A few weeks into COVID-19, social media posts thanking frontline workers became popular. A new study finds those messages of gratitude were/are actually critical for essential workers: Essential workers who feel public praise recover from burnout; those who don’t feel the praise struggle to recover.

We’d probably burn out less if we were paid enough to live

StaticDashy

As a nurse who worked thru it, I personally found the messages cringey af, but I’m sure there were plenty who loved the praise.

jillbones

Praise goes only so far. Literally praise for doing your job, and fulfilling your duty only goes so far, and yet not far enough. When you’re not getting paid fairly, or the support system you have is abysmal, there are numerous other things that people need other than words coming out of people’s mouths. It’s called actions. Words without actions, are meaningless.

F3int

As an essential employee, I thought it was fake AF. They say “essential” but don’t pay enough to retain employees.

Idk_whats_real

As a “frontline essential worker” I thought the praise and clapping on doorsteps was meaningless. It meant nothing to me, I actually found it insulting if anything.

WillIProbAmNot