Feeling Anxious..? The cost of burnout in office workers. Burnout in office workers is a common problem in today’s workplace. Almost half of Canadians experience high or moderate stress at work every day. Whether it’s work-from-home orders or a global pandemic, burnout affects individual productivity and team morale. However, there are steps you can take to avoid it.
The Cause and Impact of Burnout
First, understand that the cause of burnout is not the same for everyone. Burnout is caused by long-term stress, which is associated with physical illness. It can lead to depression, substance abuse, and heart disease. The pandemic has increased the incidence of burnout among white-collar office workers. In addition, it has been linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety. This still continues today months after the pandemic is seemingly over.
Employee burnout is a serious problem that must be addressed by organizations. It is a major public health issue and a systemic issue that is impacting millions of workers globally.
What Research Says on the Effects of Office Stress
Studies on the effects of office stress have shown that workers are more likely to have a higher chance of suffering from depression than those in other professions. One reason for the higher incidence of workplace stress is due to the increasing number of jobs that require long hours, particularly in Canada where we have identified major labour shortages for the next 10 years. People who are not able to find time for themselves to relax and enjoy life are more likely to suffer from burnout.
Recognizing Workplace Burnout
Employees are often unaware that they are suffering from burnout. The symptoms can include decreased productivity, a negative attitude, and a lack of concentration. A lack of support from colleagues and managers can also contribute to burnout. In fact, more than 40% of employees have cited workplace burnout as one of the main reasons they quit their jobs. Taking steps to prevent burnout can improve employee morale and productivity.
Burnout is defined as an extreme emotional and physical exhaustion caused by constant workplace stress. While the symptoms of burnout are different for everyone, there are some common symptoms. These signs are not always obvious, but if you’re dealing with this problem, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible.
Preventing and Addressing Workplace Burnout
Organizations can help prevent workplace stress by developing an individual plan for each employee. An individual approach is best because each employee’s needs will be different, this could be part of their annual goal-setting with quarterly reviews and weekly or bi-weekly check-ins. The plan should include ways that employees will navigate workplace stress, burnout, and other elements of life (sleep, exercise, etc.). Each leader should also have this.
Certainly, there will be leaders who will feel ill-equipped to navigate these conversations as they can seem too personal. In this case, it is important that the organization have an internal or external coach or a well-equipped human resource professional to navigate these conversations
How can an Employee Plan Help You, and What is EQi?
Once a plan is made, it can help employees find ways to cope with their stress. Most leaders will not know how or have the skills to be able to delve into personal plans for managing stress. This is where hiring a coach can be beneficial. EQi is an assessment that some coaches use that help to understand and navigate emotional intelligence – this is important because one of the 15 subscales of the EQi assessment is all about Stress Tolerance.
Organizations must learn how to recognize the signs of employee burnout and develop strategies for reducing it. The first step is to understand why it occurs and how to help employees recover from it.
Is it time to learn how to address systemic burnout in your organization? Do you want to prevent it before it happens by understanding EQi and other strategies? Schedule a call or video conference with Christopher Lawrence or call us right now at 1-844-910-7111.
