Transparency is extremely important to us, so we are letting you know that we may receive a commission on some of links you click on from this page. See our disclaimer.

---

Burnout is all around us and employee mental health is a huge concern for employees today. The pressure to manage this problem became so severe that the World Health Organization even declared burnout to be an occupational phenomenon. They define burnout as a syndrome that's characterized as a result of constant workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

While signs and the symptoms of burnout can vary, the WHO states that people who feel burnout often report feeling exhausted and mentally distant from their job, and have reduced professional efficacy. Workout decreases their desire to learn or grow. When employees start to feel this way, they may begin looking for other positions or just have a desire to leave the workforce altogether.

What Causes Workplace Burnout?

In a workplace that is fast-paced, difficult, and demanding, employee burnout isn't uncommon. Many employees may feel overwhelmed by the competing demands and expectations of their workplace. With technology often blurring the lines between their home and work life, there are a few common factors that correspond most with employee burnout.

• Unfair treatment at work– employees who feel that they are not being treated fairly by their employer will report higher levels of burnout
• Unmanageable workload- when an employee has too much work and doesn't have the ability to complete it, this easily leads to exhaustion.
• Unclear communication from supervisors– when not given clear direction on how to succeed, employees will feel like they can't succeed at their jobs
• Lack of manager support– employees who aren't able to feel supported by their management team won't perform at their best.
• Unreasonable time pressure– employees need to feel like they have the time and ability to complete tasks. While these may not always be on their own schedule, they should have a reasonable time frame to complete tasks.

Burnout can affect staff in a number of ways. From being more likely to use sick time to even seeking out new employment opportunities, addressing burnout in the workplace should be a top priority. How exactly do you manage this though? To improve workplace mental health, it's important to take a few key approaches to burnout and address it head-on.

Addressing Workplace Burnout

1. Make Wellbeing a Part of the Culture

When the workplace makes wellbeing a priority and provides resources to enable employees to live mentally healthier lives, they take better care of themselves. To encourage this, it's best to take a top-down approach. 

Leadership needs to take the first step to prioritize wellbeing. It can be as simple to start this practice as having members of senior leadership talk about how they've experienced burnout in the workforce and how they manage it on their own.

Employees can also encourage each other to live healthy and productive work lives. They should support other employees in pursuing an ideal work-life balance. This can be as simple as working reasonable hours, being a part of a flexible work environment, or encouraging each other to take their own vacation time. When well-being is a priority, managing burnout is much easier.

HR departments play an integral role in making well-being a priority. If the culture promotes working extended hours, working during their personal time, and putting their work ahead of family, getting rid of those habits should be the first priority. Similarly, a workplace culture where leaders encourage supervisors to give orders and meet performance expectations without paying attention to the costs creates burnout risks that will cause employees to feel unsupported, disrespected, and underappreciated.

2. Equip Managers to Prevent Burnout

Managers are responsible for creating employee experiences and should learn how to reduce stress at work for employees. It's their job to set clear expectations in the workplace, remove barriers, ensure collaboration, and guarantee that employees feel supported to do their best work. When they do this, managers can reverse current burnout and prevent further problems before they start.

Make sure that managers are educated about burnout. They may need additional training in order to truly understand what causes burnout. They should also be sure to focus on their fellow employees. Managers need to have an employee focus as well as ensure that the job gets done. This may mean paying special attention to hiring practices. Only hire the managers who are the right fit. If they don't feel as though burnout is a priority, they may not be able to manage this when it comes to their own team.

3. Design or Re-Design the Employee Experience

Organizations can target burnout systemically by targeting burnout specifically. The employee experience includes the entire journey that an employee takes within their organization. From the employee attraction to when they end up leaving the company, strategic planning needs to take place as an ongoing task. Managers should be aware that it is part of their job to address burnout.

Managers can set role expectations and structure employee jobs to make work more manageable and engaging. They should meet with their teams individually and collectively to learn about the individual experiences as well as group experiences. Encourage teamwork and shared accountability. When employees work together and support each other, the workload and challenges seem smaller. This will ensure that employees feel as though they are supported on a daily basis.

Managers should design healthy environments that make a comfortable environment. Take a look at the physical environment of the office. Make sure that it is as inviting as possible. Employees also need space for gathering and getting away from the buzz. Having a comfortable break room or coffee room can make a big difference in the long run. Finally, managers can ensure that wellbeing is a part of their culture by incorporating it into work practices and regular practices.

4. Promote Non-Work Time

Each year, up to 50% of employees fail to use their vacation time. The reasons why this doesn't happen are varied but often include having too heavy of a workload, lack of coverage, or the fear that they'll be replaced. Managers can encourage employees to take their vacation time in several ways. Run a report to determine if vacation time is being used or not. Verbally encourage people to take a vacation and foster a culture that appreciates employees taking time away. 

For people or departments that still aren't using their time, meet with them to get an idea of the barriers and how they can be resolved.

Many employees may also have priorities or needs that are outside of the scope of work. From dealing with children to managing aging parents, employees may feel burnt out when they can't manage the non-work aspects of their lives. Employee assistance programs play a vital role in ensuring that employees stay engaged. Corporate wellness programs can provide retirement resources. mental health counseling, and diet or exercise programs. They may also provide resources on home care and child care options available. All of these can be greatly beneficial and should be promoted without the company so employees feel as though they are available.

5. Create Goals and Career Paths

Employees cite a lack of opportunity for growth and development as one of the top stressors at work. In an evolving landscape, employees that learn new skills can help them to adapt and grow their own advancement opportunities. Meet with employees at least once a year to discuss their career opportunities and how they'd like to grow over the next year. Setting clear goals with employees not only helps them to achieve more but will also keep them engaged at their job. This will boost employee engagement as well as the company as a whole.

For companies that may struggle to do this, bringing in wellness coaches and mentors can be a huge boost for morale. Consider hiring wellness coaches that can help employees work through current barriers and focus on their career as a whole. Managers can also set up a mentoring program for employees. They can meet with more experienced staff members on a regular basis for one-on-one conversations and to get an idea of what they can accomplish. This will encourage upward mobility with employees and also keep more experienced staff engaged as well.

Bring in Outside Help

Finally, a good HR team is invaluable when it comes to working on employee burnout but bringing in outside experts may help to kickstart the process; Consider experts in the field who will be able to analyze your workplace and identify opportunities for improvement. They can provide a jumpstart to companies who want to start working on these areas of burnout and then leave the door open for continuous improvement.

Companies should understand that addressing burnout is not a one-time solution. In fact, it's a constant problem that needs to be made an integral part of company culture. These are a few reasons why people experience burnout and how to address it appropriately. When burnout is eliminated, employees are more engaged and the company does better as a whole. This is why managing burnout needs to be seen as essential every day.