Thread by @insiderpolitics

A pandemic, remote work, partisan rancor, and an unprecedented terrorist attack at their place of employment.

These staffers run Congress. And they’re burning out.

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“Nobody is looking out for us,” a Hill staffer said. Many of Congress’ employees are struggling in an environment where working long hours and going above and beyond the job description was the norm before 2020.
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Current staff and outside experts fear that the trauma is pushing qualified people out the door, exacerbating the long-running problem of brain drain on Capitol Hill.
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The work itself causes secondary trauma for Hill staffers. They’re drafting relief bills and helping constituents find COVID-19 vaccines with sick loved ones of their own.
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Working from home also brought some of the most toxic aspects of staffing a congressional office right into their living rooms. Offices are receiving death threats, hateful messages, and angry rants — and staffers are taking these calls from their kitchen table.

Then came the attack on January 6. Lawmakers have spoken about their trauma. But less publicized was the fallout among people who make Congress function. For staffers, the pain is still real.

Resources exist: Congress has free counseling, and there’s webinars and training from outside groups. But experts told Insider the pandemic and insurrection didn’t create burnout issues.

COVID-19 worsened existing problems.

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Are you a Hill, agency, or government worker with a story about burnout or toxic workplaces? We want to hear about it. Help us cover burnout in the government.

Email @KaylaEpstein at [e-mail].

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