Jan. 17, 2022

They’re working more, feeling more stress and in some cases taking on multiple jobs as the two-year anniversary of the pandemic approaches.

That was the sentiment from many of the nearly 500 people who responded to our recent SiouxFalls.Business work/life survey, which was open for responses from mid-December to early January.

Working more

Nearly four in 10 respondents said their workload is heavier today than it was at the beginning of 2020, while about one in 10 said it’s less and about half said they work about the same amount today as they did before the pandemic.

“People are busy. There definitely are some clear themes here,” said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

The combination of people compensating for vacancies within their companies to the strong demand being experienced by many businesses can add up to a bigger workload for those remaining, she said.

“And they’re the ones who are going to be attractive (to other employers) because they innovate, they’re self-reliant, they need little direction.”

Fifteen percent said they currently work more than one job, while 13 percent said they worked more than one job before the pandemic.

Of those working a second job, the so-called “gig economy” doesn’t appear to be drawing many workers, at least in this survey. Three percent said they did work such as deliver food or drive for a ride-sharing service.

Sioux Falls residents largely are being compensated better, though. Seven in 10 reported receiving a pay increase in the past year.

Where they work

The move to at-home work definitely show up in these survey results. Thirty-seven percent said they work from home all or part of the time.

As for how they feel about it, sentiment was split, but hybrid work arrangements gathered the most support.

Nearly four in 10 respondents said they did not feel as engaged with their job and employer while working from home, 45 percent said their engagement is the same, and 16 percent said they are more engaged at work when working from home.

Employers increasingly are finding that to remain competitive they have to offer some kind of remote option if possible, Guzzetta said.

“Does that mean the employer will be more likely to keep them? Well, there are other things that come into play too,” she said. “Are you connecting what you do every single day to the bigger picture and who you’re helping?”

Feeling stressed

Stress emerged as a clear theme from survey respondents, with 58 percent saying they are more stressed today than before the pandemic, and one in five people saying they are significantly more stressed.

“I think that’s common,” Guzzetta said, pointing to the concept of “COVID insomnia” for part of it.

“We’re not as active, and it’s interfering with our sleep, and that’s a real concern. And when you think about how now there’s a focus on mental health and wellness, it’s more acceptable to be talking about that openly.”

Who took the survey 

Sixty percent of our survey respondents were female, 38 percent were male and 2 percent preferred not to say.

Here’s a look at the breakdown by age:

We also asked about business ownership, child care and thoughts on quitting your job. Watch in the coming week for those results.