Employee burnout is at an all-time high, exacerbated by the lingering effects of the global pandemic. Pandemic-related stress has profoundly affected the mental health and well-being of employees across all levels.

Now more than ever leaders need to focus on preventative strategies to get ahead of and prevent further employee burnout. Reducing burnout begins with you, the leader, as you are influential and play a critical role in setting a standard for your employees and organizations. Addressing burnout will ultimately help your employee engagement, morale and retention, all of which impact the financial bottom line. According to Talent Management, ‘Addressing Burnout: The Key to Workplace Wellness in 2022,’ “Burnout is driving The Great Resignation and it’s the number one reason employees are leaving their current jobs. People are quitting at the highest rate in two decades, creating a talent crisis in nearly every sector. While it’s easy to blame the pandemic, the truth is it only accelerated a problem that has been brewing for decades.”

In my August article I examine what constitutes employee burnout, why it is happening so frequently, ways in which leaders can strive to prevent it, and my own experiences with burnout and exhaustion. Listed below are some tips for understanding the root cause of employee burnout and some key strategies for preventing it. As you read through this article, I invite you to pause and ascertain if you or one of your employees is experiencing burnout, mental exhaustion and work fatigue. If not, you are among the minority.

What is Employee Burnout?

Employee Burnout is a mental health issue that affects the well-being of your employees and ultimately your organization. According to Talent Management, Addressing Burnout: ‘The Key to Workplace Wellness in 2022,’ “Burnout is more than just being tired — it’s a diagnosable state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion brought on by long-term stress.” Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, identify three main components of burnout in their book “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.” The three elements are emotional exhaustion, lack of accomplishment and depletion of empathy. They can manifest in the following traits listed in the table below. As leaders it is imperative that you are aware of these components, so that you can address them when they arise within you or your employees. You can read the full Talent Management article here to fully understand the ramifications of employee burnout, and why it is driving the talent crisis. 

Why Are Employee Burnout Rates High?

Employee burnout has hit extraordinary levels due to the pandemic. Boundaries are blurred, and work/life balance is virtually nonexistent due to lockdowns and uncertain return-to-work timelines. According to McKinsey Health Institute, ‘Addressing Employee Burnout: Are You Solving the Right Problem,’ “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated and exacerbated long-standing corporate challenges to employee health and well-being, and in particular employee mental health. This has resulted in reports of rapidly rising rates of burnout around the world.” You can read the extensive research on burnout, and findings of a recent McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) survey here.

Burnout Prevention Strategies for Leaders

As a coach of leaders, I see how burned out most of my clients are and how burn out impacts their mental state, performance, decision-making and interpersonal interactions. If you are reading this, my guess is that you too are burned out, and may not even be aware of how profoundly it is affecting you. It’s crucial that you start the healing with YOU first. You need to rest, recharge and restore. You are the role model for your employees and organizations. It is imperative that you lead by example, and prioritize your mental health and well-being, so that they will follow suit. This is by no means new news. In fact, I myself wrote and published a book about strategies to Refuel Recharge and Reenergize years ago that is still available on Amazon.

Let’s first start with some simple physical activities you and your employees can do besides rest to reduce burnout and build resilience. According to Talent Management, ‘Addressing Burnout: The Key to Workplace Wellness in 2022,’ the follow simple activities can actively prevent burnout: You can read the full article by clicking here.

1. Participate in a regular mindfulness practice - Richard Davidson’s research shows regular meditators, with as little as 10 minutes a day, reap benefits including increased resilience to stressors, decreased anxiety and depression, reduced emotional reactivity and slowed aging.
2. Spend time in nature - Scientists discovered the magic formula is 20 minutes outside three times per week. It has the greatest impact on reducing cortisol, the stress hormone.
3. Play with others - We are biologically wired to only play when we feel safe enough to relax. The shutdowns deprived us of our pre-pandemic forms of play — returning to play signals to the body things are better and brings us much-needed moments of joy.

Although strategies may vary from industry to industry listed below are some core strategies that can be applied across the board to help boost your employee morale, retain talent and ultimately prevent employee burnout. According to AiGROUP, ‘How Leaders Can Prevent Employee Burnout,’ these five key strategies will help reduce burnout. You can learn more about preventing burnout by clicking here to read the article in its entirety.

1. Show employees their value - by conducting regular 1 on 1’s and sharing specific examples of the value they bring to the organization.
2. Lead by example with reasonable work hours - Take your lunch break and call it a day after reasonable hours have been worked. Refrain from emailing employees after hours and use ‘staying back’ as an exception and not the rule.
3. Set clear goalposts that are well communicated - Some employees end up in burnout because they are working so hard trying to figure out expectations. Be clear on what success looks like and share it with the team. Ensure workloads are reasonable.
4. Develop employees and set them up for success - Ensure team members have the support and tools they need and make development part of your culture.
5. Adopt psychologically safe leadership - Reflect on the role that leadership plays in burnout and tailor strategies to improve psychological health and safety.

What LinkedIn Did to Prevent Employee Burnout

LinkedIn implemented the initiative LiftUp last year to address employee burnout. According to Forbes, ‘LinkedIn gives employees another week off to prevent burnout,’ “The paid week off is a benefit the company provides twice a year. It won’t count towards regular PTO.” This is just one example of a company that heard their employees loud and clear, and did something to improve their mental health and well-being. You can read about the policy, and why LinkedIn implemented it here.

My Own Personal Experience with Burnout

It is likely safe to say that at one point or another in your career you have experienced some form of burnout. I am empathetic and sympathetic, as I have as well. Although I left behind an exhausting and stressful corporate career nearly two decades ago, the impact on my foundational health still remains. In fact, this month I am participating in a program called Daring to Rest, created by Karen Brody for that very reason. It includes a form of deep rest known as yoga nidra that helps you manage symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. I find the practice incredibly relaxing and restorative. I am able to let go of work for 15 to 30 minutes, and return with a deep well of clarity and energy. Other forms of yoga are yet another way in which to prevent burnout. I encourage you to try whatever speaks to you the most. The important thing is to do something that feeds your soul on a regular, consistent basis, to help you decompress and rejuvenate.

As employee burnout continues to plague organizations around the globe, it is crucial that leaders focus on what really matters. Mental health and well-being need to be addressed before employees are left emotionally bankrupt and physically exhausted. Now is the time for us as leaders to reconsider the future of work. We have been given an opportunity to lead by example, and implement policies, procedures and programs that prevent burnout before it starts. Let’s work together to make healthy transformations to our workplaces.

Erin Owen, MBA, PCC, JCDC/JCTC, CPQC

Executive and Leadership Coach

Website: https://erinowen.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinowen/