Pathways to
Organizational Recovery

Community Health Report

 
 

Key Highlights

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  • Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health struggle worldwide.

  • Mental health issues are impacting innovation, creativity our ability to make sound decisions.

  • Internal organizational policies emphasizing overwork at the expense of a proper work-life balance are increasing burnout rates

  • Employees are ashamed or afraid to seek support when they need it.

  • The current workplace crisis is having a disproportionate effect on women, especially women of color.

This year’s edition of the Community Health Report Pathways to Organizational Recovery  is designed to provide digital rights community leaders with practical insight and suggestions to help them prioritize the wellbeing and health of their teams and employees, while also offering insights into the psychosocial challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has had on digital rights defenders.

The report provides valuable analysis, trends and recommendations to help community leaders identify interventions and areas of growth that can improve the wellbeing of digital rights defenders.

To complement this research, in Fall 2022, the report will be followed up with an action-oriented toolkit containing a set of policy recommendations focused on improving organizational health.

The Problem

A significant percentage of organizations in the digital rights space were experiencing growing pains prior to the pandemic. The last few years have brought unique challenges, but have also deepened existing schisms, inequity, and structural weaknesses already present in our organizations and networks.

Managers and community leaders are exhausted as they have had to navigate uncharted waters while trying to take care of their teammates, the people they serve, their family and, of course, themselves.

Most importantly, many digital rights defenders have come close to burnout on multiple occasions not just because of the pandemic, but because of the lack of labor rights, safety and security in the organizations and networks they are part of. Alarmingly they are not seeking the support they need. This is leading to an exodus of talent.

The Good News

The good news is that leaders have the ability to dramatically impact the quality of life of their employees and community members by prioritizing ethics of care and building robust organizational structures and policies that create healthy work environments. This means centering their action and decision-making around care for their people and the communities they serve.