Some U.K. health experts are forecasting a “burnout spike” this January since usual holiday plans — meant to alleviate stress — were disrupted for many.
On top of daily life worries, the pandemic has changed the world as we know it to include new stressors that lead to burnout quicker. That includes the worry of catching the coronavirus, loved ones getting it, and the need to social distance.
Two out of three employees feel more stressed than before the pandemic, according to a recent MetLife Employee Benefit Trends study. With research like that coming out, now is an essential time for employers to look at ways to mitigate the burnout risk.
For proactive employers, there may be a way to stop burnout in its tracks.
Here’s a look at what employee burnout looks like and how to help employees avoid catastrophic burnout.
Burnout is the cumulative fallout from excessive and prolonged stress. This happens when employees feel overworked and overwhelmed by the demands of their job. This may happen due to long hours, insufficient staffing, unclear expectations, high demands, and more. The stress levels usually plateau before an employee loses interest and motivation in their work.
The pandemic certainly hasn’t helped burnout risk, either.
The 2020 MetLife Employee Benefit Trends study found pre-COVID that 4 in 10 employees struggled to navigate the demands of today’s flexible, but “always working” workforce mentality. Pre-COVID, that same study found one in three struggling employees took time off, in a 12-month period thanks to stress.
Pandemic restrictions and regulations have only made stress on employees worse.
The hardest hit tends to be working parents who have had to take off work to quarantine, conduct remote school, or care for an elderly parent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) even added burnout to its International Classification of Diseases.
Here's how it’s defined by WHO:
“Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and 3) a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.”
Burnout manifests physically and mentally for individuals. It can cause issues ranging from low energy to full on mental breakdowns. Chronic stress can lead to physical issues like headaches and digestive issues. Emotionally, burnout can cause extreme fatigue which limits a person’s ability to get work done, including other life duties.
Burnout is costly for employers, too. Each year, burnout racks up between $125 and $190 billion in healthcare costs. If you’re paying for your employees’ health insurance, or they require time off for doctors’ visits, that’s costing your company, too.
Since everyone is different, each person may exhibit different burnout signs. Management in-tune with and regularly connecting with employees will be able to recognize signs of burnout sooner. Additionally, every person’s threshold or reason for burning out is personal, too.
Employees may burnout because they’re:
Personal events can also play a role in burnout as well. While some employers may have an “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy, there’s no denying that employees carry personal baggage into work — even if they don’t talk about it. Health issues, family concerns, perfectionism, and unstable work-life balance can all add to burnout.
Some signs your employees may be burning out:
Now you may have some employees in mind who fit the bill for heading straight down burnout road. Luckily, there are some strategies that can be implemented to help them avoid burning out in a significant way.
Here are some ideas to minimize risk of employee burnout:
As with many health topics, there are always plenty of resources to share to prevent burnout in your company. Give your employees access to these resources. They may not know where to find them or have the energy (another hint they really need them!) to search for the help they need. A few ways to educate:
Since it’s not simple to spot burnout easily, it’s important to educate employees themselves on what to be on the lookout for. This goes for department heads, too. Once they have an idea of what to look for, they can pass along suggestions for improvement to leadership on ways to keep employees from burning out.
If deadlines are swallowing your employees whole, it may be time to figure out a new system to alleviate the pressure. Check-in at key timeline milestones to see how it’s going. If it’s clear there’s a lot of overwhelm, consider setting up a new deadline structure or adding a new team player to help projects get done on time.
Work-life balance is hard. The best way to help your employees invest in their well-being is to show them how to do it. When leadership models balance, it makes it easier for workers to follow in their footsteps. Offer flexible working policies, but also provide support by offering balance through other key wellness areas like mental health and financial wellness.
Encourage balance by:
Consider ways you can provide your team with more work-life balance. This can help them create their ideal schedule, work flow, and workplace opportunities.
Make sure your team leads are connecting with your employees. If employees feel they have a partner in their manager who understands what’s going on when it comes to the day-to-day operations, they’ll be more apt to opening up about burnout risk factors.
When reaching out:
Sometimes reaching out one-on-one can cause individuals to clam up. Use observational skills, offer anonymous employee surveys, and openly share about burnout to help employees feel more comfortable discussing it.
Often, workers just don’t know how to properly manage their time. This can lead to a constant sense of overwhelm and disorganization, which in turn causes missed deadlines and may lead to burnout. If they’ve been given more work duties or a special new project, give them the appropriate resources right along with the new responsibilities. You may pass along suggestions or introduce productivity and time management tools like Toggl, Clockify, Trello, and Asana.
Wellness resources are a prime way to help your employees focus on health. That doesn’t mean offering just a free gym membership, either. Look at ways you can provide unique resources covering everything from nutrition and fitness to financial well-being and emotional wellness. When all areas of wellness are balanced, burnout is less likely.
Resources that may be helpful include:
Ask your employees where they find they’re dealing with gaps in their wellness routines. This can intentionally alert them to areas they need to spend more time on before it leads to burnout.
Most importantly, remind your employees burnout is not permanent. This may mean a company provides flexible policies and time off for individuals who need it. By creating policies that allow employees to break out from burnout, it shows support to employees while also indicating and confirming to them that burnout isn’t for forever.
What are some ways your company works to prevent employee burnout? Share in the comments below!