How to Prevent Employee Burnout? | Employee Burnout – Causes and Cures

Organizations are usually concerned about profits and productive business time. The talk and results of employee engagement has been gaining momentum in the recent years that many companies are trying to implement such changes in the office to increase the employee productivity. Like winning a bag full of gold in shot, the organization’s profits, productive time, credibility, efficiency, fame etc., many things are obtained in return when employee engagement is taken care of. Taking care of employee wellness is an important part of employee engagement.

Employee wellness, in this context refers to mental wellness of the employees. When employees work by getting much involved that they can’t stop thinking about their work, when they cannot sleep properly, when they get highly tensed about the approaching target date, or when employees are restless, showing the signs of burnout, it is high time that they get opened up about it.

Identifying Burnout

Employee burnout is caused as a result of high stress. When employees are unable to balance their stress, whether it is related to work, personal life or relationships in the office, they are likely to experience burnout. Employees can be identified by the way they carry themselves.

When they show the signs of exhaustion and have trouble performing at their optimal levels, losing that initial spark they had while joining, they are the indications of burnout in them. Burnout has its impact both on employees and organization. The employee productivity reduces when they experience such high stress leading to burnouts, and for organizations, the employee turnover increases as they tend to leave the organization for that unbearable stress.

Many companies in the US have found out that spending $1 on mental health of the employees is gaining them $4 in return, by making employees mentally sound and confident. This is why they are incorporating many mental health programs for employees in the organizations. So, employers who want to attract and retain talent for their organizations should follow some tips.

Tips to prevent burnout

Rather than worrying after it attacks, it is always helpful to take precautions for keeping your employees away from burnouts. Some of the important ones are here under.

Peaceful Sleep

A timely and peaceful sleep refreshes the body and helps the person to be active throughout the day. So, remind your employees about the importance of sleep to keep them refreshed and alert during the office hours. Employees should unplug after late hours like 11pm and should get some sleep. The organizations should try to make it a point that sound sleep results in the increase of their efficiency.

• Help employees segregate or compartmentalize their work and personal lives by providing some tips and tools in time management. Make it as the office work culture that they don’t work after the office hours and let them turn off the notifications.
• Let the employees schedule their work according to their flexibility. This empowers them and encourages making small decisions while working at ease.
• Allow flexible work timings also as working at flexible hours boost their potential to perform well. Think if strict timings are really needed to be followed; otherwise allowing a change would help them greatly.

Mental health days

Vacations or personal holidays are important for employees to have some personal time. Granting such holidays is good for employees’ well-being, attitude and work ethics too.

• Asking employees to take time off or a day’s leave when stressed, would make a positive impact on their mood, that they are being take care of.
• The manager may do this by reminding the vacation they are entitled to. The organizations should remember to offer mental health days for vacations or to have some personal days, while leaves for sick days are different as they are offered for physical illness. Both should never
• be mixed.
• Mental health days help employees to prevent and cope with work-stress. It helps them to manage the stress and meeting the demands of multiple job roles at office. Moreover, such care taken by the organizations makes the employees happy.
• Organizations should create mini breaks that are not too time-consuming like celebrating festive days or simple occasions like employee’s birthdays or work anniversaries. This would be like taking a break from that screen time at office.

Wellness Culture

Organizations should be keen on implementing a culture of wellness in the company. High stress leads to burnout. The importance of mental health should be taken seriously by the organizations as that will effect both the employees and the organization.

• Stress reduction programs in office can help the employees to balance themselves. The creation of such supportive environment at office by promoting wellness and mental health of the employees creates a feeling of gratitude and sense of belongingness in employees.
• The managers should make it a point to have a one-to-one talk with the employees, in order to find out the issues they must be facing with work office environment, team or anything else that affects their performance levels.
• Employee session with mental health professional is a must. Offering yoga classes, creating office fitness challenges, and granting mental health days etc., help them to come out of that office stress that could be hidden inside.
• Offering online counseling sessions with a Psychologist can help them a lot. The managers and the top management may take feedback from the clients and check how far these programs help them.

Employee Goals

Burnout can happen to anyone. It’s not a guest only for the one who has many tasks but can visit someone who over-thinks about his future goals. Changing work patterns and setting temporary goals could encourage some while it could leave some in tension. Mangers and team leaders should set attainable goals that don’t overwhelm the employees. Know if the employees have mastered the skills before setting new goals for them.

What Needs to be Done?

Employee wellness is a long-term goal that can be achieved through small steps. Change doesn’t happen overnight. When the companies try to focus on wellness of the employee, the employees can learn to manage their stress, feel calmer and can be more focused at work. Long-term steps should be taken by the employees to prevent stress. Organizations are responsible for employee burnouts.

The employees, who experience burnout, when they find less or no route to deal with, are prone to change the job. This triggers a similar thought in others around, leading to a high employee turn-over rate. The organizations should focus on preventing and planning for a sound mental health for their employees, should support them by understanding their issues, and can also support them by offering sound expert help by helping them grow.

The companies can also encourage employees to seek online counseling. By encouraging team work and allowing the team support, employees get support from co-workers and supervisors. The organizations should also help employees in brushing up their skills. Executive leaders, managers and HR managers should attend training programs to learn building a culture that supports mental health in the organizations. Provide support system for the employees who are showing the signs of mental health issues.

Not knowing how to cope with all these? Don’t worry, we ‘re here to help you out. Our flagship product EWA is designed to take care of the holistic wellness needs of your employees. Working together, we can make wonders happen. Log on to Wellness Hub or call to book a free demo, today.