The issue of employee burnout has long existed, but there is little doubt that the stress brought on by the pandemic has exacerbated it to a significant degree. According to the American Psychological Association, burnout rates among American workers saw a notable rise in 2021.
Childcare challenges, remote work adjustments, and the ever difficult “work-life-balance” have all played significant roles in escalating stress levels among employees to unprecedented heights. Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life is crucial for remote workers, and it is imperative for HR departments to actively support and guide employees in practicing these healthy boundaries.
Physical and mental exhaustion can arise from various sources, such as excessive workload, pressure, conflicting values, inadequate managerial support, and ambiguity in roles. Moreover, the negative stigma associated with burnout in the workplace often compels individuals to conceal their problems instead of seeking solutions.
Any of these factors can push individuals, including your most high-performing employees, towards burnout. However, when multiple issues coalesce, they can intensify one another, accelerating the onset and severity of burnout.
As an employer, taking action to prevent workplace burnout is just as essential to business operations as investing in insurance or covering electricity expenses. By implementing burnout prevention strategies for employees at all levels, including lower-level staff, managers, and leaders, organizations can ensure that everyone is able to perform at their optimal potential.
By actively addressing burnout within your team, you can enhance employee retention, boost performance, alleviate stress, and ultimately cultivate a successful business. Consider implementing these seven techniques to combat burnout and unlock the full potential of your team.
Monitor Workloads & Scheduling
It is essential for leaders to ensure that employees are not burdened with excessive workloads or prolonged, strenuous schedules. While occasional spikes in workload may occur, expecting employees to consistently handle heavy workloads and demanding schedules is not sustainable. For instance, monitoring an employee’s travel schedule may prompt a manager to allocate a week in the office for decompression. High turnover within a department can serve as an indicator of issues related to workload or scheduling.
Organizations with a limited workforce must be particularly vigilant regarding workload and scheduling concerns. In such situations, placing unrealistic expectations on a small team to achieve the output of a larger workforce can result in widespread dissatisfaction and undoubtedly lead to burnout.
Implementing equitable workloads across teams is another effective strategy for preventing and managing burnout in the workplace. This approach helps protect employees from feeling overwhelmed, as an imbalanced workload can quickly lead to burnout.
To achieve equal workloads across teams, managers should assess their teams and distribute responsibilities in a fair and balanced manner. This proactive approach ensures that no individual or team is burdened with an excessive amount of work, promoting a healthier and more sustainable work environment.
Offer Recovery Time
It is crucial to distinguish productivity from overworking. To effectively prevent burnout in the workplace, it is important to incorporate sufficient recovery time. Managers play a vital role in supporting their employees by assigning realistic workloads and allowing for breaks as necessary.
Since individuals may require varying amounts of recovery time, regularly checking in with employees ensures they receive the necessary rest and rejuvenation. It is equally important to pay attention to high-performing employees and managers, even if they appear to be managing well. Everyone requires recovery time, regardless of their perceived capacity for workload handling.
Start Walking Meetings
Instead of conducting all your meetings indoors, consider moving some of them outside of your usual location. This simple adjustment offers a refreshing change of scenery, breaking away from screens, desks, and walls. You can designate these meetings as “walking meetings” and limit them to 20 minutes, which only occupies a small portion of the total work hours throughout the week. It’s important to have a clear agenda in place to ensure everyone stays focused and productive while enjoying a brief walk.
You can also go on walking meetings to discuss ways to address any obstacles you may be facing as a team or company, and brainstorm ways to overcome them. Additionally, you can use this time to share updates on special projects and upcoming tasks, while incorporating a touch of coaching and mentoring to support each other’s growth and development.
Walking meetings are also an effective way to publicly acknowledge and recognize each team member for their contributions made over the past two weeks. This feedback mechanism has received positive responses, resulting in improved engagement and communication within the team.
Properly Train Managing Staff
Effective prevention of burnout in the workplace relies heavily on managers. Ongoing training programs focused on burnout prevention will equip managers with up-to-date knowledge and strategies to enhance employee engagement and minimize the risk of burnout.
A key attribute of a good manager is their ability to keep employees motivated. By providing managers with the necessary tools and training, the entire organization can benefit. This enables managers to stay informed about best practices, emerging research, and current trends in order to effectively support their teams and promote a healthy work environment.
It is crucial for companies to provide training to managers on effective methods for fostering employee engagement and motivation. Supervisors play a significant role in preventing employee burnout and enhancing retention since they have control over workload distribution. They also shape the climate and culture within their divisions and hold responsibility for employee promotions and recognizing value-added contributions.
If companies are able to identify concerning signs, such as high turnover rates within specific departments, they bear the responsibility to educate leaders and equip them with the necessary tools to retain valuable personnel. When individuals are treated with respect and given opportunities for growth and advancement, they are more likely to remain with the company for the long term.
Promote a Culture of Fairness and Balance
Promoting a culture of fairness and balance within your organization to prevent burnout and ensure employee well-being is paramount. Treating all employees equitably, offering equal opportunities for growth, recognition, and advancement. Avoid any favoritism or biases that could create an imbalanced work environment.
Strive to maintain a reasonable workload distribution that aligns with employees’ capabilities and capacity. Avoid excessive or unsustainable work demands that can lead to burnout. Encourage open communication, allowing employees to voice their concerns and provide feedback on workload management.
Additionally, implement policies and practices that support work-life balance. Encourage employees to take breaks, utilize vacation time, and maintain boundaries between work and personal life. Recognize and appreciate employees’ efforts and achievements, creating a sense of value and fulfillment in their work.
By cultivating fairness and balance, organizations can foster a positive work environment, reduce burnout, and enhance employee satisfaction and retention. Additionally, this particular issue of unfairness and favoritism can also be addressed by properly training management personnel.
Lead by Example
Epitomize the desired behaviors and values you wish to see in your employees by leading by example. A good leader can demonstrate a strong work ethic, integrity, and professionalism in their own actions and decision-making processes. Show respect, empathy, and effective communication in your interactions with others.
Model a healthy work-life balance by setting boundaries and taking care of your own well-being. Prioritize self-care and encourage employees to do the same. Show that it is acceptable and encouraged to take breaks, utilize vacation time, and maintain a healthy work-life integration.
Be open to feedback and continuously strive for personal and professional growth. Display a growth mindset and willingness to learn from mistakes. Encourage collaboration, teamwork, and a supportive work environment by fostering inclusive practices and recognizing the contributions of others.
By leading by example, you inspire and motivate your employees to follow suit, creating a positive work culture that values fairness, balance, and overall well-being.
Just as family relationships are the bedrock of fulfilling our personal lives, an organization’s employee-management relationship serves as the cornerstone for a thriving organization. This relationship fosters collaboration, offers opportunities for career growth, and ideally acts as a buffer against workplace stress rather than adding to it.
