Knowing how to prevent workplace burnout can save your life in more ways than one. Workplace burnout is critical and must be avoided to maintain the quality of life for the employee and maintain productivity for the company. It is important because humans are exactly that, humans. Humans cannot expect to be able to produce their very best all day, every day because, one, we are imperfect creatures, and two, that’s what we have robots for.
- What is Workplace Burnout and What Does it Look Like:
- Leading Causes of Workplace Burnout
- Effects of Burnout in the Workplace
- How to Prevent Burnout in the Workplace
Do you think you or someone you know is experiencing workplace burnout? Here’s the importance of catching it early and how to prevent it altogether.
Workplace burnout does not only affect one’s job and productivity but it also can affect their emotional, mental, and physical health in ways you won’t believe. It can lead to depression, resignation, and a slew of other problems in one’s life and within a company. Burnout also can trickle down throughout the company as it lowers productivity, engagement, energy, motivation, and creativity, and cripples some people leaving them broken, hopeless, helpless, and/or angry.
As a result of burnout, employees may not longer feel passionate and see a purpose to their work and in serious cases, their existence, leading to other major mental health problems and possibly the collapse of a company. Ignoring workplace burnout can have serious consequences for individuals and businesses. It’s important to realize burnout doesn’t just stop at exhaustion and fatigue, it goes much, much deeper than that.
What is Workplace Burnout and What Does it Look Like:
Workplace burnout has no face. There are many signs of burnout. Some people may show one sign of workplace burnout while others may show several. It’s important to know/see the signs to be able to help prevent and reduce workplace burnout in yourself, your company, and your coworkers. Below is an ever-increasing list of some of the signs and symptoms of those who may be experiencing workplace burnout that you can look out for! Please remember burnout comes in all shapes and sizes and should be handled with care and compassion.
What it looks like at work:
- Short Temper
- Poor Performance
- Reduced Creativity
- Exhaustion
- Reducing work ethic
- Negative attitude toward work
- Lack of purpose
- Lateness/tardiness
- Lack of motivation
- Mood swings
- Avoiding work by doing other things during the workday (i.e. online shopping, social media)
- Delaying tasks
- Missing deadlines
- Quiet
- Avoids co-workers
- Frequently sick
- Unexplained absences
What it feels like inside:
- Depression
- Cynicism
- Irritability
- Exhaustion
- Isolation
- Unhealthy eating habits
- Lowered motivation
- Lack of purpose
- Overwhelmed
- Disconnected
- Sleeping trouble
- Stop going to the gym
- Increased negativity
- Low self-esteem
- Weight gain/loss
- Trapped
- Procrastination
- Low self-esteem
- Forgetfulness
- Lowered self-worth
What the body goes through:
- Exhaustion
- Trouble Sleeping
- Low energy
- Aggression
- Withdrawal
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Stomachaches
- Weakened immune system/sick often
- Loss of appetite
- Chest pains
- Lack of focus
- Dizziness
- Cognitive issues
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Weight fluctuations
- Back pain
- Muscle aches
- Shortness of breath
Leading Causes of Workplace Burnout
There are many aspects of work that can lead to workplace burnout. It’s important to know the needs of the business and the ability of your workforce. It would be unwise to have 15 employees doing the work of 25 employees to save money. This kind of business practice can close a business before it opens. Employees must have a positive, healthy, work-life balance in order to maintain their physical and emotional well-being. Overworking staff can take a major toll on how employees view the company, their work, and even themselves leading to a decrease in everything from production to attendance and engagement. Employees can and will give their best work when they feel valued, trusted, and balanced.
Workplace Treatment:
Employees who feel they are being mistreated are more likely to experience workplace burnout. Employees want to be heard and they want their work to speak for itself. If promotions, raises, and responsibility is given according to performance and other factors expressed by the company, employees want to know everyone has an unequal opportunity and level playing field. High-pressure and extreme/hostile workplace environments can significantly affect and even hinder employees and productivity.
Employees also want open, honest communication with co-workers and management. People work better together when they are comfortable with those around them and are able to ask questions and answer questions. They want to trust and be trusted by those in the workplace. They want to trust that management gives them the tools, support, and direction to complete tasks to their satisfaction. They want to be involved and knowledgeable about what is happening within the company and know they are in “the know”.
Employees like to have some sense of control over their work-life whether it be adjusting their hours within reason, vacations, days off, or in some cases their assignments. They like to know expectations and what is required of them. It is hard to complete tasks without completely understanding your role within the company. Being able to see rewards, accomplishments, and recognition also plays a role in the value of an employee within a company.
Workload:
Most people experience an unmanageable workload at some point in their careers, some experience this weekly or daily. Some companies give projects to those they know will complete them in a thorough and timely fashion. What happens if that employee already is working on a project, what happens if another project comes to light, now they have several projects to work on and while their work is exceptional, this leaves little time for the employee to breathe because they are at capacity. Things should not be given to employees simply because they will get the job done, there should be other factors taken into consideration to ensure they aren’t feeling overwhelmed which could lead to workplace burnout.
It’s also important to take into consideration the time constraints placed on employees. If there is only 1 week to get prepared for a big business deal, make sure to give a heads-up so they can start getting things prepared especially if close attention to detail is needed. This will ensure quality and reduce stress.
Too much on one’s plate can lead one to feel drained and helpless which is a leading cause of workplace burnout. It’s important to once again remember that there are many factors that contribute to workplace burnout and not only what’s stated above. Every situation is different and there are many ways that burnout can creep up on employees.
Effects of Burnout in the Workplace
23% more likely to visit the ER
13% lower confidence in performance
63% more likely to take a sick day
costs estimated $125-$190B a year in health care spending
50% less likely to discuss performance goals
40% of American workers forfeit their paid vacation due to fear of falling behind in work
more than 3/4 of employees experience burnout at least sometimes
1/5 employees work 60+ hour weeks
662 million vacation days went unused in 2016
over half of employees ended 2016 with unused vacation days
over 1/4 of employees miss work due to stress
60% of employees believe work pressure has increased
95% of HR staff say burnout is the cause of inability to retain workers
almost 50% of workers says burnout is responsible for workplace turnover
120,ooo deaths are attributed to workplace stress each year
3/10 of employees feel heard at work
2.6 times as likely to leave a company
3/10 of employees have the necessary equipment to complete their work correctly
Society for Human Resource Management
How to Prevent Burnout in the Workplace
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”
From the company:
- Fair workloads
- Cultivate balance
- Support mental health efforts with resources
- Be proactive
- Review workloads
- Give recognition
- Know your employees
- Encourage unplugging, working during work hours
- Consider restructuring to meet employee needs
- Foster a better work environment
From you:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Exercise
- Practice good sleeping habits
- Ask when you need help
- Spend time with loved ones
- Don’t spread yourself too thin
- Set boundaries
- Walk away from your work space and leave it there until you return
- Communicate with those around you
- Choose the right company for you and accept when you haven’t and do something about it
