The causes of employee burnout (and what to do about it)

Employee burnout happens when difficulties arise.

Unfortunately, everyone has faced enormous challenges over the last few years. From COVID-10 to the Russian-Ukraine war, everyone has had their fair share of stress, and that’s not even touching on the increased cost of living.

These problems don’t stay in the home. They make their way to the workplace, and it’s up to employers to look out for the employees and provide a positive work environment.

It’s also up to them to try and motivate staff in times of difficulty.

The effects of employee burnout

COVID alone caused millions of working days to be lost.

In fact, between 2019 and 2022, 38.8 million workdays were lost due to workplace illness or injury.

It’s not just the days lost, though – even employees at work have been underperforming due to burnout.

So many employees are stressed, leading to mistakes, disengagement, and absences. It affects both the employer and the employee.

The causes of employee burnout

As we have gathered, COVID has been a big contributing factor to the rise in employee burnout.

There are other causes, though. Sometimes, they are things that the employer has direct control over.

Some common causes of employee burnout include an overwhelming workload, lack of communication, unfair treatment, and intense time pressure.

Add to that the increased cost of living and workers may feel trapped and stressed in their jobs.

What are the solutions?

While no employer has control over the worldwide social climate, there are changes they can make to make the workplace a more positive place to be.

Doing so will help boost employees’ moods and, in turn, their productivity levels.

So, what can you do? Below are some solutions to help reduce employee burnout.

Focus on communication – and listening

Good communication is a must in any workplace, so find ways to improve it.

An open-door policy is a good idea, as are one-on-one meetings where you truly listen to feedback.

If you struggle with communication in the workplace, an internal comms agency can help you gain back control.

They will help create smooth and clear communication between every member of the team.

Time management techniques

Time pressure inevitably leads to stress.

You don’t want your employees worrying about their afternoon while they’re trying to enjoy lunch.

Instead, create a more relaxed environment and implement time management techniques that ensure time gets spent effectively.

For example, you could cut down on the number of meetings held. You could also loosen up tight deadlines if they aren’t realistic and lead to too much pressure.

Prioritise wellbeing

A focus on wellbeing shouldn't only take place outside of work.

In fact, prioritising wellbeing at work is crucial, as it has a great effect on employees’ moods.

Give your staff a genuinely positive place to work by providing downtime, introducing mental health education, and recognising a job well done.

Don’t forget about the managers

You can’t support your employees without also supporting the managers.

How they feel affects how their teams feel, after all.

Provide endless support to them, including training and directives.

Make sure they know that if they are experiencing burnout, they have an employer that understands and will listen.

It is not up to you to create world peace and end all pandemics.

What you can do, though, is reduce the amount of stress put on your workers. Help them lead happier lives and experience a boost in productivity as a bonus.

Connect with Arthur today on Enterprise Nation for more support.