How to Prevent Employee Burnout

Employee burnout is expensive. Overwork, stress and lack of appreciation take a heavy toll on employees and therefore on the organizations they work for. In fact, it’s become such a large problem that the World Health Organization has taken notice.

You want your employees to be happy and healthy and to enjoy working for you. But how can you ensure that your employees don’t suffer from stress and burnout?

Here are some ways to combat employee burnout in your organization.

Manage Workloads

Benefits and HR are people-driven businesses, so make sure your organization doesn’t lose sight of the people who make things happen for you. And remember that your employees have lives outside of work. “You have to make sure that workloads are appropriate,” says Rob Wilson, president of Wilson Cos./Employco USA. “In fact, you can take it a step further — you should actively encourage your employees to pursue a positive work-life balance.”

Encourage employees to take breaks, both during work and on weekends and holidays. We all know people who are workaholics; do them a favor and address their habits of overwork, which is neither sustainable nor healthy.

Here at Winston we manage our busy season by bringing in seasonal help so that our 12-month employees don’t become overwhelmed.

Communicate

All employees should have a direct line of communication with managers and company leaders, and they should always feel comfortable bringing problems up the chain of command. Wilson suggests utilizing regular meetings between staff and upper management.

Frequent feedback helps to maintain engagement. It should be constructive, and managers should always find positive ways to communicate. Your employees should never feel attacked. Also, always recognize and acknowledge your employees’ successes. This contributes to their sense of purpose and belonging at your organization.

Be sure to communicate about the benefits and resources you offer your employees as well. During our busiest quarter here at Winston, we provide multiple resources through our telemedicine vendor to ensure employees can speak with a medical professional if the need arises. Our HR team does a great job of communicating the benefits of medical compliance and wellness to our staff and of letting them know what steps we’re taking for them.

Offer Resources

Give your employees the tools they need to combat stress. Try having your employees start the day with a breathing exercise. “Mindfulness and meditation have been shown to reduce stress,” says Ora Nadrich, founder of the Institute for Transformational Thinking. “You can be proactive in eliminating employee burnout by making stress relief a set part of the workday.”

Give people the tools to pause and destress as they need to throughout the day. “When you give your employees these simple tools, you’re empowering them,” Nadrich says. “And they’ll appreciate that you care.”

Here at Winston, we often have our employee engagement committee pick a theme and plan activities to help with burnout during busy times. These activities include meals and snacks so that employees don’t need to worry about food on certain days, plus other stress-relieving activities.

Disclaimer:  This content is strictly informational and should not be used as specific advice on insurance products, legal, accounting, and/or tax related matters. Insureds should always contact the appropriate licensed professional for their insurance, legal, accounting, or tax needs.