Employee burnout involves ongoing exposure to stress that results in extreme physical and emotional exhaustion. Common signs include low energy levels, cynicism, and disengagement.
Employee burnout can be shown through poor memory, detachment from coworkers, and loss of motivation to work. Other signs include irritability, increased absenteeism, and decreased productivity.
Many employees who experience burnout end up leaving their jobs. As a result, managers spend more time and money finding a replacement.
Until a new hire joins the team, team members typically take on additional responsibilities that were being covered by the former employee. This can lead to overwork and additional burnout.
Fortunately, as a manager, HR professional, or company leader, there are steps you can take to combat employee burnout. The following tips can help.
Learn How to Identify Employee Burnout and Make Workplace Changes to Improve
Support Employee Mental Health
Model the positive mental health behaviors you would like employees to follow. For instance, take regular breaks throughout the day. Go for a walk, stretch, meditate, read a book, listen to music, or engage in another relaxing activity. Also, use all of your paid time off. Spend time with family and friends while completely disengaging from work.
When you see an employee struggling, privately talk with them about the source of their stress. The employee may have an unmanageable workload, not enough support, or unrealistic deadlines. Or, they might be unclear on their role or expectations.
Work with the employee to resolve the issue. Follow up to see how things are going and whether you can provide additional support. These actions help minimize employee burnout.
Provide Flexibility
Offer employees remote or hybrid work options and flexible schedules. Define the core work hours when employees must be available for meetings. Outside of these hours, trust employees to remain productive and reach expectations.
Providing flexibility lets employees work during the times they are most productive. Employees can modify their schedules to accommodate last-minute changes. This reduces stress and the potential for employee burnout.
Embrace Showing Emotion
Create a safe environment for employees to express their feelings. Encourage employees to share their struggles and concerns and support each other. Everyone needs help at times and can benefit from these experiences.
Emotions influence employee creativity, decision-making, performance, and loyalty to the company. As a result, encouraging employees to express their feelings can result in improvements in these areas. This helps reduce employee burnout.
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