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Understanding Burnout: What It Looks Like And What To Do About It
We’ve been in denial about work-based burnout for more than 100 years. But it’s not too late to take action at your organization.
You may think that burnout (and the public’s general awareness) became a “thing” during the pandemic—and for good reason.
The term, which, according to the World Health Organization, refers to the occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, became the headline of choice in 2020 and 2021.
But burnout, as a syndrome, entered the public realm long before the 2020s.
A Quick History of Burnout
While the World Health Organization officially recognized it as a syndrome in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2019, German-American psychoanalyst Herbert Freudenberger first coined the concept in the 1970s.
However, Freudenberger didn’t invent the concept either—he is credited for systematically describing and analyzing a mental condition he observed in himself and some of his colleagues (self-described by all as “burned out”). He was the first to contextualize the phenomenon as a workplace condition and bring the term into public use.
But, burnout as a disease (and awareness of the condition) has more likely existed for hundreds of years, with the first records dating back to the late 1800s.
According to the Financial Times, popular 1900s newspapers advertised products such as Rexall’s Americanitis Elixir to “over-wrought businessmen”, worried that “business conditions today ask more of a man’s vitality than ever before”. They also quote a 1907 advertisement that reads: “It’s one continuous drive at high tension, overtaxing the body and brain until a complete breakdown comes.”
This is to say that burnout has existed for a long time, but it took a pandemic (and the related disruption in the workforce) for employers to really understand how it can negatively affect workers’ well-being and productivity.
The Basics of Burnout: How to Spot It (and Combat It)
So how does it affect workers, exactly? Informed by the World Health Organization’s tenets of burnout syndrome, here are the top three ways to detect burnout (and what to do about it).
Increased Exhaustion
The Symptoms
It’s pretty normal for employees to experience low-energy days. Perhaps they’ve been pushing towards a deadline for a particular project and need a few days to get back on their feet. Maybe life got in the way that week. But the type of exhaustion associated with burnout isn’t short-term—it’s more chronic and nonspecific. It’s not tied to a deadline and doesn’t go away after a vacation. It’s a nonstop fog caused by a lack of quality sleep due to higher stress levels.
The Solutions
Look out for persistently low-energy employees and check in with them. Find out if they’re getting enough sleep and find ways to get them back on track. Consider working with their managers to clear time and space on their calendars. Be sure to respect their time away from work (set calendar limits for emails and calls), and always share resources that will help tired employees help themselves.
Changes in Attitude Toward Work
The Symptoms
I just don’t want to go to work today—every employee has said this at some point in their lives. This anti-work feeling is completely normal if it happens occasionally. But–like exhaustion–if it persists over a long period of time, it’s probably burnout.
Most burnt-out employees develop a persistent sense of apathy or cynicism toward work. Often, they’ve been overworked for too long with no end in sight, developing a kind of “what’s the point?” attitude.
Burnt-out employees report feeling a lack of satisfaction in their work–like they’re going through the motions. They might have a hard time seeing the value in their work and understanding its effect.
The Solutions
Work with team leads and managers to ensure clear roles, expectations, and goals. Be sure to include career pathing in that work. This organizational work helps at-risk employees understand the limits of their jobs, ultimately making the workload seem more manageable. It also paints a clearer picture of how the effort they’re putting in today connects to a future reward (i.e. a promotion).
To combat apathy further, consider providing burnt-out employees with training opportunities to expand their skills in a category they’re interested in or offering more enriching projects that align with their interests.
Reduced Productivity
The Symptoms
Most burnt-out employees experience a decrease in productivity over time. Ultimately, the increased exhaustion (#1) and apathy (#2) lead to a drop in work performance (#3).
Often, a previously high-achieving employee who has been working at an unsustainable rate for some time will start slipping up and falling behind. Or, they’ll continue to meet deadlines, but the work quality will suffer.
The Solutions
First and foremost, be empathetic. Approach the drop in productivity with an understanding that the employee is likely not ill-willed, but struggling. Encourage at-risk employees to take advantage of your organization’s health and mental health benefits and point them in the direction of care.
Again, team up with managers to ensure that expectations, deliverables, and timelines are clear and–more importantly–fair. It’s all about helping employees break down the work in a way that suits their styles and makes them feel less alone.
Burnout Prevention
Many of the solutions listed above can be completed proactively. Don’t wait until your employees are already burnt out to do the work–get ahead of it by creating a culture of wellness at your company. By making well-being a part of your culture, you’ll protect the well-being of your company.
Prevention, through a culture of well-being, is all about managers.
Be sure to set managers up for success through consistent education about employee burnout and training that improves their management skills (particularly during hard times). Empower managers to give employees more meaningful work that makes employees feel connected to the company and to set clearly defined roles, expectations, and goals. Ensure that managers have the support they need to stay healthy to lead by example.