Tackling the Causes of Employee Burnout

A rise in reported employee burnout over the past couple years has turned many organizations’ attention to employee well-being. For 74% of U.S. organizations, employee mental health is a top priority, according to McKinsey Health Institute. But are the efforts to boost morale and manage stress focused on the right things?

Free counseling, yoga apps, childcare and exercise – stress busters and coping skills are increasingly common among the benefits offered by companies today. They’re helpful to individuals in reducing stress, but they don’t address the source of burnout – systemic workplace stressors – and how to combat it.

 

Workplace stress and burnout numbers

A closer look at the numbers reveals the extent of stress and burnout in today’s workplaces. Three in five employees reported negative impacts of work-related stress, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association. Gallup 2022 data confirms noting that a third of workers always or very often feel burned-out at work.

The figures vary by industry with the greatest risk being for helping professions or occupations that put workers in frontline roles during the pandemic, e.g., healthcare, transportation, government agencies and non-profits, according to Workday, Inc. Worker shortages and pandemic fallout continue to be occupational hazards for these groups and others.

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Burnout and some of its causes

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and often physical exhaustion characterized by cynicism, low energy or negativism, according to Psychology Today. At work, it “often occurs when a person is not in control of how a job is carried out … or is asked to complete tasks that conflict with their sense of self.” A lack of support, conflict with colleagues, or being permanently overworked, under-challenged or under time pressure can all contribute to burnout.

Now consider many of today’s workplaces. They’re often understaffed leaving workers to tackle heavy loads. Connectivity tools have enabled work to spill over into personal time with some employees being expected to respond at all hours of the day and night. There’s meeting overload and constant pivots to products and services. And, the biggest culprit, toxic behaviors by colleagues, bosses and customers that go unchecked.

 

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7 ways to tackle the causes of employee burnout

1. Address toxic behaviors. Working with people who make your life miserable is one of the leading causes of job stress and burnout. Negativity, bullying, micromanaging, sabotaging, blaming, withholding information, irresponsibility – these are all behaviors that should not be tolerated. Training employees to deal with these behaviors is a good first step, but an even better one is confronting rather than ignoring them.
2. Lessen meeting overload by setting core collaboration hours. Establish certain times each day where meetings are allowed. Outside these hours, employees set their own schedules to prioritize focused work time. Only allowing meetings during certain hours will allow employees to better plan their time.
3. Set realistic and clear expectations. Being busy makes us feel valuable, says Dana Wilkie writing for SHRM. But what is a realistic workload? Most employees are willing to go the extra mile from time to time, but when doing things outside their skillset or carrying an extra load becomes the norm, it creates overwork and stress.
4. Identify people at risk. Workers who continually welcome additional loads, don’t take vacation time and answer your calls after hours are priceless. And yet, this pace isn’t usually sustainable or healthy. Create and celebrate boundaries.
5. Talk with employees often. Keep a close eye on how workers feel about their jobs, workloads and career paths. Look for signs of stress and burnout such as fading enthusiasm, low energy or negativism. Ask the tough questions.
6. Outsource extra work. By hiring freelancers, seasonal help, or contractors you’ll be able to cover extra work created by unplanned projects, overload when someone leaves, or cyclical peaks. This will allow your current staff to maintain a more consistent pace instead of a back-breaking one.
7. Use productivity measures other than time for remote workers. It’s common for remote workers to fear that their bosses don’t think they’re doing enough. If they’re hitting deadlines, KPIs, quality standards and the like, resist the urge to micromanage. Increase communication and build in regular checkpoints to improve peace of mind for everyone.

Organizations pay a high price when an employee is burned out. Giving your workers tools to deal with stress is helpful to their well-being, but even more important, is preventing unnecessary stress by tackling it at the source.