What is Employee Burnout?
Employee burnout can affect any employee in any industry. If it is not addressed immediately, burnout can become a serious condition that can affect the mental health and motivation of employees and ultimately the business’ overall productivity.
A survey by FlexJobs (MHA) found that 75% of workers have experienced burnout. 40% of respondents said they experienced burnout during the pandemic. 37% report that they are working longer hours than usual since the outbreak.
Employee burnout was once considered a problem that only employees could solve. There were no self-help options available, such as meditation or yoga. These small self-help options may not be enough to solve the problem in a fast-moving workplace.
Learn more: Types and Risks in Project Management
What causes employee burnout?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), employee stress is a problem that results from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been managed. It can lead to exhaustion, decreased professional productivity, and/or cynicism toward new work or the workplace.
These are just a few reasons why employees might feel burnout at work.
Tight deadlines and time pressures: If an employee misses the deadline, they will be late for the next task they were supposed to complete.
Unmanageable Workloads – Employees will quickly become hopeless and numb to their work load.
Employees become frustrated and exhausted when job expectations are unclear, inconsistent, or not communicated clearly.
Unsupportive Manager: An absent or negligent manager can make an employee feel uninformed, alone, and defensive.
It is important to recognize when a team member is feeling overwhelmed by their current workload. To protect your staff and keep your business running smoothly, be aware of these signs.
Common Indicators for Employee Burnout
Inability to Focus
Employee burnout can cause team members to lose focus and make it harder for them to complete their tasks. They might find it difficult to choose a task or complete a task.
Fatigue
The employee may feel tired and depleted in the initial stages of burnout. They may feel exhausted and depleted, as well as feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. They may feel anxious about the next day.
Anxiety
They may initially experience mild symptoms like anxiety and tension. As the weeks progress, anxiety can become more severe and interfere with employee’s ability work productively. It can also affect their personal life.
Weaker Physical Health
Burnout can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health. Your employee’s immune system is weaker when they are depleted. This makes them more susceptible to the flu, colds, and other immune-related medical issues.
Motivational issues
This symptom may appear mild at first. It could be as simple as not wanting or being eager to leave work. Sometimes, the team member may find ways to avoid work entirely. They may feel a cycle of pessimism that spreads beyond the workplace and into their personal relationships.
Poor Work Performance
Even though employees work long hours, burnout can cause them to be less productive. This can lead to a lack of productivity and a long list of tasks. It may seem to the employee that no matter how hard they try, they will never be capable of climbing out from under the mountain of tasks. Worse, they might make mistakes repeatedly.
If you notice a team member experiencing any one of these symptoms, please let us know.
