The vicious cycle of burnout
Burnout: A subject that is top of mind for employers globally in recent years. And for good reason – nearly four in five workers (79%) admitted they’ve experienced burnout in their careers. If that stat wasn’t enough, according to TELUS Health’s Mental Health Index, 35 percent of the Canadian workforce ranked at a high mental health risk, and 43 percent at a moderate mental health risk.
What is burnout?
It’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. While burnout is commonly associated with stress at work, it can also come from stress at home.
Physical symptoms include:
- Feeling tired and drained
- Having lower immunity
- Having frequent headaches or muscle pains
- Seeing a change in appetite or sleep habits
While emotionally people may experience:
- A sense of failure or self-doubt
- Feeling helpless, trapped or defeated
- Feeling alone in the world or detached
- Loss in motivation
The vicious cycle
This current state in poor mental health is affecting employees and employers around the world.
Burnout has been a major player when it comes to employee turnover. As a result, organizations rely on existing employees that remain to carry the excess load and, at times, also train and develop new employees. This added strain now creates a burnout cycle, as those employees become absent, decrease productivity, and create even more turnover.
What can employers do?
In a survey of over 2,000 organizations, the top ways they’re fighting to prevent burnout include:
- Allowing flexible work schedules (53%)
- Proving incentives or bonuses (52%)
- Recognizing employees for performing well (46%)
- Encouraging time off (46%)
More broadly, organizations are assessing what flexibility means – for example, giving employees focused time, rather than counting how many days of the week they are physically present. Considerations with technology are also being made, with large employers using an average of 211 different apps, up from 195 last year.
When examining potential burnout in your own organization, consider what changes may have been added or removed to your employees’ daily work.
