Employee burnout is a common issue that countless workplaces face on a daily basis. For years, it was believed that burnout was a personal problem. Workers who suffered from it were expected to improve their self-care routines in order to reduce their anxiety and stress levels in the workplace. This may seem like a quick fix, however, there is a much better long-term solution.
To get to the root of the problem, employers will need to ask themselves some tough questions:
- What is causing our employees to experience these struggles?
- Why are our employees not thriving in our current work environment?
- How can we help them to cope with the effects of workplace burnout?
A big reason that burnout is such a major concern among employees is largely due to a lack of organizational inclusivity and a sense of belonging. Before a company can perform at an effective and efficient level, it must prioritize the well-being of its workers and provide them with a safe, compassionate work environment.
Lead with Empathy
In every workplace, there should be a good balance between building professional relationships and personal relationships. Establishing open lines of communication will allow employees to feel more comfortable expressing their emotions and speaking out when something is on their minds. Creating a “safe space” for workers will encourage them to take a break when they are too overwhelmed and feel too stressed to work. An organization’s success should never come at the expense of an employee’s mental health.
Gain Perspective
At times, it can be easy to forget that everyone within an organization is working towards the same goal. Because of this, employers will often forget about the challenges faced by their employees and may unintentionally make life harder for them with:
- An unmanageable workload
- A lack of role clarity
- A lack of support
- Unreasonable deadlines
Although most of the time these actions are not committed intentionally, if an employee feels as though they are unable to express their frustrations and concerns, it shows that workers have not been put in a position to succeed.
Eliminate Barriers
Over the past couple of years, many organizations have been faced with unforeseen circumstances regarding the global pandemic. As a result, many employees have been forced to work from home with limited methods of communication. While working remotely, it can be easy to lose sight of that “team mentality” that is much more prominent in a physical workplace. Now more than ever, employers need to maintain open lines of communication with their workers and provide them with a strong support system. Whether it be through consistent non-work-related digital communication or making additional efforts to safely meet in-person, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide their staff with a sense of belonging.
Align Priorities
The best way to minimize employee burnout is to develop personal relationships with colleagues. When management teams prioritize the wellbeing and concerns of their employees, it leads to improved worker productivity and morale. However, when an employer requests worker feedback but fails to implement changes, the workers quickly become aware of it and stop answering truthfully. By considering staff members’ suggestions and burdens, employers can establish a deeper connection with their employees which will ultimately lead to organizational growth.
Employee burnout is a serious problem that affects all parties involved within an organization. This issue usually causes both physical, and mental health issues for staff and results in a waste of company resources. In order to build more efficient and effective workplaces, we must all work together to minimize burnout and provide employees with a healthier work environment.
For more information on how we can help with workplace burnout, chat with our iHealthOX Care Team to get started.
Sources:
https://www.productiveflourishing.com/belonging-not-burnout/
https://www.cio.com/article/189194/5-ways-diversity-and-inclusion-help-teams-perform-better.html
https://hbr.org/2019/12/burnout-is-about-your-workplace-not-your-people
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