With the holiday season approaching, bringing respite from a year of toil, many are stuck in an endless loop of work and family obligations.
Instead of the expected rejuvenation time, Christmas breaks usually turn into desperate attempts to finish up on projects before taking care of extended family members’ needs thereby increasing employee burnout risk for many individuals.
Burnout is characterized by exhaustion and disengagement. It is still a major concern especially in professional environments where long working hours, demanding projects and clients who refuse to appreciate their effort are common.
Often financial incentives outweigh job satisfaction leading to workers being overwhelmed emotionally or physically.
The pandemic-induced peaks in stress levels have slightly declined based on research done by Gallup.
However, over a quarter of American employees reported feeling frequently or constantly burned out earlier this year showing that this problem persists.
A report by consultancy International SOS raises concerns about the future direction; it reveals that four out of five senior risk professionals believe burnout will become a major challenge for their companies by 2024.
In Britain itself there are worrying figures as well. Annual sickness absence rates have soared to their highest levels in over a decade averaging 7.8 days per employee according to The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
CIPD research shows that stress remains a key driver behind both short-term and long-term absenteeism.
The annual economic losses amounting to a staggering $8.8 trillion are disclosed by Gallup’s calculations which is as a result of inadequate employee involvement.
This significant financial impact affects business organizations worldwide, spanning across various settings.
The risk of workplace accidents is heightened by low engagement in these environments, particularly concerning instances where workers operate machinery in unsafe or hazardous conditions.
Corporations have invested heavily in wellbeing programs as they grapple with these issues.
Findings from Mind Gym, a training company, reveals that there has been a significant global investment of $50 billion in diverse initiatives aimed at improving staff wellness over the past year.
Some of these programs include access to meditation apps and helplines. Nevertheless, even though these interventions are highly motivated, they often miss the mark by focusing on the symptoms without digging deeper into the real issues behind them.
Additionally, these policies often overlook the individual circumstances that contribute to employee burnout.
The CIPD’s Ben Willmott addresses this core problem by stressing the importance of line managers with “soft skills” such as empathy and understanding.
He believes that managers who set achievable goals and work together with their teams to solve problems can prevent them from being stressed out for too long.
Dr Katherine O’Reilly who is a medical director at International SOS emphasizes on how asking employees simple questions like “are you okay?” can create an enabling environment where people feel valued and supported in their roles.
She says that this small act goes a long way towards making staff members know that they are appreciated for what they do thus boosting their morale levels greatly.
Although well-being programs have become a lucrative industry, nothing beats having compassionate supervisors whose genuine care is involved in combating employee burnout.
For instance, one practical step that can be taken involves scheduling e-mails so that they are sent only after New Year instead of bombarding workers with job-related messages during Christmas holidays or any other festive season.
The significance of employee burnout highlights the need for an all-inclusive approach that combines managerial empathy, targeted interventions, and organizational policies designed to address the root causes of stress and disengagement.
The end of year sees continued attention being focused on corporate leaders and their key responsibility in protecting the welfare of their employees.