How can you avoid employee burnout?
- Know the signs of employee burnout
- Foster a culture of openness
- Equip team leaders to assess workload
- Promote work-life balance
Employee burnout is defined as a state where an employee loses all motivation to work due to overwhelming workplace stress that has not been managed successfully. According to the best leadership podcast in the Philippines, every business owner or manager must know how to avoid employee burnout. Oftentimes, it results in high turnover rates, even among highly engaged and valuable talent. Turnover has negative implications for your bottom line by depleting morale, decreasing productivity, negatively impacting company culture, and increasing costs.
The pressure to address employee burnout is already established during normal office days. Given that work can be fast-paced and complex, many employees can feel extremely stressed by conflicting expectations and competing demands. With the COVID-19 pandemic blurring the lines between personal life and work life, employee burnout has developed to be a more pressing issue across the globe.
As a leader, you are responsible for the team’s well-being. Step up and continue reading to learn how to avoid employee burnout among your employees.
Know The Signs Of Employee Burnout
Early intervention is the key to avoid employee burnout. To do this, business leaders must be knowledgeable about the signs of burnout. Here are some of the most common indicators of employee burnout to watch out for:
- Disinterested or Nervous Body Language – It’s crucial to pay attention to your team’s body language because not every employee who experiences burnout will be vocal about it. Look for cues of frustration, irritability, or fidgetiness when conducting meetings, even virtual ones.
- Lack Of Social Engagement – Employees who stop participating in the company’s social engagement events can be experiencing burnout. Social events are designed to alleviate stress and help employees connect with colleagues. If you believe your social events are planned well, yet employees don’t have time for them due to workloads or are just not interested in participating, they are likely feeling burned out.
- Increased Absenteeism – Studies show that burnout employees are more likely to take more sick leaves. Some use the day off to restore their spirits and use it as a way to avoid work-related stress.
- Decreased Productivity – If your employee’s work output starts to dip, it may be a sign of burnout. Alternatively, it could also be a sign that they are feeling overwhelmed and are struggling to tackle work.
- Emergence Of Illnesses – A clear sign of workplace burnout involves increased susceptibility to health complications. Chronic stress can cause symptoms such as nausea, headaches, panic attacks, digestive problems, high blood pressure, aches and pains, loss of appetite, rapid weight gain, a weakened immune system, and more.
Foster A Culture Of Openness
Your employees are the heart of the company. Without them, the business will suffer. As a leader, it is your duty to motivate your team and make sure their well-being is taken to account.
Make sure every voice is heard. Foster a culture of openness and make sure that anyone feels free to voice out work-related issues without feeling guilty. Hold 1 on 1 meeting, show your appreciation, and address the negatives to make them feel valued.
Equip Team Leaders To Assess Workload
Heavy amounts of workload account for 32% of the causes of employee burnout. Even high-performing employees can shift from being optimistic to overwhelmed when they are faced with unmanageable workloads. Some employees may also feel burned out when they work long hours, while others can be stressed from many tasks.
Modern workplaces often have different team leaders. Oftentimes, managers might not have a full understanding of their employee’s workloads. This being said, team leaders must understand that re-assessing workload and doing regular check-ins is the key to avoiding burnout. Part of this means instilling a culture where team leaders are empowered to help their teammates more.
Promote Work-Life Balance
Leaders must ensure there is a healthy work-life balance within the company. This can be done through encouraging employees to take vacation leaves without any guilt and considering flexible schedules.
Now that remote work settings have been adopted, there is a risk of blurring personal life and work life, which can result in burnout. A good way to counter this is by discouraging overtime to value family and self-care.
As a leader, you can highlight that you value work-life balance. When managers and business owners support employee well-being, the team is more likely to feel cared for.
Key Takeaway
In this article, we’ve rounded up four tips on how to avoid employee burnout. You must take preemptive actions and prevent this from happening as it can drastically impact your business’s bottom line.
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