Employee Burnout: Signs, Causes, and What to Do

Employee burnout is a state characterized by a loss of motivation, incentive, and feelings of depression or stress. It can be an overwhelming state affecting productivity, retention, and well-being.

Burnout results from prolonged stress but can also arise after brief intense stress. Feelings of powerlessness, overwhelm, and hopelessness often accompany it. Once you reach burnout depths, pulling yourself out might seem impossible.

At a Glance:

• Employee burnout harms motivation and productivity and can lead to increased employee turnover.
• Missed work, decreased productivity, sleep issues, depression, and loss of interest are signs of burnout.
• Anyone can experience employee burnout, but certain workplace factors heighten the risk, including unclear requirements, high stress, lack of time off, poor communication, and lack of recognition.

What Is Job Burnout?

Burnout goes beyond feeling stressed at work. It follows you day after day, manifesting as a sense of dread on Sunday night (anticipating work on Monday), an inability to muster enthusiasm or motivation for your work, and a lack of pleasure in your job. It can be scary because you might not know how to escape this state once you're burned out.

Burnout can arise from overwhelming stress, but it often results from specific types of stress and factors in a job.

Several factors can contribute to burnout, including job-related aspects, lifestyle factors, and personality traits. Some companies and industries have higher burnout rates than others.

Signs of Employee Burnout

Burnout can manifest in various ways. Some common signs employers may notice include:

• Increased absenteeism
• Decreased motivation
• Reduced productivity
• More mistakes
• Customer complaints
• High turnover

Employees may experience symptoms like headaches, sleep problems, depressed mood, fatigue, loss of interest or pleasure, and physical health complaints.

Factors Contributing to Employee Burnout

The following features tend to induce more stress, taking a toll on workers:

1. Unclear Requirements:

• Lack of clarity about job responsibilities and how to succeed can hinder confidence, job enjoyment, and a sense of accomplishment.
• Burnout risks increase when job descriptions are poorly explained, requirements constantly change, and expectations are unclear.

2. Impossible Requirements:

• Sometimes, job responsibilities exceed the time allotted to complete them properly, making it impossible to do the job well.
• Workers exert effort but never feel successful, increasing burnout risk.

3. High-Stress Times With No "Down" Times:

• Many jobs and industries experience "crunch times" where workers must work longer hours and handle heavier workloads for a period.
• This can be invigorating if the extra effort is recognized, compensated, and limited.
• Problems arise when "crunch time" becomes year-round, leaving no time for recovery.

4. Big Consequences for Failure:

• Mistakes are part of being human. However, dire consequences, like the risk of a lawsuit, can make the work experience more stressful and increase burnout risk.
• High-stakes jobs in law or healthcare often have higher burnout rates.

5. Lack of Personal Control:

• People tend to feel excited about their work when they can make creative decisions and find solutions to problems.
• Workers who feel restricted and unable to exercise personal control over their environment and daily decisions are at greater risk for burnout.

6. Lack of Recognition:

• It's challenging to work hard and never receive recognition for accomplishments.
• Awards, public praise, bonuses, and other tokens of appreciation and recognition boost morale. Burnout is a risk when accolades are scarce.

7. Poor Communication:

• Poor communication in a company can cause or exacerbate problems like unclear job expectations or lack of recognition.
• When employees can't discuss issues with someone who can help, feelings of low personal control can arise.

8. Insufficient Compensation:

• Some occupations are inherently stressful, which is accepted with the paycheck—if the paycheck is sufficient.
• When demands are high and financial compensation is low, workers may think, "They don't pay me enough to deal with this!"
• Employee burnout is more likely when financial compensation doesn't match job demands.

9. Poor Leadership:

• Company leadership can significantly prevent or contribute to burnout.
• Effective leadership can make employees feel recognized for achievements, supported in difficulties, valued, safe, etc.
• Poor leadership can leave people feeling:
  • Unappreciated
  • Unrecognized
  • Unfairly treated
  • Not in control of their activities
  • Insecure in their position
  • Unsure of job requirements
• Poor company leadership can influence many other factors that put employees at risk for burnout.

What to Do About Employee Burnout

If you are experiencing employee burnout, it's a sign that something needs to change immediately. Short-term remedies can help improve your mental state in the moment, but long-term strategies are needed to manage and prevent burnout from recurring.

1. Take a Break:

• If you are experiencing job burnout, try to take a break to recover.
• A vacation can provide temporary relief from stress and allow you to recover from burnout.

2. Utilize Stress Management Techniques:

• You can also try simpler stress relievers to help relieve stress in the moment, such as:
  • Breathing exercises
  • Positive reframing
  • Guided imagery
  • Progressive muscle relaxation
• You can also use more long-term stress relievers like regular exercise, maintaining a hobby (for personal balance), or meditation.

3. Talk to Your Employer:

• You can try to change aspects of your job to create a greater sense of knowing what to expect and perhaps having more choice in how you perform your job.
• If job burnout is persistent, it may be worth considering seeking professional help with the stress, and perhaps even another career path, as continued stress can impact your health.