According to research conducted by business analytics and consulting firm Gallup, 76% of employees experience workplace burnout at least sometimes. The problem has become so prominent that, in 2019, the World Health Organization labeled burnout an “occupational phenomenon” and a significant driver of health services visits.
The WHO defines burnout as a syndrome that results from chronic and unmanaged workplace stress. Its symptoms include feelings of exhaustion, cynicism about or mental distance from the job, and a reduced ability to produce results. In other words, burned-out employees are tired, frustrated, and frequently unable to get the job done.
Many organizations find that employee burnout can tank productivity and morale. In some cases, it can also lead to high turnover. Cengage Group found that 89% of employees who left their jobs during the Great Resignation did so because of burnout.
Unfortunately, Gallup estimates that poor employee well-being can lead to organizations spending 15% to 20% of total payroll on voluntary turnover costs. It can also lead to increased healthcare costs and millions of dollars worth of lost opportunity.
Clearly, this is a phenomenon worth paying attention to. If you’re looking to beat burnout among your workforce as the year comes to a close, here’s how you can identify the signs and help stop it in its tracks.
Identifying the Signs of Employee Burnout
Stopping employee burnout before it reaches critical levels requires knowing what to look for in your workforce. Some signs that employees are experiencing burnout include:
- Reduced Engagement: Employees feel removed from and struggle to see value in their work, which costs companies $8.8 billion in lost productivity
- Absenteeism: Employees may begin missing days of work, which costs businesses a total of $225.8 billion annually
- Decreased Productivity: Employees who are burned out may have trouble concentrating, which can make it hard to get work done during the day
By observing employee behavior, your team can better detect the signs and symptoms of burnout and devise solutions to combat it.
Preventing Burnout in Your Business
The good news is that you don’t have to just accept that burnout is a part of doing business. There are solutions out there that can help your team support employees who may be struggling to keep their heads above water.
Flexible Scheduling
In some cases, employees are burned out because they don’t feel they’re able to balance their work and personal lives. Gen Z employees are especially prone to these feelings, with 37% saying flexible work options are essential to their definitions of career success and would impact their decision to accept a job.
To support employees in this area, you may consider increasing employee time-off benefits to allow them to take breaks and recharge. Additionally, you can offer flexible scheduling that lets employees work at times that best fit their needs.
Regular Check-Ins
Employees often feel better when there’s someone at work who cares about their needs and feelings. Consequently, managers should check in regularly with employees and give them an outlet to discuss heavy workloads or tight deadlines. Empower managers to offer these employees the support and solutions they need to thrive in the workplace.
Wellness Benefits
You may also consider offering more wellness-focused benefits. In addition to things like gym memberships and healthy lunch options on campus, you can provide supportive solutions to help employees better manage stress at home and work. These solutions can include counseling services, meditation rooms, and stress management workshops.
How One Company Is Successfully Beating Burnout
After a global health crisis forced much of its workforce to do their jobs from home, the cloud-based messaging app Slack noticed that many of its employees were struggling to keep up. Instead of just assuming what might be going on, leadership administered surveys to see how they could best support employees during a challenging time.
The feedback led to several solutions:
- Building an asynchronous work day so employees could choose work hours
- Providing resources related to caregiving, mental health, and well-being
- Creating a monthly “Friyays” initiative where everyone took the same Friday off
- Increasing stipends for home office purchases
These solutions made employees feel more comfortable communicating their needs to leadership. In turn, employees received support that made it easier for them to work and maintain their well-being.
Employee Wellbeing Is Intricately Linked to Business Success
Burnout is a real phenomenon that comes with serious consequences for both employees and businesses. Identifying its signs in your workforce is key to catching it early and providing the resources your employees need before it impacts productivity and performance.
Are you looking for compliant ways to support your employees when they’re feeling burned out? If so, VirgilHR can help. From our employee handbook builder to accommodation request forms, our automated compliance tools help you create policies that enhance employee well-being while staying in line with legal requirements.
Schedule a demo with our team to start simplifying your HR solutions today.
