Episode: 417

Episode Title: When Work Relationships Go Sour

Workplace relationships have changed since the pandemic—with younger workers facing the biggest challenges in this area. Let’s talk about it, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 417 show:

You’re now in The Perna Syndicate—welcome! The pandemic has changed everything, and work relationships are no exception. While many younger workers love working from home, others find that it only exacerbates their feelings of crisis and isolation.

Younger workers are especially vulnerable to the loss of networking opportunities that used to be part of regular office life. Being early in their careers, they were still building their network of peers, mentors, and resources when the opportunity to connect with others spontaneously in the workplace all but disappeared. 

But lack of connection isn’t the only problem with work relationships throughout the pandemic. A study found that 9% of workers haven’t had positive experiences with their manager since the pandemic started. A further 8% also reported negative experiences with their workplace peers since that time. 

And then, there’s the politics of work. Within some organizations, unhealthy dynamics can lead team members to jockey for a manager’s favor or feel like they’re second-class citizens somehow. While coworkers don’t have to be best friends, there does need to be a base level of respect and professionalism.  

All of this takes a toll on workers, especially younger employees who may not have the relational network to feel secure in the midst of these challenges. Managers of younger-gen workers should assess whether there are relationships at work that have gone sour. A little attention here can ensure that their team’s mental health—and performance—doesn’t suffer. 

Tomorrow: what’s an identity cushion and why don’t young people have it? We’ll talk about that and more on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate. See you then!