We’ve talked about the Great Resignation, we’ve talked about quiet quitting, and now we have a new employment phenomenon: the Great Detachment. According to a survey by MyPerfectResume, 79% of employees currently feel detached from their jobs. Gallup polling says we’re experiencing an 11-year low for engagement and a record low for employee satisfaction. In short, employees may be showing up for work but not giving their all.

Why is that a problem for homecare, a sector where staffing has hovered at crisis levels for years? As Gallup writes, “While turnover numbers may have slowed, employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organizational risks. In addition, when employees feel detached from their work, organizational change initiatives are likely to meet indifference or resistance.”

The good news is that a key way to battle detachment is through mission, and the industry’s mission of caring for people in their homes is clear-cut and compelling. So what else gets in the way? According to MyPerfectResume, 49% say heavy workloads are their greatest stressor, followed by lack of career growth (36%) and poor management (31%).

In our annual staffing issue, we take deep dives into these topics. First up: workload. On page 22, Lisa Dillon Zwerdling and Susan Giglia from VNA Health focus on burnout, a plague in the caregiving world, and how good managers and training can make a difference. On page 28, we look at other retention factors, including pay, workload and company culture; on page 30, learn how to better handle employee conflicts to keep your team together. And of course, we also bring you the results of our most recent Staffing and Salary Survey, so you can see how you measure up against others in the field.

Thanks for reading!