The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies employee burnout as a real occupational hazard affecting millions of employees. In the U.S., this is a common and troubling problem. A recent Deloitte study showed 77% of Americans say they have experienced burnout at their current job. More than half say it’s happened repeatedly. Why should employers worry about this? What are the signs they should watch for? More importantly, how can you turn things around?
What is Burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. It’s usually caused by excessive and prolonged workplace stress. Employees may feel cynicism, detachment, hopelessness, and a sense of reduced accomplishment. These feelings negatively influence employee health, causing fatigue, headaches, insomnia, and stomach problems.
Why should employers care about the state of employee burnout? These issues cost companies big money each year in healthcare, retention and hiring, and a loss of productivity. Burnout employees are 23% more likely to visit the ER, the most costly point of entry into the U.S. health system. The latest studies show the cost of burnout to employers:
- Globally, we lose $322 billion annually due to burnout.
- Employers spend 15 to 20% of every payroll on voluntary turnover costs associated with burnout.
- 75% of corporate medical costs stem from preventable health conditions, such as burnout.
With the cost of burnout at an all-time high, what can you do to help employees lighten their mental and physical load?
How to Prevent on the Job Burnout
Employees must engage in their own form of self-care to help lessen their feelings of burnout. But employers can also do a better job in supporting their workforce to keep them from burning out. For example, employers and managers can:
- Create more reasonable workloads that support work/life balance. Encourage employees to take time off when they need it to prioritize their mental and physical well-being.
- Offer employees more time off and then encourage employees to take it. The data tells us that 55% of American workers do not use all their vacation time each year. You can help turn this around by monitoring time off and encouraging individuals to take advantage of this benefit.
- Offer flexibility in work arrangements that include telecommuting or allowing schedule changes to promote employee health.
- Promote a positive work environment that values open communication and provides opportunities for collaboration and recognition for your employees.
- Provide resources such as employee assistance programs, stress management training, and counseling services to support the well-being of your workforce.
- Promote and encourage healthy self-care by offering and enforcing breaks throughout the day to support employee’s health and stress levels.
- Lead by example. If you’re a manager, you must exhibit traits that your employees can emulate. This means taking care of you and your team. Modeling healthy behaviors and prioritizing health and well-being in the workplace can help promote the message that burnout is an enemy that can and should be vanquished.
Contact ADD STAFF Today!
One of the best ways to lessen employee burnout is to add more employees and lighten the burdens that your staff may feel. ADD STAFF works with leading employers to provide them with the help they need. We are accepting new clients in 2023 and would be happy to start the conversation about how our experienced team can help yours. Contact us today for more information.
