Skip to main content
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
    Close
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
  • mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
SHRM
  • Membership
    • Membership

      As a SHRM Member®, you’ll pave the path of your success with invaluable resources, world-class educational opportunities and premier events.

      Membership Tiers
      • Professional
      • Student
      • Global
      • Executive
      • Enterprise
      Membership Benefits
  • Certification
    • SHRM Certification

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Fees & Options
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me?
      • Recertification
      Prepare for the Exam
      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance your HR credibility.

      Qualifications

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

  • Events & Education
    • Events

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • SHRM26 Annual Conference
      • BLUEPRINT 2025
      • Talent Conference & Expo
      • Linkage Institute
      • The AI+HI Project 2026
      State Conferences

      Attend a SHRM state event to network with other HR professionals and learn more about the future of work.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

      Webinars
  • Resources
    • Resources

      Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources.

      • Flagships
      • HR Research
      • Legal & Compliance
      • Latest News & Trends
      • Tools & Guides
      • Webinars
      HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Civility at Work
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
      Educational Programs

      Designed and delivered by HR experts to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to drive lasting change in the workplace.

  • Community
    • Find a SHRM Chapter

      Easily find a local professional or student chapter in your area.

      • SHRM Northern California
      SHRM Connect

      Post polls, get crowdsourced answers to your questions and network with other HR professionals online.

      Membership Councils

      Learn about SHRM's five regional councils and the Membership Advisory Council (MAC).

      Volunteers

      Learn about volunteer opportunities with SHRM.

  • Shop
    • SHRM Store

      Shop for HR certifications, credentials, learning, events, merchandise and more.

      Workplace Essentials
      • SHRM Memberships
      • SHRM Certification
      • Specialty Credentials
      • HR Tools & Tech
      Education
      • Seminars
      • eLearning
      • Books
      Merchandise
      • Accessories
      • Apparel
      • Office & Home
Become a Member
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
Close
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
  • Membership
    back
    Membership
    • Membership

      As a SHRM Member®, you’ll pave the path of your success with invaluable resources, world-class educational opportunities and premier events.

      Membership Tiers
      • Professional
      • Student
      • Global
      • Executive
      • Enterprise
      Membership Benefits
  • Certification
    back
    Certification
    • SHRM Certification

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Fees & Options
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me?
      • Recertification
      Prepare for the Exam
      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance your HR credibility.

      Qualifications

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

  • Events & Education
    back
    Events & Education
    • Events

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • SHRM26 Annual Conference
      • BLUEPRINT 2025
      • Talent Conference & Expo
      • Linkage Institute
      • The AI+HI Project 2026
      State Conferences

      Attend a SHRM state event to network with other HR professionals and learn more about the future of work.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

      Webinars
  • Resources
    back
    Resources
    • Resources

      Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources.

      • Flagships
      • HR Research
      • Legal & Compliance
      • Latest News & Trends
      • Tools & Guides
      • Webinars
      HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Civility at Work
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
      Educational Programs

      Designed and delivered by HR experts to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to drive lasting change in the workplace.

  • Community
    back
    Community
    • Find a SHRM Chapter

      Easily find a local professional or student chapter in your area.

      • SHRM Northern California
      SHRM Connect

      Post polls, get crowdsourced answers to your questions and network with other HR professionals online.

      Membership Councils

      Learn about SHRM's five regional councils and the Membership Advisory Council (MAC).

      Volunteers

      Learn about volunteer opportunities with SHRM.

  • Shop
    back
    Shop
    • SHRM Store

      Shop for HR certifications, credentials, learning, events, merchandise and more.

      Workplace Essentials
      • SHRM Memberships
      • SHRM Certification
      • Specialty Credentials
      • HR Tools & Tech
      Education
      • Seminars
      • eLearning
      • Books
      Merchandise
      • Accessories
      • Apparel
      • Office & Home
Become a Member
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
SHRM
mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
Close

  1. Topics & Tools
  2. Workplace News & Trends
  3. Managing Smart
  4. Boss Loss: The Great Resignation Is Spilling Over into Management
Share
  • Linked In
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus convallis sem tellus, vitae egestas felis vestibule ut.


Error message details.

Copy button
Reuse Permissions

Request permission to republish or redistribute SHRM content and materials.


Learn More
News

Boss Loss: The Great Resignation Is Spilling Over into Management

March 7, 2022 | Brian O’Connell

A man holding a letter with the word resignation.


​Much has been made of the Great Resignation, during which legions of rank-and-file workers have assessed their career choices and increasingly opted to leave their employers for new, presumably more fulfilling jobs.

But what about their employers, especially their front-line managers? After all, they may be burned out, too—perhaps even more so than their staffers.

"I stepped into a management role in January 2020," said Katy Roby Peter, head of global marketing at Valamis, an e-learning company in Boston, Mass. "By March 2020, our team had doubled in size, and the pandemic happened next."

Roby Peter said she's "struggling but surviving" on the job.

"As a middle manager, I've definitely felt burnout," she said. "Meetings doubled in the pandemic. Boundaries disintegrated. I learned that I need to first take care of myself and my own boundaries by my logging off and setting an example for others."

Roby Peter is hardly alone. According to a report titled The State of the Manager from Humu, a workplace organizational services firm based in Mountain View, Calif., company managers are struggling—and have been for the past two years.

According to the Humu report:

Managers' jobs are 10 times harder than before the pandemic. Managers are struggling across the board, mostly with staff retention, hiring and team performance.

Managers are ready to quit. Managers are two times more likely than individual contributors to be looking for new jobs.

Managers are losing ground on the job. Managers with a history of low performance ratings (Humu used a combination of external company performance metrics and their own performance metrics to evaluate manager performance) have performed significantly worse in key workforce areas.

Corporate managers are especially worn out from two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting shift to hybrid and remote work has forced managers to accommodate on the fly.

Now, the Humu report concludes, many managers are ready to pull the plug.

"Given how much harder their roles have become, managers are looking for a change of pace," the report stated. "The data shows that attrition risk in 2021 was two times higher among managers than individual contributors, and we expect that trend to continue through 2022."

Under Pressure, and for Good Reason

Workplace experts say managers like Roby Peter are struggling on the job these days for several reasons.

"For starters, the job itself has become more difficult to do effectively," said Marie Roker-Jones, co-founder of EssteemWorld, a corporate sustainability services company in New York City. "Managers are lacking in the training and resources necessary for them to do their jobs."

According to Roker-Jones, the average manager's workload is just "too much" right now, and there's not enough time to get everything done.

"Managers are expected to excel in all aspects of the job—from training, coaching and motivating employees to analyzing data and providing recommendations for improvement," Roker-Jones said. "Unfortunately, companies don't take the time to properly train new managers or support experienced ones. The end result is that many managers are left feeling overwhelmed and underqualified."

What makes the workplace particularly difficult for managers is their place in the company pecking order.

"Managers usually sit between the broader employee base and the executive team and have had to balance different workloads and responsibilities throughout the pandemic," said Sara Schulz, strategy and communications lead at OfficeTogether, a New York City-based workplace collaboration services company. "Managers are especially responsible for communicating employee needs to leadership and are directly responding to and managing employees in times of crisis."

Managers are also responsible for discussing, executing and adhering to the new policies that leadership has put into place as the world shifted to remote and hybrid work models.

"They've worn several hats and have carried the brunt of their employees' stress—often without pay raises and with little recognition," Schulz said.

What to Do About 'Burned Out' Managers?

What can companies do to recognize and address management burnout in the short and long terms?

Workplace experts have some ideas:

Managers should engage with company executives directly. Asking senior executives to lead the fight against burnout should be a priority for front-line managers. In doing so, managers and company leaders can work together as a team to address workplace problems. "For example, managers can provide feedback to the executive-level leaders by simply answering direct questions," said Janice Litvin, a workplace wellness speaker, SHRM recertification provider and author of Banish Burnout Toolkit (Page Beyond Press, 2020).

That doesn't mean generic company surveys, which aren't personal enough, Litvin said.

"What's needed is small group and one-on-one meetings to really ascertain managers' concerns and to strategize solutions," she said.

Ask for direct workplace assistance. Managers, like employees, expect action from company senior executives if they have one foot out the door.

"No one wants to do good work . . . when they have options to leave and upgrade their employment situation," said Leslie Forde, founder of Mom's Hierarchy of Needs, a Boston health and wellness project that advises companies on workplace culture.

If a manager's workload becomes unsustainable or they have responsibilities at home that they can't handle, managers should go to executive management and ask them to provide immediate relief.

"For example, managers can ask their company to hire virtual assistants and/or administrative support," Forde said. "They can ask the higher-ups to reorganize teams to add more staffing or streamline the scope of certain roles. Right now, I'm seeing many organizations offer executive coaching beyond just the C-suite as another way to support managers struggling with the complexities of leading through a tough workplace climate."

Ask for help beyond the job. Forde sees several personal themes in her research that companies can address to take some pressure off managers.

"Managers should make it clear that their companies need to be proactive about child and elder care benefits, job flexibility, creating psychological safety and curating mental health support," she said.

Forde's research focuses mostly on women, who are leaving management positions in greater numbers than before the pandemic emerged. But men, she says, are also leaving high-stress management positions due to caregiving responsibilities and other personal issues.

"When I survey employee groups, which are 50/50 male and female and include non-caregivers, the needs are strikingly similar, Forde said.

Above all, listen to their stories. Companies need to step up and be there for emotionally drained managers. Many have poignant stories to tell and problems to fix.

"There's no amount of learning and training on management or leadership that could have completely prepared me for the years 2020 to 2022 , with  COVID, political turmoil, burnout, grief, the Great Resignation and, most recently , the war in Ukraine," Roby Peter noted.

Brian O'Connell is a freelance writer based in Bucks County, Pa. A former Wall Street trader, he is the author of the books CNBC Creating Wealth (John Wiley & Sons, 2001) and The Career Survival Guide (McGraw-Hill, 2004).

Risk Management
Skills Training


Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

​An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.



Related Content

Kelly Dobbs Bunting speaks onstage at SHRM24
(opens in a new tab)
News
Why AI+HI Is Essential to Compliance

HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.

(opens in a new tab)
News
A 4-Day Workweek? AI-Fueled Efficiencies Could Make It Happen

The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.

(opens in a new tab)
News
How One Company Uses Digital Tools to Boost Employee Well-Being

Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.

HR Daily Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest HR news, trends, and expert advice each business day.

Success title

Success caption

Manage Subscriptions
Our Brands

SHRM Foundation Logo
SHRM Executive Network Logo
CEO Circle Logo
SHRM Business Logo
SHRM Linkage Logo
SHRM Labs
Overview

  • About SHRM
  • Careers at SHRM
  • Press Room
  • Contact SHRM
  • Book a SHRM Executive Speaker
  • Advertise with Us
  • Post a Job
Advocacy

  • Workforce Development
  • Workplace Inclusion
  • Workplace Flexibility & Leave
  • Workplace Governance
  • Workplace Health Care
  • Workplace Immigration
  • State Affairs
  • Global Policy
  • Advocacy Team
  • Take Action
  • Generation Cares
  • The Section 127 Coalition
Member Resources

  • Ask An Advisor
  • SHRM Newsletters
  • SHRM Flagships
  • Topics & Tools
  • Find an HR Job
  • Vendor Directory

© 2025 SHRM. All Rights Reserved
SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose. Disclaimer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

  1. Privacy Policy

  2. Terms of Use

  3. Accessibility

Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Member Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Limit Reached

Get unlimited access to articles and member-exclusive resources.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join to access unlimited articles and member-only resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join the Executive Network and enjoy unlimited content.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join and enjoy unlimited access to SHRM Executive Network Content.

Already a member?
Unlock Your Career with SHRM Membership

Please enjoy this free resource! Join SHRM for unlimited access to exclusive articles and tools.

Already a member?

Your membership is almost expired! Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew now

Your membership has expired. Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew Now

Your Executive Network membership is nearing its expiration. Renew now to maintain access.

Renew Now

Your membership has expired. Renew your Executive Network benefits today.

Renew Now