Burnout is now a legitimate medical diagnosis according to the International Classification of Diseases – ICD-11, the World Health Organization’s handbook that guides medical practitioners with disease diagnosis.
Burnout is included in the ICD-11’s section on problems related to employment or non-employment. ICD-11 describes the following symptoms associated with burnout:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job;
- Reduced professional efficacy.
The diagnosis is limited to work environments and not applied to other life situations. According to the Mayo Clinic, job burnout is a special type of stress. It is a state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about the competence and the value of one’s work.
While stress and burnout are slightly different, stress is a strong contributor of burnout. Most employees are usually under a lot of stress for a period of time before becoming burnt out. Factors such as workplace stress, long working hours and overwhelming projects over an extended period of time can lead to burnout.
Employer and manager should be aware of the signs of employee burnout so that they can take actionable steps to help their employees before it is too late. Look for some of the common signs to spot employee burnout:
- Working more overtime hours than usual
- Working on weekends
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Reduced quality of work
- Less socializing and more isolation than usual
- Fatigue
- Increase in sick days
- Disengagement
When it comes to employee burnout, prevention is the key. Its much easier to take steps to prevent burnout from occurring than it is to try to “cure” employee burnout. There are a lot of easy steps that employers and managers can take to both help prevent burnout and help employees who are feeling the effects of burnout.
Talk about stress: Add stress awareness and education to your existing wellness program to teach employees effective stress management techniques and coping skills.
Offer flexibility: A flexible workplace limits the chances of employee burnout. Flexible hours, schedules, and the ability to work from home eliminate a lot of challenges that full-time employees (especially working parents) struggle with. Studies have shown that flexibility in the workplace often leads to more productive, loyal and happier employees.
Encourage time off: Employers should encourage employees to take their annual leave and to take a step away from their work when they need break. Periodic time off from work is crucial for employees’ mental health and wellbeing.
Check In: Always keep an open communication with employees. Ask them how they are doing on a regular basis and discuss realistic workloads, deadlines and overall expectations. Employers should strive to stay open minded and receptive to employee feedback.
Cross-train employees: Depending on your company, it might be beneficial to cross-train a few employees on the same team. This way, the task can be shared when an employee is overwhelmed or needs to take a day off.
Prioritize wellness: Promoting employee wellness will help reduce burnout levels by keeping employees physically and mentally healthy.
Don’t let job pressures affect the health of your employees. Learn to spot signs of employee stress and burnout and take action to help prevent burnout from spreading. Remember that crazy, long working hours, overwhelming deadlines and strict schedules will only harm work performance.