How to Avoid Employee Burnout

Burnout can be defined as “an individual’s response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors within the workplace.” (Maslach et al., 2001)

Everyone needs a moment to take a break or even catch their breath during the work day or week. Taking that moment to relax or to catch yourself can make the difference in an employee who can handle their workload versus an employee who cannot.

Some signs of Employee Burnout include the following:

-Fatigue

-Lack of Involvement in Social Activities

-Impatience

-Disillusion

-Lack of Productivity

-Frequent Illness or Absenteeism

There are several causes and effects Employee Burnout have on the job and workplace as a whole. Many causes are related to excessive workloads, lack of recognition, unclear or unattainable goals at work. The effects of these causes can lead to poor work performance, job termination, conflicts with and even disrupting the workflow of coworkers.

With understanding how Employee Burnout happened along with its causes and effects, let’s take a look into how to avoid Employe Burnout before it takes over the business.

Provide frequent feedback: this will allow employees to understand where they are with their workload and provide clear discretion and opportunity for them to air any grievances during this feedback period.
Offer flexible or remote working hours: especially due to the current pandemic, offering these options will help decrease the stress or worry many employees may have about the changes in public health when it comes to the office setting.
Enforce frequent mental health breaks: on top of the normal breaks, extend mental health breaks to all employees whenever they need to take them.
Rewards: gift rewards to employees to recognize their efforts at work, this will help with boosting morale in the workplace.
Listen: take the time to listen to the concerns of employees as it relates to their work-life balance as well as how their work affects their wellbeing. Also, take advice on what can be changed in the workplace and make the necessary changes.