Work 4 days, get paid for 5: Why some Colorado companies are moving to a 4-day workweek
Providing nutritious food to those who couldn’t afford it took on a new urgency in the pandemic for Metro Caring, a Denver nonprofit that would love to end world hunger.
But demand didn’t let up. With the subsequent migrant crisis, inflation and a reduction in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, requests for food continued and the ongoing demand led to worker fatigue and burnout. CEO Teva Sienicki said she noticed more employee absenteeism and staff “showing up but not really being there.” The company asked workers: How often did you feel completely spent at the end of the day?
“We had a pretty high number of folks who were burnt out” nearly half the time in their roles, she said,. “And then we also asked, ‘Have you thought about leaving?’ That number also was quite high.”