7 ways to protect employees from job burnout

Between the stress and fatigue caused by the pandemic reality and deteriorating economic conditions, working longer and longer hours and worrying about their jobs and future, workers are increasingly burned out. 77% of them said they have experienced or are experiencing burnout! The situation is even worse for Millenials – we are talking about as much as 84%.

It’s a dangerous phenomenon – it’s not just the mental consequences – overwork can even kill.

What can you do to better support your employees in this situation?

Definition and causes of burnout

First, understand what burnout is and what warning signs to look out for.

The WHO defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic stress at work. There are 3 main symptoms: feelings of exhaustion or lack of energy, mental distance from work and negative, cynical feelings toward it, as well as a sense of lack of efficiency, effectiveness and achievement.

What else to look out for?

• Reduced productivity, more errors
• Distraction, difficulty concentrating
• Isolating yourself
• Outbursts of anger, frustration
• Frequent complaints of health problems

Remember that the above symptoms do not mean that a person necessarily suffers from burnout. They may also indicate other mental problems. If you suspect that an employee may be having difficulties, be sure to talk to him. How to do it right? We’ll tell you at our upcoming webinar!

In addition to recognizing the symptoms, it is also useful to understand the causes of job burnout. Below are some of them.

Working conditions in a pandemic

There is no denying that living conditions in the past two years have been – and continue to be – difficult.

Burnout also applies to pandemic life and has its own English name – COVID-19 burnout. The mental deterioration associated with this makes us more susceptible to occupational burnout and diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders.

Too much workload

A large workload does not just mean the number of tasks or hours spent in the office. It is also the burden of responsibility for them or for the actions of our colleagues.

Lack of adequate support

Lack of clear communication from managers can give us the feeling that we are left alone with everything. This is especially important when working remotely.

Unfair treatment

We are talking, among other things, about cases of workplace violence and other toxic behavior. But it’s also about systemic injustice – like the pay gap or the fact that women face burnout more often than men and are fired more often (no data on people with other gender identities).

Consequences of professional burnout

What are the consequences for a company that does not care about the well-being of its employees? Increased stress and burnout among employed individuals contributes to:

• Higher employee turnover
• Reduced job satisfaction
• Financial losses
• Reduced productivity and motivation of employees
• Presentism and absentism
• Worse atmosphere in the office, conflicts between employees
• Worse reputation of the company.

How to prevent burnout in your company

It is important to understand the most important thing: burnout is not an individual issue, but a systemic one. Psychological help is, of course, necessary. But to solve the problem, we need a holistic approach to supporting the employee. So this includes changes in the organization and work culture, as well as in the structure of the organization.

The pandemic has made us realize that it’s time to change the reality of work. You can start with your company to ensure the well-being of your employees, and thus – its sustainability.

Psychological support

Direct support for the mental (and physical) health of employees is essential. However, this is just the beginning of the reforms that need to be made for the company to provide healthier conditions for employees. As we mentioned, many of these are structural changes. Even if employees have access to psychological care, but leave the organization without further modifications, little will change.

Hear your employees

No one can tell you so well what your employees need to protect themselves from burnout as they can. It’s unimaginably important to let them have their say and have a say in the decision-making process as the company changes.

Create a safe space that allows people in the company to share their problems or concerns. Make sure managers know how to talk about burnout and other difficulties with employees.

Don’t forget to hold regular 1-to-1 meetings and monitor employee well-being – you can do this with anonymous surveys.

Adjust workload

Ensure realistic targets and match work to employees’ skills and abilities. If the team can’t make it, don’t require them to work beyond their capacity and after hours, just set a new deadline. Even better – make the decision together.

Clearly define employee roles and responsibilities to streamline operations and avoid misunderstandings or stress.

Don’t forget to provide the right resources and tools, starting with equipment and a suitable workstation.

Flexible mode of operation

According to Gallup, hybrid work makes employees 60-80% more engaged. Flexible or remote working can have a very positive impact on mental health. More control over time and form of work means happier, more engaged and productive employees.

To streamline the process and allow employees even more flexibility, empower team leaders to approve changes directly.

Create a culture of mutual support

Humans are social creatures – we need the support of other people. Not only managers, but also co-workers. Encourage mutual aid.

Create opportunities to spend time together – outings or a special channel on Slack dedicated to jokes and memes. Of course, nothing by force – make it clear that everyone is welcome, but attendance is not mandatory.

Make life easier

Reconciling work and childcare can be a challenge, especially if you work remotely and schools are closed. This lifestyle forced by the pandemic and restrictions clearly showed how quickly one can burn out trying to accommodate it all.

But even outside the context of a pandemic, in life things rarely go according to plan – suddenly you have to pick up your child from school early, a class is holding a performance for parents, you have to arrange something at the office or be at an interview. Not to mention taking care of household chores.

Flexible working hours can help with this, but consider other forms of support as well – subsidies for child care or cleaning services. You can also ensure that employees and their families are properly fed by offering a meal ordering option or vouchers for use.

Employee wellbeing as a company value

Broad employee wellbeing should be a fundamental value of a company. We have already written about this in a recent blog article. It consists of several elements that you can take care of by making changes at the organizational level. Among others, those we write about here – the care of the employee’s mental and physical health or proper social support. You can also learn more about effective policies to prevent burnout by attending our webinar.

Rest is a key part of our well-being. Without regeneration, our condition only worsens, and complete exhaustion and lack of sleep poses a threat to life. And while you have no control over how many hours your employees sleep at night, you can create conditions that help them organize a healthy rest. Encourage short breaks and make sure people leave work on time.