6 Ways to Stamp Out Employee Burnout

Chances are you've already heard of employee burnout; you may have experienced it yourself or managed a member of staff experiencing it. Burnout is when an employee is entirely mentally and physically exhausted, the result being that they are unable to perform their tasks. A phenomenon that is growing all the time, and whilst awareness is increasing, employers still struggle with ways to combat it. This article will present 6 ways that you can stop employee burnout.

1. Catch it early

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Learning to recognise the signs of burnout is a key strategy in mitigating its effects before they completely take hold. Signs of burnout include, but are not limited to, exhaustion, being more distracted at work, unable to focus, general exhaustion and higher rate of absence. Spot the signs and take steps to address any concerns you have with staff. It is important to make staff aware that they can come to their employer for support without fear of being passed over for development opportunities, or even losing their job.

2. Examine the workplace culture

Is the office environment one of stress? Is there anything that is part of the environment that's contribution is generally negative? Often the feelings of burnout are exacerbated by a negative office culture, leaving employees feeling unable to ask for support. Make your staff aware they can come to you without repercussions, signpost support facilities available to staff such as on-site therapy etc.

3. Have realistic and attainable targets

One of the most common sources of burnout is being unable to achieve performance targets. Often employers will deliberately set high targets as an incentive, but this can have the opposite effect. Being unable to achieve goals is a surefire way to make staff feel unmotivated, or that they aren't good enough. This is not to say that there shouldn't be any targets, but rather that those in place actually be attainable for staff. Evaluate those in place at your workplace, if no one is meeting them chances are they aren't feasible.

4. Wellbeing programs

Many employers have wellbeing programs, with benefits available to employees for their health both mental and physical. The goal is to make these programs part of the culture rather than an afterthought, see point 2! By doing so employees are more likely to recognise the symptoms of burnout in themselves and use these tools to address them. Some of these can often be included in group life insurance benefits as well. This will not only make things easier for your staff, but act as an incentive to retain your employees long term.

5. Celebrate your employees' wins

Another contributing factor to burnout is feeling under or unappreciated by the employer. This can make employees feel worthless, as though no matter their contribution they are always overlooked. Take the time to acknowledge your staff's wins, big or small. Simply recognising the hard work your employees have done, and rewarding as appropriate, is an easy way to let your employees know they are valued. 

6. Encourage a work life balance

The final point we'll be focusing on is that of a work life balance. Those suffering with burnout have great difficulty leaving the stress of work at their desks. As a result, they never really get a break, leading to a negative impact on their mental health. One of the easiest things you can do is create a clear delineation between work and home life. Do not contact your employees regarding work matters outside of office hours or when on leave. This again helps to create a healthier office culture and work environment.