The issue of employee burnout may not be on your business’s radar but it’s one an increasing number of employees seem to be concerned about and an area that’s getting people talking.
One of the first questions businesses often have when it comes to employee burnout is whether their organisation needs to be worried. The short answer? No – but only because worry won’t get you anywhere, instead businesses should be aware, alert, pro-active and prepared. Doing so can help your people and your business too.
With this in mind, we take a look at some of the key HR things all businesses need to know in our two part Legal Update on employee burnout.
Aware and alert
Having an awareness of employee burnout and being alert to it are vital when it comes to prevention and appropriately addressing any instances that do arise.
Employee burnout can occur in all different types of businesses, but what is it?
In broad terms, employee burnout is when employees become exhausted, frustrated, disengaged and unmotivated at work on an ongoing basis, often occurring when someone is physically and mentally drained. Work related burnout has been officially recognised by the World Health Organisation as a mental health concern.
Employee burnout signs can include:
- Exhaustion or low energy
- Mental distance from the job or feelings of cynicism towards it
- Reduced or lack of professional efficacy
Employee burnout matters not just because of the impact it has on individuals, but because of the effect it can have on businesses too. If employees are suffering from burnout, it can impact many different areas including productivity, attendance and retention. It’s not hard to see why, if employees have burnout or may be close to it:
- They are less likely to be able to meet their full potential and perform at their best
- It could increase their sickness absence rate as they may need to take time off work as a consequence
- It can affect staff retention as they may seek work elsewhere to battle burnout or to find an employer that they consider has a better or more suitable working environment
The good news for businesses is that there are practical pro-active steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of burnout occurring. We take a look at some of the key actions in the next Legal Update in this series.
Employee Burnout – Pro-active and Prepared, Practical Steps for your Business
If your business is considering what you can do to help reduce the likelihood of employee burnout you may be unsure where to start. From a HR perspective, it can be helpful to be alert to some of the common causes of burnout when thinking about pro-active steps you can take to prevent it.
Common Causes and Action Points
Employee burnout can have many causes and contributing factors, these can include:
- Lack of clarity around job roles and / or expectations
- Unrealistic deadlines or unreasonable demands
- Excessive workload
- Poor leadership / inadequate support
- Lack of recognition
- Excessive working hours and/or a lack of rest or breaks
- Poor workplace relations / communication
- Insufficient training
With this in mind, if your business hasn’t already done so, you might want to think about:
Job descriptions
Having clear and appropriate job descriptions in place can help everyone to understand their role and how it fits into the organisation, reducing uncertainty and contributing to employee wellbeing. A lack of clarity can sometimes lead to individual employees taking on more responsibilities than they should because they are uncertain what is within their remit or when they should legitimately redirect a particular task, this can lead to overwhelm. Particularly if managers aren’t aware of what’s happening as it can then mean there is an absence of appropriate support and guidance. A well written job description can benefit businesses and employees without being unduly restrictive.
Setting clear targets and appropriate expectations
Ensuring employees have achievable identifiable goals can help to empower them by contributing to a sense of control and ownership over their work, as well as helping them to remain focused and motivated to succeed. This can help to prevent a sense of disconnect from the job and the company which can be related to burnout.
Appropriate monitoring of employees and workloads
Whilst it may sound basic, this is a key step. It can help to ensure the fair and appropriate distribution of work, identify any issues or concerns at an early stage and whether any managerial intervention, for example in the form of additional support or training, is required. Identifying and tackling things early can help to prevent matters from escalating or difficult situations from becoming prolonged which can contribute to burnout rates. Operationally, appropriate monitoring can help to identify wider issues, such as whether increased staffing is required to keep workloads/working hours at an appropriate level, whether internal processes could be improved or whether additional measures such as employee assistance programmes would be beneficial.
Reward and recognition
Feeling seen, having efforts recognised and successes acknowledged can all help to give a sense of achievement and contribute to employee satisfaction, this has a part to play in reducing the likelihood of burnout. It often assists in creating a positive cycle where employees feel that their roles are worthwhile, they are motivated to perform at their best and are able to take on appropriate challenges and develop professionally.
There are many ways to reward and recognise employees, from bonus schemes to mindful management that remembers the importance of a simple thank you for a job well done. If you haven’t already done so, or if its been a while, you might want to think about what could work best for your business.
Management support
It’s important to ensure that employees are suitably supported in the workplace and that HR matters are dealt with appropriately. As managers are often at the forefront of this, it means making sure they are adequately resourced – businesses shouldn’t overlook the need to empower managers with appropriate training for their role. This can help to protect your business and your people.
If you would like more information on our cost effective HR training packages or you would like to discuss your business’s HR training needs, please contact your Employment Law Specialist who will be happy to help.