Navigating the tricky maze of workplace burnout

Chances are that if you work in a 21^st century workplace (and are not a time-travelling 16^th century blacksmith), you would’ve heard colleagues talking about burnout or have experienced it yourself. According to a study conducted by Deloitte, 77% of individuals have faced burnout in their current roles. Almost half of these respondents have pointed out that this experience has occurred more than once. 

But what does burnout even mean?

Knowing how to define burnout is the crucial first step. Professor Quentin Durrand-Moreau from the University of Alberta sees burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress. 

It consists of three dimensions: 

• Depleted energy or exhaustion, 

• Growing negativity or cynicism about the job, and 

• Reduced feelings of personal accomplishment or advancement in the role.

Some common causes of workplace burnout are unbalanced workloads, unreasonable deadlines, lack of autonomy, an unsupportive manager, mistreatment or discrimination at work. Burnout may manifest itself in physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, stomachaches and more.

The World Economic Forum (WHO) categorises burnout as an occupational phenomenon and not a medical condition. However, it is a factor in causing some serious medical ailments like high blood pressure, heart disease, respiratory issues, depression and anxiety. All of this makes burnout a critical issue that needs to be urgently addressed to revive employee engagement, performance and belonging. 

Identifying workplace burnout

Managers and employees need to know the telltale signs of burnout in the workplace to be able to immediately strike at the root and put systems of support in place. Here are some of these signs:

• A disinterested and disengaged employee who is becoming increasingly prone to errors
• Marked dip in confidence on projects and presentations
• Significant drop in proactiveness, participation, communication and socialisation
• Growing insensitivity towards regular feedback through excuses, anger or complete disregard
• Rising absenteeism 

Once these signs are identified, it is time for some quick and effective interventions. While wellness programs are helpful, organisations need to look a little deeper for solutions. 

Tackling burnout at the organisation

While burnout is largely viewed as a strictly personal experience, global studies have shown that the foundational causes of it can be  rooted in organisational issues. 

Another survey conducted in the United States over the period of a year estimated a cost of $47.6 billion, racked up by unaddressed mental wellbeing issues in organisations. This is why employers are perfectly poised to tackle the issue of burnout and make it a strategic priority. 

Here are some ways to do so:

• Measuring employee wellbeing

Collecting anonymous data on workplace wellbeing and analysing them to create metrics for burnout, stress and mental health issues would be crucial for any kind of change. This would allow for chalking out clear, time-bound goals for delivery and allow organisations to redirect resources to teams and departments that need them the most. 

• Promoting sustainable workloads

Tough deadlines and heavy workloads are common in today’s fast-paced world of work. But these pressures become debilitating, they result in exhaustion, disengagement and burnout. Promoting a work culture that respects the usual cycle of rest and renewal, believes in realistic deadlines and commits to a work-life balance is paramount for employee wellbeing. 

• Addressing bias, misconduct and discrimination 

Toxic behaviours are fast and sticky. They quickly spread into team dynamics and destroy its psychological safety, resulting in intense burnout. Once in, they require consistent efforts to root out. As a result, training employees, managers and leaders on empathy and compassion is vital. Encouraging them to take swift measures to curb untoward behaviours is a crucial supplementary step. 

• Investing in employee growth

The feeling of stagnation in a role can severely affect motivation of employees and cause detachment and burnout. When organisations invest in up-skilling, re-skilling, leadership programs and transparent growth pipelines employees feel supported in their career aspirations. Companies do not lose valuable talent to burnout and employees demonstrate loyalty through high performance. 

• Holding leaders accountable

The authority and decision-making capacity that comes with a leadership position creates a lot of possibilities to effectively deal with workplace wellbeing and burnout. Companies can link incentives to the achievement of mental wellbeing goals by leaders and equip them with the necessary tools to carry the mission forward. They may also track mental wellbeing metrics in teams and add it to leaders’ performance reviews. 

Understanding workplace burnout might prove challenging and abstract for many organisations. This is where Serein’s research-backed and scientifically driven solutions can help. Contact us today at hello@serein.in.