STAFF NEWS: Word is Getting Around Outside D.C. that Working on the Hill Ain’t Easy (Especially During a Pandemic)
It’s been more than a year since America, including in excess of 20,000 Capitol Hill staffers and employees, voluntarily locked down for two weeks to bend the curve of Covid-19 infections.
More than a year later, the Capitol Complex, though somewhat more populated during “normal working hours,” remains strangely quiet and uncrowded to those of us who for years took for granted that the halls of the office buildings, the public spaces and remote offices in the Capitol itself, and the beautiful grounds outside were always a thriving, bustling, exciting place to be.
Now along comes Business Insider with a headline screaming to the world that “Congressional staffers are burned out and heading for the exits after a hellish year.” (Sorry, a subscription is required at the link).
For once, an obvious click-bait digital headline isn’t that far off the truth, as becomes clear in reading the article:
“Even in normal times, working on Capitol Hill is no walk in the park. But after a pandemic, a year of remote work, feverish partisan rancor surrounding the 2020 presidential election, and an unprecedented terrorist attack inside their place of employment, the thousands of congressional staffers who make Congress run are burning out. Badly.
“Current staff and outside experts fear that the exhaustion and trauma are pushing qualified people out the door, exacerbating the long-running problem of brain drain on Capitol Hill while denying lawmakers talented staff members as they try to tackle some of the most pressing issues to face the country in generations.”
Even allowing for a generous helping of drama-seeking word choices, there is an essential truth in those two graphs: The past year has been especially tough on congressional staffers who do the day-to-day work that keeps Congress functioning.
Not as tough as for the many who lost their jobs during the lockdowns because of the lockdowns, to be sure, but working remotely has not proven to be an unmixed blessing, especially for those on the Hill whose work requires lots of face-time with others with whom sensitive negotiations must be conducted.
Helping Others at a Cost:
The concluding graphs of this Business Insider piece — which I must also concede includes some claims that many Hill staffers would dispute, I suspect — are especially relevant:
“Historically, Capitol Hill culture historically isn’t especially adept at self-care. But it’s going to have to get better, said former Rep. Brian Baird, a licensed clinical psychologist who has partnered with Capitol Strong and one of its members, the Congressional Management Foundation.
“There’s just not been enough attention to this, for either members of Congress or their staff,” said Baird, who as a Washington state Democrat helped set up resources for Hill staffers in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“Healthcare is important, but we sort of sacrifice ourselves,” Baird added. “Taking care of people, we just don’t talk about it.”
But They Missed the Most VIP Story:
Sadly, the most powerful resource for burned out Hill staffers, and those who hope to avoid becoming burned out, or who just want to make every day of their careers and personal lives as productive and fulfilling as possible, goes unmentioned by Business Insider.
That’s a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the way, is also the creator of the universe and everything in it, including you and me. He really is alive because the Resurrection actually happened. He turned my life around and changed me in so many ways for the better.
If you would like to know more about how that happens, just drop me an email at mark.tapscott@hillfaith.org and we can set up a time to meet and talk, in person or via zoom. Off the record and absolutely non-judgmental.