MAA NEWS Winter2022_w | Page 15

Combatting Employee Burnout

As inflation continues to rise , managers are starting to face an additional workforce challenge to the tight labor market . Employees are routinely being asked to do more with less , leading to increased burnout . In response , many young workers have started a movement of “ quiet quitting ” – that is , doing the bare minimum of their job description and refusing to go above and beyond . But managers can prevent burnout in the first place by understanding its causes and solutions .
But first , managers must understand what is meant by employee burnout . It isn ’ t an excuse to not work or a problem that affects only a few workers . In fact , 76 % of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes according to Gallup . Employee burnout is so common that the World Health Organization has defined it as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress leading to energy depletion , negative feelings about one ’ s work , and reduced efficiency . Employee burnout is a global issue that affects all workplaces .
Burnout is also an issue with real , and serious , outcomes . Employees who experience burnout are 2.6 times as likely to actively be seeking another job and 23 % more likely to visit the emergency room . The impacts of burnout on employee ’ s health and wellbeing simply can ’ t be ignored .
Employees tend to feel burnt out when they receive unfair treatment at work and unmanageable workloads . For many managers , the inability to hire workers due to the lack of workers and increasing wages has led to asking existing workers to do more . When an employee views new hires starting at higher wages or receiving sign-on bonuses but is not recognized financially for their commitment , it is easy to see why they may feel treatment isn ’ t fair . The same issue arises when workloads increase as positions go unfilled . Employees who strongly agree they are treated unfairly are 2.3 times more likely to experience a high level of burnout . Burnout also is caused by a lack of managerial support and unreasonable time pressure . It is the role of a manager to ensure that employees have the tools , resources , and time they need to complete their work , but not enough managers work collaboratively on expectations and goal setting to even know how their people feel about their workload . As business demands increase , employees who have managers that do not provide adequate time for increased work tend to suffer from burnout . by Neal Glatt , CSP , ASM
What can managers do to reduce employee burnout when every business feels pressure to perform at a higher level ? For one , simply making time to listen to employees ’ work-related problems honestly . Too many managers are dismissive of their employees ’ concerns about the ability to perform work , often because managers are under their own unreasonable demands and don ’ t prioritize regular team checkins . Employees suffer burnout when they feel workplace stress and they don ’ t believe it will get better . A sympathetic manager who listens will help employees understand that there is hope for the current situation and curb burnout dramatically .
Managers will also benefit from encouraging teamwork because employees can leverage the strengths of each other to thrive . The bonds that are formed on a cohesive team help each team member feel supported and encouraged in a way that effectively fights employee burnout .
Finally , managers must focus on the purpose of the organization . Work itself is never worth an extraordinary effort from employees , but a mission to help and enhance the lives of customers in some meaningful way gives a reason to go above and beyond . Employees who know how their unique contribution improve someone ’ s business , or life , do not “ quiet quit ” – they continue to strive to help more people .
The ability for a team to effectively perform , retain talent , and protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of each member is dependent on managerial actions . And in today ’ s difficult business environment , managers need to rise to the challenge .
Neal Glatt is Managing Partner of GrowTheBench . com , an online training platform for the green industry . Connect with Neal at NealGlatt @ gmail . com .
WINTER 2022 MAA NEWS 15