Tackling the Causes of Employee Burnout

Employee burnout comes with a hefty price tag for organizations. And although it’s tempting to focus on stress coping, morale building, and employee wellness benefits, instead consider ways to tackle unnecessary work stress at its source.

Burnout-related disengagement for a non-managerial hourly employee costs an average of $3999 per year, according to Fortune. That figure goes up with higher-salaried workers. And with burnout and disengagement stalled at all-time highs, prevention is worth a lot.

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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 change 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. Protect workers’ boundaries and beware the “infinite workday”. 

   Reward strong work while at the same time encouraging employees to disconnect on weekends, vacations and other non-work times. Consider if there are hidden biases toward employees who work overtime and answer calls after hours and weekends? Is staying connected rewarded? Praised? It’s easy to view these behaviors as signs of dedication. Remember, people who detach from work come back more energized and productive.

3. Lessen meeting overload by setting core collaboration hours. 

   Establish 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 enable employees to better plan their time.

4. 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. Make sure priorities are always clear in case something has to be set aside temporarily.

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: What do you like best about your job? What do you like least? If you could change one thing about your work, what would it be?

6. Outsource extra work or look for an AI solution. 

   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. New AI tools for work pop up every day. Invest in them when possible or teach employees how to use free tools. These things 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.