We often think of burnout as an individual problem that it is solvable. For instance, simple methods like “learning to say no”, meditating or doing yoga, traveling somewhere or practicing resilience. However, those are just like sticking a band-aid on a huge crack, in this case, a workplace phenomenon.
“Burnout” now officially recognized by the World Health Organization. Therefore, the responsibility for managing it has shifted away from employees and toward employers. Employers and organizations as a whole should hold this problem accountable and take necessary actions.
A new skill or hobby is not a vaccine for burnout
Experiencing “burnout” doesn’t mean someone has simply had a lousy day. It is a combination of extreme physical and emotional exhaustion. Employees in these cases have little or no energy. This leads to a negative change in their attitude. They become impatient, unmotivated and may start to dislike their boss, their co-workers and the work itself.
According to an expert on burnout, Christina Maslach, social psychologist and professor emerita of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, a survey of 7,500 full-time employees by Gallup found 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
The list above clearly demonstrates that preventing and managing burnout should no longer the individual’s job. Instead, leaders must stand up, take notice and start creating a strategy to combat the effect that burnout can have not just on employees but the organization as a whole.
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The costs of burnout are higher than you may think
The burnout of employees is a symptom of bigger problems in each organization. It has a negative effect on nearly every aspect of a business. From the decline in product/service quality or the lack of employee engagement, burnout is a slow but deadly bomb overtime.
From a source of Stanford Social Innovation Review shows that burnout costs between $125 billion and $190 billion every year in healthcare costs. Gallup calculates that burned-out employees cost $3,400 out of every $10,000 in salary because of disengagement.
Burnout’s impact on individuals includes prolonged stress, stress-related health issues, and decreased productivity. These health care, sick leave, turnover and lowered productivity costs represent an enormous hit to any industry. Because of that, it is the company’s responsibility to find out the ways to manage their workers and organize their work in order to prevent or reduce burnout.
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There is no magic pill to solve burnout immediately
Organizations can not ignore the problem and hope it will go away. The best solution to cope with burnout starts by rethinking about the expectations that the business or the owner had for their employee. It’s all about respecting people as human beings, appreciating their unique talents and also their limitations.
What can employers do?
- Actively listen to your employees. By talking about burnout, employers can somehow understand more in-depth about the challenges their employees are facing. This is when employers need to listen carefully. From that, they can find ways to connect their employees in the right way at the right time – maybe in-person therapy, mindfulness courses,… The key is to make sure the employee is heard and then helped.
- Make sure workloads are manageable. One way to do this is by applying a work breakdown structure (WBS). This is a method that allows you to break down larger projects into smaller pieces. From that, more work can be done by different team members, leading to better productivity and easier project management.
- Give employees more control over their jobs and help them find value in the work. Employees want more opportunities to develop their strengths and then use their skills in a meaningful way. This was reflected by a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey in 2015. In that study, 55 percent of U.S. employees rated opportunities to use their skills and abilities at work as a very important contributor of job satisfaction.
- Reward and acknowledge good work. Recognition and reward are effective because they focus on the positives. In addition, it also sends employees a clear message that what they’re doing matters. One survey found that 47% of employees want to receive a reward spontaneously. The same study found that 38% of employees wanted to be rewarded for their good work. Therefor, rewarding great performances and successes with things your employees want will keep them focused and driven to do better.
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Although it is a challenging problem to solve, it is up to the organization to figure out creative ways to help employees who are experiencing burnout. Humans are a crucial part of any organization. For this reason, helping them to be at their best state at work will result in a thriving business and a sustainable working environment for their employees.
The JobHopin Team