When something seems “too good to be true” it probably is. I started working for Health Catalyst and remember thinking it was too good to be true. I said, “Wow! What an incredible healthcare organization – unlimited PTO, amazing healthcare benefits, 12 weeks paid paternity leave, great education budget, employees get to take one business trip a year with their spouse at the business’ expense.” Everyone you talked to “loved” working for Health Catalyst. After a rough 2020, I have come to the realization that it is too good to be true.
In the most recent ASO team meeting, we were informed that we should be working 40- to 50-hour work weeks. This has “always” been the expectation (I have never heard this before). There is no PTO bank for sick days, vacation, bereavement, or jury duty. If you must take days off for these events, you are expected to put in more hours to make up for the time off. Essentially, the message was, “If you can’t maintain this level of work effort, feel free to go elsewhere.” I have a problem with this communication because of other conflicting messages we have received. Dan Burton, CEO, has said, “Any team member needing to take some time for their own wellness is encouraged to take the time needed” and “We would also emphasize our strong support of team members who have increased family responsibilities as more schools choose to close for some period of time. We are strongly supportive of lots of flexibility and understanding in this regard.” Yet, we need to break ourselves the next day to make up for the much-needed time off. We are constantly receiving conflicting information about work expectations. One minute, we need to work on the plane while we are traveling and the next minute we cannot work on a plane because of HIPAA concerns. In one time-tracking application, it is indicated that we need to have 30 client billable hours a week, but in another presentation its minimum 35 client billable hours per week. In reality, there were multiple weeks in a row where I remember working 50 client billable hours (yet I was told that was abnormal). Now, it seems that it is the expectation for the entire department.
During the COVID pandemic, many companies needed to shift their expectations for employees. More sick time. More family responsibilities. At the same time, we had an incredible Black Lives Matter movement. Racism is real. We need to make conscious efforts to create a more just world. On top of that, a huge political division. All these events reminded us that representation matters. Diversity is important. Mental health is important. There are so many perspectives worth listening to. When you have too many like-minded people in leadership, bad things can transpire. The ASO director made a mistake when he invited team members leave if they could not meet hourly expectations. There are so many reasons why someone cannot put in overtime every single week — they have children, loved ones are sick, their mental or physical health is suffering (see events that cause this above). If you are relatively unaffected by the events above, then sure, maybe 50-hour work weeks are sustainable.
For a company whose work revolves around results with improvement, it is counterintuitive to consistently ask its employees to work overtime nearly every week of the year. There are studies that show working long hours does not improve productivity. Instead, working long hours increases absenteeism, attrition, and health insurance costs. Some companies are shortening their workweek to 32 hours. Those results show employees are more productive, they feel healthier, and take fewer days off. It is quite oxymoronic that a company that focuses on data, improvement, and healthcare advocates for 50-hour work weeks.
I have heard stories of several employees having some sort of a mental breakdown because of the high productivity expectations. They end up suddenly leaving the company because they needed to spend time focusing on their mental health and spending time with their family. It is very much a cultural expectation to put in long hours. If you are not stressed or tired, you are not working enough to meet Health Catalyst standards. Then sprinkled in an email is “See the Positives” and “Find Peace, Even in the Storm” or a chat message “at least you have a job” and “look on the bright side.” Those examples of toxic positivity also cause a myriad of effects.
Health Catalyst does have many benefits offered. They recently added a mental health benefit through an online therapy company. Problem is – I have no idea when I can actually take the time off to attend a session. I suppose it is more economical for Health Catalyst to offer benefits than it is to hire more employees to ensure a work-life-balance. In fact, the ASO director guilted us by saying if you cannot meet these hour expectations, then your teammates must make up for your deficit or we may have to hire someone else.
Consistently expecting your employees to put in overtime is not sustainable. In fact, it is precisely the conundrum. We are ensuring our own job security by working long hours. We are working so much that we are not taking care of ourselves and our families. This causes a waterfall of health issues and we become a data point in the visualizations we have created for improving outcomes.
Many of these issues are not unique to this company. It is a systemic problem in US healthcare and corporate work culture. This façade that “Health Catalyst is better than the other guys” is what is unique. I do not know how they have managed to keep everyone drinking the Health Catalyst Kool-Aid for so long.
