Employee Burnout is real and it does happen more often than it should. Luckily there is always something that can be done to prevent employee burnout, but it is not the sole responsibility of the person experiencing excessive stress to do something to stop or prevent it.
Managers, employers and HR need to get involved and understand the reasons and risks to provide support or to prevent it.
Here are the top 9 reasons for employee burnout:
- Lack of role clarity or unclear job expectations: You are unlikely to feel at ease at work if you are unsure about your level of authority or what your supervisor or others expect of you.
- Unreasonable Time Pressure: Do you have enough time to complete the tasks that have been assigned to you? Burnout is often caused by a lack of time, which is unfortunate for many people. We already have a limited amount of time to do the vital job we perform on our own, as some studies show that workers spend up to 80% of their day in meetings, on the phone, or replying to emails. Unreasonable schedule constraints exacerbate the problem. When you miss one unrealistic deadline, it causes a stress cascade that affects everyone.
- Lack of support from a manager. Employees are up to 70% more likely to suffer burnout if they feel they are not supported by their managers. The person you report to at work is more important for your health than your family doctor.
- Unmanageable workload: Overloading employees with too much work can lead to poor performance and a loss of trust in their jobs. Employees who are overworked may go to their supervisors for support, but a bad manager will simply exacerbate the problem and increase the risk of burnout among their team.
- No Work-life imbalance: You may easily burn out if your work consumes so much of your time and effort that you don’t have the energy to spend time with your family and friends.
- Lack of recognition or reward for good work: Sometimes just a THANK YOU would do. People want to feel valued and appreciated. It’s challenging to put in long hours and never get acknowledged for your efforts. Awards, praise, incentives, and other signs of gratitude and accomplishment go a long way toward maintaining high morale. Burnout is a possibility when praises and rewards are few.
- Unfair treatment at work: Workplace discrimination is another factor that contributes to burnout. Bias, favouritism, abuse, unjust policies, and so on are all examples of unfair treatment. Perhaps you work with a bully in the company, or you’re undermined by coworkers, or your employer micromanages your projects.
Unfair treatment has a huge psychological impact. It also wreaks havoc on workplace relationships. Employees that are burnt out typically experience a lack of job satisfaction as a result of this. When such circumstances develop, employee absenteeism rises or employees depart for personal reasons. - Lack of control: Burnout and a lack of control have been proven to be linked. Employees are more likely to be engaged in their jobs when they believe they have the power to influence decisions that affect their work, have professional autonomy, and have access to the tools they need to execute a good job.
- Extremes of activity: When work becomes chaotic, or monotonous on the other hand, the capacity to stay concentrated might deplete your energy levels. While many people equate burnout with high stress and long hours, a dull job can also cause burnout. Boredom at work, in fact, has been linked to detachment, lower productivity, and increased stress. Work-life balance can be affected by either extreme in employment demands— too many or too few. Your time at work is interfering with your personal relationships and causing havoc on your health.
Understanding the above and taking mental health seriously can certainly help managers to manage risks and ensure that they are not contributing to someone’s stress.
