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Mitigating the Effects of Employee Burnout: What You Need to Know

by
Frank Jenkins Jr
on
11/18/2018
Mitigating the Effects of Employee Burnout: What You Need to Know

One of the most under appreciated productivity issues facing businesses today is employee burnout. It’s one of those under-the-radar, insidious problems that can sneak up on you and suddenly leave you wondering – too late - where your profits have gone, and what you can do about it.

What does burnout mean in the real world? It means that employees grow increasingly disinterested and disengaged from their jobs. Is it really that big a problem? One study says stress is impacting 8 out of 10 American workers. It has little to do with wages, much more to do with job satisfaction and finding meaning in the work that they’re doing. Though many employees shrug off the idea of burnout as workers simply looking for more money, there’s a lot more to it than that for both employee and employer. While business owners may shrug the issue off and assume that employees are leaving because they’re not making enough money, that’s the reason for only about 12 percent of job departures. More importantly, even when workers are staying on, their loss of interest in what they’re doing is leading to between $450 and $450 billion in lost productivity every year.

The good news is that employee burnout is neither inevitable nor irreversible unless you choose to ignore it. Here’s what you need to know to avert or correct the problem.

Step One: Recognize Employee Burnout When It’s Happening

Burnout is not the same thing as working long hours or burning the candle at both ends – in fact, many employees who do this are the ones that are the most passionate and engaged about their work. To spot employee burnout you need to look a lot closer for the following indications:

  • Exhaustion – When an employee is physically or emotionally spent, it should be obvious, especially if what has left them spent is your work environment.
  • Cynicism – The less an employee is able to detect the benefit of their efforts, the more cynical they are likely to become, questioning their involvement and whether it’s “worth” it.
  • Inefficiency – Employees who are burned out have a notable drop-off in the amount of work that they’re completing in a given amount of time, as well as in its quality.

Step Two: Turning Employee Burnout Around

Correcting employee burnout in your workplace begins with identifying its origins. No amount of repair or outreach will be worth the effort unless you address whatever is in your environment that dampened your workers’ enthusiasm and engagement. There are a few ways to do this, and all of them involve dedicating your efforts to improving your employees’ environment and prioritizing their mental and physical wellbeing. Suggestions for changes that can have a tangible impact include:

  • Change the scenery – There are few things more uninspiring than being talked at while sitting around a table in a stuffy conference room. If the weather allows it, change the scenery. Move your meeting outside to a local park or a courtyard, or even to a remote location that provides a fresh outlook. With the freedom provided by modern technology, there is no reason not to get out of the office.
  • Promote the idea of taking a break – Have you ever heard an employee or coworker say that they needed a mental health day? When you make clear that you’re okay with employees taking a break from work for the sole purpose of hitting the reset button or doing something for the sole purpose of making themselves feel better, you’ll find renewed appreciation of your work environment. The one-day loss in productivity will be compensated by the energized performance that follows.
  • Encourage communication and honesty – Your employees need to feel both comfortable and safe when they want to speak with you. Having an open-door policy invites both positive and negative comments and improved collaboration, so make it clear that employees are free to speak with you and make sure that when they do so, they are not punished. The more your employees feel that they are listened to and their opinions are respected, the better.

Burnout can happen in the best, most supportive environments, and sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with your business’ management. Still, you should constantly check to make sure that you haven’t lost sight of your workers’ wellbeing or stopped showing appreciation of what they do to make you a success. Everybody can benefit from a careful and constant evaluation and improvement, and small investments in your employees’ wellbeing can pay off in a big way.

Frank Jenkins, CPA writes for CountingWorks, an accounting news and advice website. Reach him at [email protected].

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Frank Jenkins Jr

Frank Jenkins Jr

Frank Jenkins Jr. is the managing partner of Adams, Jenkins & Cheatham, a CPA practice based in Midlothian, VA. Frank specializes in Consulting services, tax planning, accounting, audit & assurances. "I genuinely care about our clients because I have a personal connection with them. This job requires me to multi-task and work under tight deadlines. I get great professional satisfaction from balancing firm and client commitments while building a strong team here at AJC."

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