Employee burnout is one of the most prevalent issues in the workplace today. Once thought of as a personal problem, companies have started to realize their role in contributing to work-related stress, and are taking responsibility to improve their culture and work environment. As a leader, here's what you need to keep an eye out for as well as six ways to prevent burnout in your organization.
What causes employee burnout?
Employee burnout is a serious issue that can lead to lower morale, higher absentee rates, and even turnover. Understanding how to prevent it requires understanding the root causes.
According to a Gallup survey, the top five reasons for burnout are:
- Unfair treatment at work
- Unmanageable workload
- Lack of role clarity
- Lack of communication and support from their manager
- Unreasonable time pressure
Although burnout has become part of the norm for many, the hard cost of burnout is substantial for organizations and their people, and associations should be actively working to help prevent it.
How can your organization fight it?
Motivated, productive, and engaged employees are more likely to stay with your organization for the long term. This can have a huge impact on your bottom line as well as your ability to attract new recruits in the future. Here are some practical ways you can work against burnout:
- Allow schedule flexibility. Letting your employees take control of their workday eases a lot of stress, allowing for a better work-life balance. This can include a work-from-home schedule or consistent, scheduled breaks that allow for free time.
- Maintain manageable workloads. It’s tempting to give employees more work if your organization is at a lower capacity. However, this will could back to haunt you as more work lowers productivity, limits the completion of tasks, and increases stress. If you need assistance with more work, make sure to find the appropriate person on the team to complete it. This means finding an individual who has both the time and the job qualifications.
- Communicate regularly. Whether in the office or working from home, communication needs to be consistent and often. Initiate check-ins to know how your teams are doing. If there are individuals who aren’t understanding the common goals of the workload, make sure they’re comfortable coming to leadership to discuss in more depth by creating an environment open to critique. Isolation can be overwhelming and leaves room for uncertainty.
- Encourage socialization among co-workers, both in and out of work hours. This gives employees an opportunity to get to know each other better so they feel less isolated when working in an office environment, and especially when working from home. It also makes them feel more connected within the company – something important for creating a positive working culture where people look out for each other instead of just another cog in the machine.
- Provide opportunities for creative expression. Being open to creativity opens up your team to a world of new and fresh ideas. Creating an environment where expression is welcome encourages employees to contribute to conversation and collaboration, driving innovative strategies and solutions. If you’re not afraid to think outside the box, your staff won’t be either. Read more about how to incorporate creativity in the workplace.
- Offer support through mental health resources. This can include Employee Assistance Programs, stress management webinars, exercise and meditation classes, access to mobile apps that support calm well-being, and more. It’s important for your employees to know that they have a support system behind them if needed.
Conclusion
Employee burnout is an issue that affects businesses beyond just one person or department – it can have ripple effects throughout an entire organization. If you have employees who are feeling burned out or unmotivated at work, identify the issues and quickly take the right approach to help not only your employees combat it, but your organization as a whole.
