Burnout in the workplace is being talked about more and more, and many employers want to manage the impacts of increased demands a job has on an employee's overall health ...
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that symptoms of burnout in the workplace include:
- mental exhaustion or no physical energy
- a lack of commitment to the role/feeling of 'mental distancing'
- negative and cynical talk about the job, the company or colleagues
- reduced efficiency overall
The WHO says it is always good for senior managers to take an interest in the mental health of their teams, especially with the upheaval from the pandemic and how employees now feel about flexible working.
In many countries, and even in many industries, burnout is all part of the job though it has certainly increased because of the worries around the pandemic. For those employees who weren't furloughed and had to work all the way through, changes to routines and extra workload are compounding the signs of burnout in the workplace, but thankfully employers are taking a lot more notice now.
So, what can an employer do about it?
- assess working hours and workloads and see if there are any imbalances
- offer the support employees need to meet targets
- give them additional training where required
- stop employees from taking work home
- ensure they are not disturbed during the evening and at weekends
- encourage proper rest breaks during the working day
- make them use up their annual leave rather than rolling it over
- ensure proper holiday cover, so they don't feel the need to check-in
- offer flexible working or allow full-time working from home
- make sure they can talk to their manager at any time without judgement
Classically, employers have believed that burnout in the workplace is down to the individual to deal with, but this attitude has to change post-pandemic. Just ignoring it will have a massive impact on employee retention and productivity.
And I can guarantee that will affect your bottom line.
If you feel inspired to find out more about anything I've said here, do call me on 01908 774320 or leave a comment below and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.