Mastering Employee Wellbeing: How to Avoid Employee Burnout in Your Workplace

Engaged employees are the lifeblood of any organization, driving productivity, profitability, and growth. When they experience burnout, the consequences can be severe.

In this blog post, we're exploring the world of employee burnout – what it is, how common it is, what causes it, and, most importantly, how to prevent it.

What is Employee Burnout?

The World Health Organization describes burnout as the result of prolonged stress in the workplace that hasn’t been effectively managed. While it’s not classified as a medical condition, it can seriously affect both mental and physical health.

Burnout typically shows up in three main ways:

• Feeling drained and exhausted all the time.
• Developing negative attitudes towards work, like frustration or feeling aimless.
• Experiencing a drop in job performance and effectiveness.

According to a BMC Public Health report, there are also three types of burnout:

1. Frenetic burnout: Affects those who push themselves to the brink, striving tirelessly to meet their goals. They often take pride in their unmatched work ethic, but this relentless drive can affect their health and wellbeing.

1. Under-challenged burnout: Occurs when individuals feel disconnected or disengaged from their work, often due to a sense of purposelessness. These employees may find their roles unfulfilling, lacking in recognition, or devoid of opportunities for growth and advancement.

1. Worn-out burnout: Affects employees who have become emotionally disconnected from their work due to persistent negative emotions. This type of burnout develops gradually over time, often as a result of ongoing issues such as inadequate management practices or a feeling of being undervalued in the workplace.

While everyone has off days, burnout is more persistent and can affect anyone, regardless of their job, industry, or location.

Take the time to acknowledge and cheer on your employees' accomplishments. Whether it’s a shout-out during team meetings, a heartfelt thank-you note, or a reward such as a gift card, these gestures go a long way in showing your appreciation.

Is Employee Burnout Common?

The short answer - yes! While the exact figures may vary from one study to another, it’s clear that burnout is increasingly becoming a common issue in today’s workplaces.

In a 2022 survey by McKinsey Health across 15 countries involving 15,000 workers, a quarter of employees reported experiencing symptoms of burnout. Additionally, according to the American Psychological Association's 2021 Work and Wellbeing Survey, a significant majority, 3 out of 5 workers, reported experiencing negative mental and physical effects due to work-related stress.

Among the findings, 26% cited a lack of interest, motivation, or energy, 32% reported emotional exhaustion, and 44% indicated high physical fatigue.

Data from Indeed also reveals a notable trend across different age groups, with over half (52%) of workers admitting to feeling burned out. Notably, there’s a distinct contrast between age demographics: only 31% of baby boomers reported feeling burned out, while 59% of millennials and 58% of Gen Z respondents expressed similar sentiments.

Common Causes of Employee Burnout

To learn how to prevent employee burnout, we can first take a look at its causes.

Here’s a list of typical causes – any of them, alone or combined, can cause even the most dedicated employee to disengage from their work:

• Pressure: Many employees feel pressure to excel, especially when working on important projects. Over time, this pressure can build up and contribute to burnout.

• Lack of manager support: Employees thrive on constructive feedback, fairness, and involvement in decision-making. When they don’t receive the support they need from their managers, stress levels can soar.

• Overload: When employees face an endless to-do list with not enough time to get it all done, it can lead to stress and exhaustion.

• External stressors: Outside factors like family responsibilities or financial worries can add to employees’ stress levels and contribute to burnout.

• Role conflict and ambiguity: Some employees experience burnout when they’re asked to juggle conflicting tasks or unclear job expectations.

• Misalignment of personal and company values: When an employee’s personal values don’t align with the company’s values, it can create tension and contribute to burnout.

Why Managers Should Prevent Employee Burnout at Work

Engaged employees are the powerhouse of any business. They’re motivated, focused, and passionate about their work, which translates into higher productivity, morale, and growth for the company.

Engaged employees bring significant benefits to companies:

• They typically experience twice the revenue growth compared to their peers.
• They boost productivity by 40%.
• They contribute to a 78% increase in profitability.
• They are five times less likely to experience safety incidents.

Even the most dedicated employees can experience burnout when they face overwhelming personal or workplace stressors. Interestingly, burnout tends to affect highly engaged employees the most. This is because they invest a lot of themselves into their work, making them more susceptible to burnout.

How to Avoid Employee Burnout – 5 Effective Ways

We’ve talked a lot about why avoiding exhaustion at work is important. So now let’s talk about how.

1. Prioritize Employee Wellbeing and Stress Management

Many workplaces are witnessing a concerning rise in burnout among employees, indicating a crucial gap in their approach. This gap often pertains to employee wellbeing, encompassing physical, emotional, and financial wellness.

When employees lack sufficient wellbeing, managing stress becomes more challenging, consequently heightening the risk of burnout. And while fostering engagement is a common goal for employers, fewer know how to simultaneously nurture high engagement and wellbeing.

It’s crucial to recognize that employee wellbeing and engagement are intertwined. Engaged employees not only perform better but also experience a heightened sense of fulfillment and purpose in their work.

2. Provide Breaks and Recovery Time

Just like athletes need time to rest and recharge for peak performance, employees thrive when they have breaks to rejuvenate and steer clear of burnout. Overworking not only hampers productivity but also heightens the risk of burnout.

While breaks and recovery time can ease burnout symptoms, they don’t tackle the root causes. That’s why managers need to take a proactive approach by holding regular one-on-one meetings with each team member to check in on their wellbeing and address any concerns that arise.

By staying tuned in to workload dynamics and addressing issues swiftly, you can help prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed and foster a supportive work environment.

3. Implement Flexible Work Arrangements

Whether it’s offering flexible work schedules or allowing remote work options, providing flexibility enables employees to balance their personal and professional commitments effectively.

When employees are free to manage their work in a way that suits them best, they often exhibit higher levels of commitment and productivity. Many employees thrive in flexible work setups, proving to be even more productive than they would be in a traditional office environment.

4. Recognize and Reward Employees

Recognizing and rewarding employees is another essential aspect of preventing burnout in the workplace. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to remain engaged and motivated, reducing the risk of burnout.

So, celebrate your team’s wins, no matter how small! Take the time to acknowledge and cheer on your employees' accomplishments. Whether it’s a shout-out during team meetings, a heartfelt thank-you note, or even a gift card, these gestures go a long way in showing your appreciation.

And why stop there? Encourage everyone to join in on the appreciation train! Foster a culture where team members recognize and uplift each other’s efforts. From peer-to-peer recognition to fun team-building activities, you can create a workplace where appreciation and collaboration thrive.

5. Provide Resources for Burnt-out Workers

Supporting burnt-out employees requires providing resources across various aspects of their wellbeing.

These resources include:

• Time to relax and disconnect from work
• Opportunities to cultivate strong relationships
• Prioritizing emotional and physical health
• Helping employees find meaning in their work

By offering these resources, you can empower employees to cope with stress effectively and maintain their wellbeing – which is how you avoid exhaustion at work.

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