How to Reduce Employee Burnout
Are you looking for ways to support your employees’ wellbeing and combat burnout? Workplace burnout has long been a problem, but recent research suggests that it has only gotten worse. In fact, according to a March 2021 report from Indeed, a whopping 52% of respondents have been experiencing workplace burnout. Luckily, there are ways to promote your employees’ wellbeing and help them avoid work-related exhaustion.
Workplace burnout can have many sources. Stress about deadlines and tasks, lack of a healthy work-life balance, and a negative work culture can all contribute to burnout. But this doesn’t have to be the norm. Learn how to reduce employee burnout and promote health, wellness, and happiness at work with these steps.
What Is Employee Burnout?
Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion that occurs due to an employee’s professional life. And this exhaustion doesn’t just harm the employee. Too much burnout can lead to a higher turnover and an unproductive, unhappy workforce.
Here are some signs of burnout to look out for in your team:
- Less concentration
- Loss of happiness
- Loss of energy
- Dissatisfaction and loss of interest in work
There are several factors that can play a role in workplace exhaustion. If employees are unable to unplug from the day, lack social support, and have an unhealthy work-life balance, they are likely to experience burnout.
Luckily, a few simple ideas for employee burnout can make a massive difference in your team’s morale and your company’s success.
1. Try No-Meeting Fridays
If your team spends a significant chunk of their time in meetings each week, it may be time to scale back.
Context switching between meetings and work can put a dent in employee productivity. Aside from that, it can stress out a workforce that may already be on the verge of its stress tolerance.
With that in mind, try out no-meeting Fridays to give your employees extra time to focus on their top priorities. This designated day-without-meetings minimizes distractions to give your team a chance to relax, catch up, and prepare for the week ahead.
2. Respect Your Employees’ Boundaries During Non-Office Hours
As you’re learning how to avoid employee burnout, you should be mindful of employees who end up doing work off the clock.
Your team will often do whatever they can to make you happy—even if that means working after office hours. But this extra work can take a toll on their wellbeing. When management texts, emails, or calls during employees’ personal time, it can cause them unnecessary stress and take away from their home life.
Do your best to respect your employees’ time after hours. When non-urgent problems come up, try to leave the conversations for the morning instead of sending that after-work email or text. This will help your employees enjoy their time off and come back to work refreshed.
3. Communicate Effectively
As you may know, communication is everything when it comes to workplace morale. Good communication means better teamwork, deeper understanding between employees and management, and a more positive atmosphere in the workplace.
With that being said, here are some tips that can help you communicate effectively with your team:
- Keep things simple when possible.
- Be available and approachable when your employees have questions.
- Be precise about expectations and goals.
- Avoid last-minute communications.
Effective communication can revamp any workplace atmosphere. Your team will feel secure and less stressed, which will reduce employee burnout for improved workplace wellness.
4. Set Realistic Expectations for Your Employees
Make sure to set realistic goals for your employees. Yes, you may want to reach a certain milestone by a specific date, but piling too much work onto employees can cause burnout, impair productivity, and even delay deadlines in the future.
Clear, practical expectations let your employees know that you’re thinking about things from their perspective. Beyond that, it shows you’re considering their wellbeing by distributing their workload in a way that they can comfortably handle.
5. Be an Example
As a leader, the best thing you can do for your employees is to set a strong example of a healthy work-life balance. This will help reduce employee burnout in your workplace by showing that it’s fine to take active steps toward mental and emotional wellness not just at home, but also at work.
Here are some ways that you can take the lead for your team when it comes to burnout:
- Manage your emotions calmly—even under stress.
- Take your well-deserved breaks and vacation days.
- Practice good mental and emotional wellness habits.
- Set boundaries to protect your work-life balance.
6. Listen to Your Employees
When you’re managing a team, you might be used to doing the directing, planning, and decision-making. But you have to know when to listen, too. Listen to your team’s concerns and comments earnestly, and let them know you care. And don’t just listen. Ask your team questions and be open to conversation.
Genuine listening can make a huge difference when it comes to how to help burnt-out employees. It can improve employee retention and foster positive energy at work—and a bonus is that a company with employees who feel heard is more likely to thrive financially.
7. Give Your Employees the Power to Make Decisions
Micromanaging can wear anyone out and leave employees feeling like they’ve lost their autonomy. And when employees feel like they’ve lost control of their work life, they may start to feel burnt out.
You know your team, so allow them to shine and make the decisions you know they can handle. By delegating responsibility, you allow your employees to feel like valued members of your team.
8. Support Your Employees’ Wellbeing With MyLifeWell
One of the best ways to reduce employee burnout is to support your team’s health and wellbeing. A corporate wellness program is an excellent tool to accomplish that.
MyLifeWell for Business can support all aspects of your employees’ wellbeing, including their physical, mental, social, and emotional health. When you invest in your employees’ health, you can avoid burnout, boost engagement, and help your company thrive.
MyLifeWell for Business includes:
- On-demand classes
- Challenges and rewards
- Social groups and supportive communities
- Custom workouts and exercise programs
- Nutrition tracking
- Meditations
With customized health and wellness plans for your team, you are well on your way to keeping burnout at bay.
How to Reduce Employee Burnout: The Takeaway
Every company wants its employees to show up, do well, and feel their best. After all, a happy team is what makes a positive work environment and a thriving business.
To help your employees avoid burnout, remember to set clear goals, communicate effectively, and support their health with a corporate wellness program. When you use these ideas for employee burnout to increase your employees’ wellbeing, you’ll be astounded by the results.
To learn more about how MyLifeWell for Business can boost the health and wellbeing of your employees, book a demo today.
