New job trend 'boreout' is harming America's workplaces here's how to fix it

Published

12 months ago

September 14, 2023

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First, it was “quiet quitters” then it was “loud laborers.”

Now, American companies are dealing with another employee trend called “boreout.”

The term describes a situation in which workers are bored, unengaged, and unfulfilled in their jobs.

This trend is impacting workers, managers, and corporate America overall, according to job experts.

Here’s how it’s doing that and what to know about this career concern (and how to address it if it applies to you).

“Boreout” is a phenomenon among employees defined as chronic boredom the experience that ones work is pointless, said Peggy Klaus, a communications and leadership expert with Klaus and Associates in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“The result is employee stress, lethargy, lower creativity and productivity, an increase in physical and mental health problems, high staff turnover, and early retirement,” Klaus told FOX Business.

In the past, people who did the bare minimum at work were pegged as lazy, said Klaus.

Today, that same situation is called “quiet quitting,” she said.

Klaus said she puts the two trends in the same category.

The employees exhibiting “boreout” have spent the least amount of time in an organization and feel less emotionally connected and loyal to the company and colleagues.

“I see boreout and quiet quitting as the same thing,” she said.

“To the degree that an employee refuses to do any work outside of the job description, engage in meetings unless directly addressed or respond to phone messages or emails, among other infractions, that person is definitely exhibiting boreout,” Klaus said.

The demographic most impacted by the concept is male and in the age range of 18 to 35, Klaus said.

A number of factors have contributed, she said.

Theyve spent the least amount of time in an organization and feel less emotionally connected and loyal to the company and colleagues, she said.

They have an array of job options, as its been a buyers market of late, said Klaus.

“Boreout” is a highly contagious “virus” that spreads quickly and can infect the entire workplace.

At this time in their lives, they are less encumbered by family responsibilities and so they are willing to take risks to change jobs, change cities, and even change countries, Klaus also noted.

“Boreout” is a highly contagious “virus” that spreads quickly and can infect the entire workplace, Klaus indicated.

She said “boreout” definitely decreases productivity and a company’s bottom line.

At this time in their lives, they are less encumbered by family responsibilities and so they are willing to take risks to change jobs, change cities, and change countries, Klaus also noted.

“Gallup estimated that low engagement is costing the global economy nearly $9 trillion,” Klaus added.

Communication is essential to combat “boreout,” job experts noted.

“When employees work toward a new goal and are given the tools to succeed, they can find renewed energy and excitement for their jobs.”

“Managers can turn things around and create a more engaging work atmosphere for the employee with open and transparent communication,” said Niki Jorgensen, managing director, client implementation with Insperity, who is based in Denver, Colorado.

Managers should address any concerns and work with the employee to determine a solution, she said.

“Solutions could be as simple as [giving] additional responsibility, creating a new reporting structure, or setting [new] goals for career development,” said Jorgensen.

“When employees work toward a new goal and are given the tools to succeed, they can find renewed energy and excitement for their jobs.”

Klaus of Santa Fe shared advice for employees who recognize that “boreout” is all too familiar to them and understand they have a role to play in changing things.

“Seek the advice of mentors, career counselors, or the human resources department if you think boreout is seriously affecting either your physical or mental health,” Klaus also said.

Also, she said, recognize that “it may be time to change your career path toward something healthier for you.”

When managers and leadership have regular check-ins with employees, they can learn how to support teams and keep them engaged, Jorgensen indicated.

“Through regular communication, managers can quickly identify any issues before they become a major hurdle for their team and the company,” she said.

UK

Anti-social behaviour concerns: Thousands of communities say their fears aren’t being taken seriously by authorities

Published

11 mins ago

September 9, 2024

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Anti-social behaviour concerns: Thousands of communities say their fears aren't being taken seriously by authorities

A loud crash jolts Paul Wheeler into waking up in the middle of the night.

As he peers out of his bedroom window, which overlooks the park at the back of his home in a quiet, suburban part of Kent, he sees a shadowy figure setting fire to something.

It’s a warm summer night, Labour is celebrating its landslide election win. For the first time in 14 years, there is a new government in place, which has made big promises on crime.

As the flames rage close to his garden fence, Paul, 46, starts to film the drama unfolding outside his home, while his two children sleep soundly in the next room.

“You need to ring 999 right now,” he tells his wife. “People are setting light to something right by the gate at the front of the park.”

Then there’s an explosion and smoke fills the air.

For the last four years, gangs of mainly teenagers have caused trouble in the park behind Paul’s house, terrorising him and his neighbours. He pleaded with the council to install CCTV but his request was turned down.

The next morning, the charred remains of a motorbike lie at the park entrance. The gate is damaged and the ground is covered in debris including bits of wire, nuts and bolts. The flames have turned the leaves of a large tree a rusty brown.

Paul’s experience mirrors that of thousands of other communities around Britain who say their concerns about anti-social behaviour, which includes anything from vandalism to public drunkenness and noise disturbances, aren’t being taken seriously by police and local councils.

One million incidents a year

A landmark report by the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, details a failure by those agencies to respond to the one million incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded every year by police.

The report finds that two-thirds of people (35%) who reported anti-social behaviour said their problem had not been resolved.

The majority, more than 60%, reported it to multiple agencies.

And a staggering 70% said they received no support at all.

For people like Paul, living with anti-social behaviour has taken a heavy toll on his mental health. “It makes you fearful,” he says. “It gives us massive amounts of anxiety and stress.”

His neighbour Jackie Beamiss, 68, has also experienced feelings of despair over the disturbances in the park. Calling and emailing Kent Police, writing to her local MP and the council, are all actions she says she has taken over the past four years.

“I’m fed up with nobody listening to us or appreciating how serious it can be,” says Jackie, who has been dealing with this on top of a breast cancer diagnosis. “I feel too intimidated to even let my dog out in the back garden.”

Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Garry Turner says the message they get back from the police is they need more evidence. “You can’t get more evidence than what has been provided. And we’re still not getting the response we deserve,” he adds.

One in three experience or see anti-social behaviour

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, published in March, 35% of people have experienced or witnessed some type of anti-social behaviour.

The findings reveal deep-rooted problems in some communities, driven by economic hardship, social fragmentation and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Back in Wilmot Park, Paul is still upset by what he witnessed on the night of the fire and thinks the police took too long to respond. It appears to have been an attack on a gate at the park entrance that was installed by the council in 2023.

Kent Police told Sky News they are “aware of local concerns” and working with Dartford Borough Council to address these issues. They said they attended the incident with the motorbike “within hours” but haven’t caught those responsible.

In a statement, they added: “We have teams who regularly patrol the area and also have a dedicated beat officer who residents can talk to directly.”

A spokesperson for Dartford Borough Council said: “We fully understand that any anti-social behaviour (ASB) is incredibly frustrating for residents and has a negative impact on the wider community.

“In relation to Wilmot Park we will continue to respond to incidents of ASB where we have the evidence and powers to do so, and have also increased our park ranger presence in the park in recent months.”

Previous approaches have been too reactive, focusing on punishment rather than prevention, according to Baroness Newlove, whose husband Garry was kicked to death by a gang of youths in 2007, after he confronted them outside the family home in Warrington, Cheshire.

“It’s been 17 years since Garry’s life was taken. It saddens and angers me that anti-social behaviour is still being classed as low level, a misdemeanour.

“Victims are forced to jump hurdle after hurdle to get the response they deserve. They have to be taken more seriously.”

Despite numerous attempts by successive governments to address the problem, the issue has continued to plague communities.

The new government says combating anti-social behaviour is a central focus of its policy agenda. But this is not the first time that Labour has said it would focus heavily on combatting anti-social behaviour.

Under Tony Blair, the party campaigned and won the 1997 election with the promise to be “tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime”. It then introduced anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) designed to crack down on individuals causing problems in their community.

But the success of ASBOs was limited. Around half were breached and Labour failed to meet any of their targets to reduce reoffending, according to the National Audit Office.

‘Tackle individuals who cause problems’

When I asked the policing minister, Dame Diana Johnson, what the new proposed ‘respect orders’ would entail, she said her department was “working up” its plans on respect orders.

But it’s actions, not words that victims like Paul and Jackie want to see.

“We need to get much better at this joined-up approach to dealing with what’s going on in communities,” Dame Diana said. “And tackling the individuals who are causing the problems.”

The government also says it wants to hold local authorities accountable for their role in tackling anti-social behaviour.

Councils will be required to do more to work with police forces, schools, and community organisations, and worst-performing councils could lose out on funding as a result.

But after years of persistent anti-social behaviour outside his home, Paul has a message for the new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

“If you don’t do something about it, it’s only going to get worse.

“Police and councils are not taking responsibility. People are not experiencing consequences, and they need to know that they will be punished for what they do.

“We should not have to live in fear.”

:: If you have been affected by anti-social behaviour please contact Nick Martin directly or Sky News.

UK

Labour backs new ‘respect orders’ to fight anti-social behaviour – but isn’t yet sure how they will work

Published

11 mins ago

September 9, 2024

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Labour backs new 'respect orders' to fight anti-social behaviour - but isn't yet sure how they will work

Labour has defended the concept of new ‘respect orders’ for fighting anti-social behaviour – but admitted the details are still unclear.

In its manifesto, the party said it would give powers to “ban persistent adult offenders from town centres, which will stamp out issues such as public drinking and drug use”.

The Blair government previously spearheaded ASBOs – anti-social behaviour orders – now regarded by many as a failure.

Half were breached, two-thirds were breached more than once, and Labour never reached its target on reducing re-offending. They were scrapped in 2014.

Respect orders appear to have a very similar remit to ASBOs – and policing minister Dame Diana Johnson told Sky News the process of how they will work is still being developed.

She instead restated the general ambition of the new scheme.

“[They] will be about preventing those prolific offenders who are causing anti-social behaviour in our communities up and down the land from going into areas like town centres, or other public spaces like parks,” said Dame Diana.

“There’ll be consequences for their actions,” she added. “It’s likely that will lead – if they are breached – into criminal sanctions.”

Dame Diana admitted the last Labour government didn’t get everything right on the issue, but said it “identified a problem and tried to deal with it” through more police on the streets and legislation to take people to court.

The MP for Hull North said the situation had become “a lot worse” under the Tories.

She told Sky News: “The focus that Labour had on neighbourhood policing, on providing the powers for policing, that wasn’t a priority for them for the last 14 years.”

Following criticism from the victims’ commissioner, Dame Diana said many who suffer with anti-social behaviour are still being let down by police and councils.

She said it was “depressing” that progress appeared not to have been made over the last few decades and that a more coordinated approach was vital, with better support for victims.

“I’ve had constituents say to me, ‘I’ve rung the council or I’ve rung the police, nobody comes and nothing is done’,” said Dame Diana.

“So I think it is about recognising we need to get much better at this joined-up approach to dealing with what’s going on in communities and tackling the individuals who are causing the problems to families.”

The new government has also promised to bring 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and special constables to the streets.

The minister denied that PCSOs are often ineffectual at combatting anti-social behaviour.

Dame Diana said their presence “walking the beat, engaging with local communities, talking to people, [is] a presence that is really welcomed”.

However, she couldn’t yet say how many of the promised 13,000 will be full-time police officers with comprehensive powers, and how many will be PCSOs.

“I don’t know the exact figure yet,” she said. “But I obviously want to see that 13,000 on our streets as soon as possible,” said the minister.

“And it will be a mix, because we recognise that PCSOs have a very valuable role to play on the streets, in communities, as do the warranted officers as well.”

She said she had only been in the job two months and establishing the precise figures was one of her priorities.

US

Kendrick Lamar to headline Super Bowl halftime show after number one singles and Drake feud

Published

1 hour ago

September 9, 2024

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Kendrick Lamar to headline Super Bowl halftime show after number one singles and Drake feud

Fresh off a number-one single and a feud with Drake, Kendrick Lamar has announced he will perform at next year’s Super Bowl.

The Humble hitmaker will take to the stage during the halftime show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 9 February.

In a video announcing the news on YouTube, Lamar is seen standing in front of an American flag as he shoots footballs out of an automatic passing machine.

“You know it’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos,” he says. “I won’t want you to miss it.

“Meet me in New Orleans. February 9, 2025. Wear your best dress, too, even if you watch it from home.”

In a statement, the 17-time Grammy award-winning rapper added: “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”

Rapper Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation works with the NFL to choose the halftime show performer, called Lamar a “once-in-a-generation artist”.

He added: “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”

Lamar previously performed at the 2022 halftime show, where he joined Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, 50 Cent, Anderson .Paak, and Eminem at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

It comes off the back of Lamar’s springtime feud with Canadian star Drake, which culminated in the release of Not Like Us on 4 May.

The diss track was the number one song in the US for two weeks and reached sixth in the UK charts.

Another of Lamar’s songs attacking Drake – a feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s Like That – spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 this year.