expectation and double standards that cause workers to burn out.

Unreasonable Expectations and Double Standards Lead to Burnout

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