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Summary: Burnout is identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a systemic problem with workplaces and working conditions and is separate from personal problems and other sources of stress.
Employee Burnout
Employee burnout is a phenomenon that results from chronic workplace stress. When employees feel constantly exhausted, cynical, negative, and distant from their jobs and roles, they become less effective in their capacity to work. Burnout is identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a systemic problem with workplaces and working conditions and is separate from personal problems and other sources of stress.
What are the key components of employee burnout?
Employee burnout may be identifiable simply from a marked decrease in an employee’s productivity. However, there are many other signs and symptoms that can suggest that a worker is burnt out. These include:
- Absenteeism: Workers who constantly deal with stress and pressure at work can be affected mentally and physically. This can lead to stress-related conditions and require employees to take sick leave.
- Apathy: One way that employees deal with stress is by caring less about their work. This is, in effect, a way to ignore work pressures by reducing their personal effects.
- Boredom: Employees may feel underappreciated and as though their skills are underutilized, which can lead them to feel bored at work instead of engaged.
- Exhaustion: Workers who are driven to produce high volumes of work and meet demanding deadlines may feel depleted of energy. Their productivity at work will suffer when they’re exhausted.
- Lack of motivation: Employees may not have anyone actively motivating them to work, and when they feel burnt out, they also find it difficult to motivate themselves.
- Lack of focus: Stress in the workplace can cause employees to lose focus and be more easily distracted.
- Mistakes: A combination of exhaustion and lack of focus can lead employees to work less accurately and make more mistakes that are costly for the business.
How can employee burnout in the workplace be prevented?
Burnout prevention is in both the employees’ and the employer’s best interest. For employees, prevention can help them avoid the negative mental and physical effects of stress. For employers, prevention can help reduce employee turnover, improve productivity, and create a happier working atmosphere. Common prevention measures include providing:
- Health and wellness programs: Many employers sponsor programs to help staff reduce stress and focus on improving their well-being.
- Adequate breaks and rest periods: Employers may need to increase the numbers and/or duration of breaks for employees under a lot of pressure. Rest periods between shifts should also be adequate for employees to recharge their energy and motivation.
- Appropriate workloads: Workloads should be manageable so that all employees can attain productivity goals without burning out. It’s important to keep teams appropriately staffed so work is also shared fairly.
- Healthy workplace atmospheres: Fostering a healthy corporate culture can reduce overall stress and prevent burnout. Encouraging open communication, interpersonal connections, and even mentoring can all be effective ways to improve the ways in which staff members interact.
- Surveys and opportunities for employee feedback: Employers should consistently monitor their employees for signs of stress and burnout. Periodic staff surveys and questionnaires can be effective tools in addition to simply analyzing productivity.
How can organizations deal with employee burnout?
Once employee burnout begins to happen, it needs to be dealt with appropriately. It’s important to keep in mind that this is a phenomenon caused by systemic issues in the workplace and not by individuals with personal problems. Therefore, measures should be put into place to help everyone heal and reduce chronic stress.
The first step is to recognize that burnout is happening in the workplace and then look for its underlying causes. Employees’ workloads should be reviewed to evaluate whether they’re too heavy, and staff should be given the rest they require. Finally, employees suffering from burnout may require leave to recover and even counseling to overcome depression, one of the common products of burnout.
What legal/regulatory requirements exist when it comes to employee mental well-being in the workplace?
In different countries, various legal frameworks are in place to protect employees from burnout. In the UK, for example, the Management of Health and Safety of Work Regulations of 1999 stipulates that employers must take action in response to stress at work assessments. In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires safe and healthy working environments free from harassment and discrimination; the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) stipulates that employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for medical reasons, which can include workplace stress.
