14 Feb 2022

Spotting employee burnout — and what you can do to help

Working from home has been a bit of a luxury for many – no commute, getting to spend more time with family and being more productive at work.

The flip-side however, is that some people have found themselves unable to effectively separate work and home life, which has also brought financial struggles and the feeling of isolation. Subsequently, there can be an increased likelihood of burnout.

Recognise when employees are burnt out

There are various signs you should look out for – some of which can be subtle:

Employees who always seem exhausted.
Employees making more mistakes than normal would and don’t seem themselves.
A noticeable loss of professional efficacy.

If an employee is showing any of these signs, consider what you can do to help.

Prevent employees doing additional work in a bid to impress

We’ve all done it – working more than we should to show our boss that we deserve a pay rise or promotion.

Make sure your employees know they are valued, especially if you can’t give them a pay rise. Things like prioritising work-life balance is particularly important if they work from home, as it’s all too easy to keep working after hours and never switch off.

Other ways you can let employees know they’re valued include offering a good pay package with additional perks, such as private medical insurance and a good workplace pension. It's also important to celebrate achievements, such as sharing good news across the company or recognising them for their work.

Financial issues

An employee’s problem may not be work related at all. It could easily be a financial issue, such as debt, a partner losing their job or their working hours have been cut. This could lead to your employee feeling the need to work extra hours to make ends meet. But working longer hours and struggling to switch off might lead to them being more stressed and less productive.

Studies such as High income improves evaluation of life but emotional well-being, Kahneman and Deaton 2010, show that after our household incomes hit a certain amount, we start slipping down the happiness scale. At that level, people tend to focus on activities to further increase their wealth, like working longer or travelling more for business.

Our research also found that four in 10 people have less than £100 left at the of each month. Unsurprisingly, 75% of this group say they worry about money, especially general costs of living, lack of saving and rent. You can help employees improve their financial wellbeing by sharing hints and tips from our Financial Wellbeing Index. Encourage your workplace scheme adviser (or invite a financial adviser or debt charity) to hold regular workshops, webinars or meetings with your employees to educate them about money management.

With these approaches, your employee will likely feel more in control of their finances, and therefore will be less likely to get stressed and feel the pressure to work overtime. Furthermore, creating a safe space for your employee lets them know that they can talk to you about their personal or financial struggles without any form of judgement. It also helps you understand their situation and hopefully enables you to work with them to find a solution.

Bear in mind: every employee’s situation will be different and it’s unlikely that a one-size approach will be suitable for all your employees. Listening to and addressing each of your employees’ concerns can help you kick-start a plan of action.

The financial costs of working from home

If your employees are still working from home or if you’ve adopted a hybrid model, paying for bills and the right equipment for a home office could be a worry for them. There are extra costs to consider with buying desks, ergonomic chairs, laptop stands and computer screens. With energy prices rising, paying fuel bills could also be an added stress for employees.

A poor internet connection can equally cause difficulties. This again could lead to employees having to work extra hours to overcompensate for time lost. To help address these issues, as an employer, you could offer support to help employees upgrade their home office equipment and internet service.

Additionally, your employees might not be aware that they may be able to claim tax relief for additional household costs if they work from home on a regular basis (either for all, or part of the week).

Tax relief can be claimed for gas and electricity, metered water and business phone calls – but only for the part that relates to their work.

All work and no play?

One thing most of us miss when working from home are conversations with colleagues over a cup of tea or coffee. It’s those conversations that help break up our day. Even banter across the desk can help to create a better bond between employees and relieve daily stresses.

So, encourage your employees to put time in their diary to catch up for 5-10 minutes with colleagues, set-up virtual fitness classes and encourage group coffee breaks every so often. This can help reduce burnout as your employees find more balance in their daily workload and are able to have some down time with colleagues.

Check your own work habits

It's all good and well trying to be supportive of your employees, but if you’re emailing them at all hours of the day and night, it doesn't set a good example. Keeping work conversations to work hours as much as possible will help reduce employee stress. It also creates a better work-life balance for yourself, preventing your own burnout too.

Communication is key

The more support you can give employees, whether they’re in the office or working from home, the less likely they’re to suffer from burnout. Understanding their workload, working environment and any external factors that might have an impact on their work, as well as when you expect them to take time for themselves is vital. And that’s down to communication.

Open communication is the ultimate way to avoid employees suffering from burnout. Even if some of these conversations are uncomfortable, they’re necessary to prove your support for your employees.

Article supplied by Aegon