BURNOUT PREVENTION any extent possible . On the other hand , you may notice that an employee is consistently showing up late , taking excessive or extensive breaks , or calling in sick repeatedly . If this is unusual behavior , be sure to “ sit down ” with this employee and discuss what may be the cause of their changed behavior . If it is work related , you may suggest some time off to recover .
Enforce the maintenance of social boundaries while working from home . When an employee is outside of working hours or taking some time off , respect their personal time despite their still being accessible to you . This gives them time to mentally recover from the day and plays a huge role in the prevention of burnout .
You should also respect that many are still struggling to maintain a work-life balance amid pandemic circumstances . Be as flexible and accommodating as you can for these employees without adversely impacting the rest of the team .
Remember that it is management ’ s responsibility to communicate the support programs available to your team at the first sign of stress and anxiety . Make sure your employment assistance programs , such as counselling and stress management , are well publicized and utilized within your organization .
In some cases , encouraging an employee to take a mental break from the workload is the best solution . In severe cases of burnout , total psychological relief from the structure and routine of everyday work may be the only option .
PROMOTE AN ANTI-BURNOUT CULTURE Communication from management , especially that one-on-one correspondence , has become particularly important in the digital workplace . With your team likely feeling isolated during this time , reaching out to each person for an individual check-in could make all the difference , setting the tone for the workday and preventing a burnt-out headspace from sneaking up .
Work with your team to designate important tasks and train them to handle the workload in priority sequence instead of working to appear productive . A Harvard study indicates that focusing on the most immediate tasks instead of the most important is actually counterproductive and can lead to burnout in the long term .
Try to keep the primary focus on personal and company values , such as trust and support , rather than on bigger concepts like innovation and maximum productivity . Values-based conversations are more likely to resonate with your team ’ s social needs and keep everyone involved in promoting a positive company culture from a distance .
Encourage teammates to respect each other ’ s unique mental health needs and promote supporting each other through the use of video chats and other creative channels , such as digital note-passing .
Keep your team engaged by reminding them of the “ why ” behind their work . This will keep everyday tasks from feeling mundane and give colleagues a sense of purpose , which in turn translates into higher energy and greater focus ( rather than exhaustion and burnout ).
PRIORITIZE PEOPLE OVER PRODUCTIVITY It ’ s vital to understand that in the new world as we know it , finding balance in traditional ways is no longer possible . Outlets like going to the gym and getting together with friends just aren ’ t available in the same capacity . This means that seemingly minor inconveniences like heavy workloads or temporary lack of resources can have a compounding effect on your team ’ s mental health .
Losing sight of team values and restricting the sense of community and autonomy in the online workspace will quickly work to the detriment of employee engagement as well . Be mindful of the approach you are taking to strike a balance between maintaining a productive workplace and a compassionate one , always being careful to put your people first .
Communicate with your team often and ensure they are comfortable approaching you with any mental health concerns or insecurities related to their role . Pay close attention to the working habits of your team and always have a backup plan ready in the event you need to issue some immediate time off . Your employees will appreciate your flexibility and compassion as they work through these challenging times .
Erika MacLeod is the Managing Editor at Tulip Media Group and best-selling author of The Ultimate Culture . With over 15 years of organizational experience , Erika works closely with Client-Partners and is Tulip ' s liason with their renowned national contributors . Erika ' s first book , co-authored with Stacey Cowperthwaite , on culture is now available on Amazon : tm . media / ultimateculture
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