Employee burnout: A workplace threat

New Delhi: We live in a day and age where employee burnout has become the most common complaint in the corporate sector. Be it constant absenteeism amongst your employees or being unproductive at the workplace, employee burnout is an employer’s worst nightmare.

Before we dwell on the situation further, let understand the quick fix. It is often easier to mitigate a burnout right before it starts than to work on recovering after a severe episode. One good way to go about the same is to allow an employee life-balance, which would give them sufficient time to replenish their work skills. Rewarding them for their work done well is another way to keep the team happy and going.

Nothing causes burnout quicker than watching someone else receive preferential treatment or get credit for the wrong reasons. Even worse is unfairness that seems arbitrary. Pay discrepancies, random promotions and capricious recognitions – all of these things can create animosity or a sense of despair in an employee. They are made worse by the fact that in most cases, the employee must bottle up their feelings of injustice.

It is also important to clear out the objectives preventing the team from overworking or under working. Without a clear set of objectives, employees are effectively flying blind, lacking purpose and direction.

Keeping an open line of communication and feedback is essential to keep employees on track. This helps them know the goals they need to achieve and areas they need to work upon. Providing feedback in bite-size chunks will ensure that workers don’t lose their purpose and can accurately track their own progress, leading to greater employee satisfaction.

It is also essential to provide adequate employee support. Employee stress can escalate if appropriate levels of support are not available, resulting in lower efficacy and a higher risk of burnout.

Lastly, employees who enjoy coming to work will burn out far less frequently than those who loathe their job. Why not build a positive work environment for your employees? Stocking the fridge with goodies, having lunch-hour parties, or giving half day offs before a holiday can boost morale. Managing and reacting to burnout is essential for retaining the current workforce and is also important for bolstering the organisation's reputation and attracting future talents.

*Disclaimer: The article has been contributed by Sunil Agarwal, Director, Vinod Cookware. The opinions expressed in the article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and views appearing in this article do not reflect the views of Deccan Chronicle, and Deccan Chronicle does not assume any responsibility and liability for the same.