Employee burnout can have a direct financial impact on your organization. Disengaged employees are less productive and more likely to quit, driving up turnover rates. On a national scale, Gallup estimates that disengaged employees cost American companies $8.9 trillion in 2023.
Burnout prevention starts with management. Companies need to take a top-down approach to creating healthier workplaces. Here are a few tools you have in your belt to identify and address burnout.
Understand the root causes of employee burnout
The first step is to identify the causes of burnout in your organization. How your workplace is run can affect the chances that your employees feel burned out — but this is actually good news. It means you can take steps to identify the address the issue, reducing burnout across the board.
The Mayo Clinic identifies a few common causes of job burnout:
- Lack of control: Employees don’t have a say in what they do, or how they do their jobs.
- Too much or too little to do: Your employees may be overloaded with work or feel like their jobs are boring.
- Poor work-life balance: Employees don’t have adequate time to step away from their work in between shifts, or must stay connected constantly via email and text.
- Limited support: Your team might feel like they have to solve every problem on their own.
Each company has its own sources of burnout. For example, your employees might love what they do, but feel exhausted by weekend work and late-night calls.
Recognizing the signs of employee burnout
There are multiple symptoms of employee burnout. As a manager, you might notice signs like decreased productivity and negative attitudes in some of your team members. Absenteeism will also increase.
Internally, employees might feel fatigued, depressed, and easily annoyed. Job burnout can also cause physical symptoms like headaches, stomach problems, and changes in sleep habits.
Early intervention in burnout detection is essential for employees and employers alike. Not only will it protect the cultural health of the company, but also the physical and mental health of your staff.
Implement effective workload management techniques
As a manager, one step you can take to address burnout is to ensure workloads are evenly spread across teams and individuals. If one person is picking up the slack of others, they are more likely to experience burnout.
Fortunately, companies can collect more data than ever, which means you can evaluate team workloads and tasks through logistics tools. In the trucking industry, for example, better fleet management systems provide clear insights into who is driving your vehicles and how far they are going. This can help managers identify which workers are at risk of burning out.
Using technology to optimize task distribution
Not only can companies use tools to better track workloads, but they can also tap into technology to evenly distribute work. With fleet management software, companies can make sure their employees have a fair amount of work and ample time to rest in between shifts. This can extend the longevity of employees who are better able to maintain a work-life balance.
Task simplification also plays a role in preventing burnout. Streamlining workflows helps employees get work done faster or allows them to focus on more meaningful work. Using fleet management apps as an example again, digital tools help employees spend less time recording their trips and submitting paperwork so they can get to work faster.
Foster a culture of open communication and support
It falls on managers to create a psychologically safe workplace, which means employees feel confident expressing concerns, sharing ideas, and taking risks without repercussions. Speaking up is considered an act of vulnerability because the employee is disagreeing with others or expressing their emotions.
When employees feel psychologically safe, they know they can challenge how things are done. They can be vulnerable without repercussions.
To better listen to your team, create multiple channels for employees to express themselves. An employee who doesn’t feel safe speaking up during a meeting could send an email or schedule a private discussion.
Establishing regular check-ins and feedback sessions
There are multiple ways to foster a work environment that encourages questions and comments from your team. You can encourage team members to share their thoughts during meetings and prove that you followed up on their ideas. You can also schedule regular one-on-one check-ins where employees can express any concerns they have. You can also use these meetings to provide constructive feedback.
Gallup encourages employers to provide fast feedback to employees, which means giving small bits of advice often. This can be less stressful than providing formal or in-depth performance reviews. They found that 80% of employees who received feedback in the past week say they are fully engaged.
Promote work-life balance and flexible working arrangements
Work-life balance is the ability of employees to physically and mentally leave the workplace to recover from their shifts. While an employee might leave the office, they do not have a healthy work-life balance if they’re constantly responding to messages.
Managers set the work-life balance. They determine whether they call employees while they are away, which means this is an opportunity for you to lead by example.
One way to promote a healthy work-life balance is to allow flexible working hours and remote work options. This can help parents get their kids to school while allowing other employees to enjoy various hobbies. Flexible work can also directly impact hiring efforts, as 65% of people say flexibility is one of the most important non-salary factors in a job.
Implementing time-off policies that encourage rest and recuperation
You can also create policies that encourage workers to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Nearly half of Americans don’t use all of their paid time off, which prevents them from recharging away from the workplace. Encourage your staff to step away from the office, even if it means implementing mandatory vacation days.
You can also look into right to disconnect policies that mimic those found in Europe. These prevent burnout by preventing your employees from receiving emails and other messages while off the clock.
Written policies can make your team feel comfortable using their paid time off and stepping away from the workplace.
Develop comprehensive employee wellness programs
Another way to fight burnout is by developing wellness programs that support physical and mental health. Encouraging employees to eat well and exercise can promote physical well-being and provide mental clarity. If your employees are too overworked to eat or work out, they won’t do their best for your organization. Even water drinking initiatives can have a positive impact, as some people don’t drink enough.
Incorporating stress management and mindfulness training
You can also develop an employee newsletter that shares stress management techniques. These can range from meditation and relaxing breathing methods to helping employees handle negative thoughts or interpersonal conflict.
These efforts can prevent burnout by helping team members better identify their symptoms of stress and take steps to mitigate them. Stress is a part of work and a natural part of life, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Create engaging employee incentive programs
Preventing burnout doesn’t just mean reducing overwork and preventing stress, it also involves proactively creating a welcoming workplace. Recognizing employees’ hard work through positive comments and incentive programs can motivate them to keep doing their best. This is particularly important in industries with high turnover, as employee happiness can keep workers engaged and excited about the organization.
It doesn’t cost a lot of money to make employees feel valued at work. You can highlight employees weekly and mention team members who are doing an excellent job. Even private compliments during one-on-one meetings can leave a positive impression on your staff. People want to be seen and recognized for the work they do.
There isn’t a single solution for preventing burnout. Leaders should look at the workloads, culture, and health of their employees. If symptoms of burnout are present, they need to take action. Small changes can have a big impact on creating a healthier, more productive workplace.