SHRM26 Sneak Peek: Can Play at Work Help Combat Burnout?

Employees are dealing with sky-high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout — a pervasive workplace problem, experts say, that employers need to step in to solve.

“Burnout is a serious problem that is greatly impacting the American workforce, and organizations need to be taking it seriously,” said Lauren Yee, cofounder and chief operations officer of Betterment Works, a professional development company that works with employers, in Oakland, Calif. “Not only because it is the right thing for employees — it is — but also because it will build happier, more efficient, and more productive workplaces.” 

While solutions to reduce stress and burnout run the gamut, there is one underutilized tactic employers should embrace, Yee said: play at work. 

That can include practices like interactive exercises, games or activities, and group challenges — helping employees learn and feel more engaged and connected. 

It’s a solution Yee, along with fellow Betterment Works cofounder Maddy Gabor, CEO of the company, will discuss June 17 during the SHRM Annual Conference in June, held virtually and in person in Orlando. 

SHRM recently spoke with Yee about what play in the workplace really means, how it can help workplaces, and what SHRM26 attendees will get out of their session. 

How big of a problem is burnout in the workplace right now? And how is it manifesting?

Yee: Burnout is a widespread issue in the workplace, affecting a majority of workers at some point in their career and, unfortunately, it seems it’s on the rise. While we’ve been seeing and hearing about increased individual and collective fatigue in the workplace, burnout is not just being tired. It’s a state of vital exhaustion typically having to do with an unmanageable amount of labor — whether work or otherwise. 

We see it manifesting in a few ways at work, such as curiosity being interpreted as judgment, feedback being felt as criticism, or struggling to motivate and execute. Beyond the consequences for the workplace — such as productivity, attrition, etc. — burnout takes a toll on individual mental and physical health. Research shows that burnt-out employees experience cognitive decline — including reduced memory, attention, and executive dysfunction — and are 23% more likely to visit the emergency room. 

How do you describe play, and why do you think it’s a way to combat employee burnout? 

Yee: When we say play, we’re not saying have more dance parties or happy hours or group escape room outings — although those are also nice additional options for invited connection. For us, play is a holistic learning and development tool, and a mindset shift as a way of approaching things, that welcomes everyone and builds skillsets for individuals and organizations alike. Playful practices guide employees through challenging subjects in a low-stakes and engaging way while strengthening the workplace community.

Why should play be a focus for employers? 

Yee: In the HR world, we’ve spent a long time discussing work/life balance. While that discourse has been important and fruitful, it wrongly implies that these are two distinct parts of life when in actuality, we know that employees bring home into work and work home with them often. Increased political and economic stress, combined with the blurred boundaries of hybrid work and constant notifications, has made work-related stress more complicated and widespread. 

While there are many things that can and should be done about it, one that employers can manage is integrating more play into their employee engagement.  

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What can attendees expect to learn during your session? 

Yee: We’re all about information and application, so we’ll be sharing stats and brain science, reasons why burnout is a problem individually and organizationally, and playful practices that we can use to help identify and combat burnout. Participants will gain information, skills, and practices to add to their workplace toolbox while having a great time.