During the year-end deadlines and celebrations, organizations can find their workforce feeling drained and, in extreme cases, burned out. Use these tips to guide employees toward restoring their well-being amidst the holiday hustle and bustle.
During what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday season, many employees are busier than ever – juggling numerous social events while also racing to meet last-minute work deadlines.
Many employees have worked at a very high pace throughout the year, and the cumulative impact of this on well-being can start to show as they eventually start to wind down and the adrenaline wears off.
While there may be a break in the outlook, many employees have already reached the point of burnout, and recovery from that can be a long-term process that often requires ongoing, targeted effort from employers that extends beyond the holiday period.
So, what steps should employers take to ensure that when employees return in 2024, they enter an environment that is sustainable for both productivity and well-being?
HRM spoke with Audrey McGibbon, a certified professional psychologist, executive coach and wellbeing expert, about how HR professionals can help managers create a practical guide to recovery.
Understanding burnout in employees
The first thing managers and HR professionals need to do is be able to clearly and quickly identify when employees may be on the verge of burnout or are already experiencing it.
While there are definite signs and symptoms to look out for, the lines between burnout and general exhaustion are often blurred, making it difficult to begin steps to reverse the effects.
“Someone who is experiencing burnout almost always has a low mood, but you don’t automatically say that someone with a low mood is burned out.”
Many of the other symptoms associated with burnout, such as fatigue and lack of motivation, can also be linked to other mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. It is crucial for HR leaders to learn how to identify the differences in order to begin the healing process for employees.
“A truly burned-out person probably can’t even tell you they’re burned out.” – Audrey McGibbon, certified professional psychologist, executive coach, and well-being expert.
A good indicator of burnout, he says, is any change in an employee’s usual behavior. For example, a team member who is usually detail-oriented might start making frequent mistakes on the job, or you might notice that a normally sociable employee isn’t attending as many events anymore.
McGibbon notes that for an employee in the final stages of burnout, they may have trouble even getting to work.
In a collaborative office environment, there can be a ripple effect, where one employee complains of fatigue and causes other employees to respond with similar feelings. This can manifest in a collective experience of fatigue across teams. While communication around mental health has become a natural and accepted part of the workplace, this doesn’t necessarily mean that employees who are experiencing burnout are likely to take the first steps to talk about it.
Burnout remains a unique experience, with employees often lacking the energy to do anything or feeling psychologically safe enough to disclose their experiences to their manager.
Protective factors to reduce burnout in the bud
McGibbon emphasizes that while there are ways to reverse the symptoms of burnout (see below), it’s much easier to prioritize preventative measures.
“Organizations have a lot of control over certain factors that we know are protective and prevent people from burning out.”
For example, he suggests three strategies that employers can implement to protect employee well-being:
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Encourage trends and trends.
Leaders should focus on creating positive workflows for employees.
Stress is often seen as [a result of] the amount of work we have to do, but there is a lot of research that says that if you create a culture where people are engaged in ‘smart work,’ they are less likely to burn out because the work is interesting and stimulating.”
When an employee enters a “flow” state, they may be working hard, but it is not experienced as “hard work.” In fact, team members often find that this type of work is counterproductive—engaging workflows can increase productivity and motivation and act as a buffer against burnout.
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Allowing “free fire”
McGibbon emphasizes the role of autonomy in the workplace in preventing burnout.
“[Autonomy] is related to flexible working practices and it’s about building the belief that your work makes a difference.”
On the other hand, a major driver of burnout can be micromanagement, which erodes employee autonomy and can foster feelings of distrust and inadequacy.
He says implementing flexible work models can help increase autonomy, along with open and honest conversations with leaders about expectations.
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Strengthening quality social relationships
Another protective factor, says McGibbon, is the quality of social relationships at work.
“[The quality of social relationships] depends entirely on the quality of the hiring processes and the quality of leadership, management, and psychological safety.
By creating a safe and inclusive workplace, employers will be better equipped to reduce the likelihood of burnout among employees and allow them to feel valued and listened to.
5 Tips to Reverse the Effects of Burnout
While there is a wealth of information about preventing burnout, little information has been shared about what to do after burnout occurs – or how to reverse the effects once it has already taken its toll.
Below are five steps that HR leaders can take to guide employees through the recovery process.
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Encourage time away from work.
The initial need for employees experiencing burnout will likely be time away from work. It may take two or three weeks, but it will likely take longer for full recovery.
Additionally, it is important for employers to give their team members the space they need to regain their sense of well-being.
However, if communication breaks down completely, there is a risk that the employee will justify the silence as a lack of care for themselves.
“You need to have a way to respectfully convey to employees that they are in your thoughts and that you are available for conversation or support when they feel ready.”
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Encourage productive rest.
Employees not only need time away from work, but they need intentional time away that is restorative and focused on complete switch-off.
McGibbon says this is essential for physical recovery, allowing them to overcome adrenal fatigue and begin the process of calming the nervous system.
Rest looks different for every employee based on their needs, but it’s best to remind them that rest comes in many forms. This infographic shares seven different types of rest that people need at some point during their recovery.
[Deficiencies] will likely require medical evaluation – not always with a psychologist, but almost always a visit to a general practitioner. It is important to understand that the physical symptoms of burnout need attention before broader triggers can be addressed.
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Ensure a holistic approach to burnout.
As an employer, it is essential to look at the drivers of burnout from all angles. For example, in work cultures that support productivity, growth and constant development, there can be constant pressure to achieve these milestones.
While the World Health Organization has declared that burnout is an “occupational phenomenon,” external factors can also contribute to the development of burnout, such as social obligations and financial stress.
So when burnout is partly the result of external influences, how should managers respond?
McGibbon says the rapid revolution in the way we work, particularly our unlimited access to technology and remote working, means contemporary society doesn’t have the boundaries that once existed, like seeing your colleagues log out and leave work every day.
This increased dependence on work means that complete shutdowns have become almost impossible.
As a result, it is essential that HR takes a holistic approach to addressing all burnout drivers.
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Be realistic and eliminate unnecessary pressures.
When it comes to encouraging teams to take a break during the holidays, McGibbon suggests employers convey an important message: Resist the pressure to have a “great vacation period.”
It’s important to be realistic about employees’ diverse personal situations, emphasizing that breaks can be taken in between essential commitments, he says.
“Burnout, especially for families with dual careers and children, is more intense. What I recommend is that people look at their own personal circumstances and their needs and think about it. Set a goal.” McGibbon shares her personal goal for this holiday season, which is simply to be bored. Daily commitments mean she’s so busy that she can’t find time to do anything.
“Spend your summer in a way that makes you enjoy negotiating,” he says.
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Encourage thinking.
A final step employers can take to not only reverse the effects of burnout, but also to maintain long-term well-being in the workplace, is to invite employees to talk about the triggers and impacts of their experiences at work, such as unrealistic KPIs or excessive workload.
: If the triggers are not addressed, “you feel like it’s a day of gloom, you come back because you’re back to the same deadlines, or the same clients, or the same excessive workload, and nothing changes.”
It’s crucial to reflect on what’s being done by both employers and employees. For employees, this might sound like personal questions, like “What needs to happen to make my work more meaningful?” – and for employers, it’s a close look at the internal changes that need to be made to encourage people to leave work on time, for example.
Ultimately, employers must employ a combined effort of prevention and recovery to recreate a low-risk workplace that is adept at addressing burnout.
Employers can allow their teams to be away from the work they need all the time, but, unless changes are made to address the underlying triggers of workplace burnout, the cycle of burnout is likely to continue.
“What makes the difference is whether something in the workplace that was part of the root cause has changed. ‘If nothing has changed, you’ll get the same result.'”
Source: https://www.hrmonline.com.au/
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