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Category: wellbeing

  • How to avoid employee burnout

    How to avoid employee burnout

    If you’re a conscientious business leader, manager or co-worker and are worried about employee burnout then you have landed on the right page. 

    According to new research commissioned by LumApps, a leading Employee Experience Platform, 88% of UK employees have experienced at least some level of burnout over the last two years. Furthermore, one-third of respondents stated they frequently suffer from physical and mental exhaustion due to workplace pressures. Clearly, this is a situation that needs addressing urgently. Read on to discover how to identify employee burnout before it escalates and some actionable ways you can help employees who aren’t coping at work. 

    Burnout can happen as a result of workplace situations, problems in personal life or a mixture of the two. Here are some employee behaviours to watch out for which may indicate burnout. 

    1. Regularly displaying a cynical or critical attitude toward themselves or others. 
    2. Poor timekeeping and/or increased absence from work. 
    3. Fatigue and evidence of inability to rest and/or relax. 
    4. Irritable and impatient with coworkers.
    5. Lack of energy and/or decrease in productivity or quality of work. 
    6. Evidence of unhealthy levels of alcohol use. 
    7. Use of illegal drugs or abuse of prescription medication. 

    Naturally, there are other behaviours and attitudes that an employee might exhibit that could indicate burnout. These are easier to identify if you know the person well and can spot mood changes. If the employee is newer to the business and you aren’t able to make a judgement call on whether the way they are acting is of concern, you might need to broach it with them in a safe, anonymous space. 

    How to prevent and address employee burnout

    Promote a good work/life balance

    Plenty of businesses like to claim they do this in their employee handbook and so forth but don’t practice what they preach. Management must show that they have a good work/life balance themselves and promote it throughout the organisation. For example, encouraging colleagues to carve out time for relaxation and self-care at work and making meaningful efforts to support people when they need to take time off to be with family or loved ones. 

    Colleagues should be discouraged from checking and answering emails outside work hours and on holidays. Presenteeism, where people feel they have to stay late to show their commitment to the company, is an absolute no-no. 

    Monitor and adjust workload

    This is a tricky one to navigate as employees might not even realise they have too much on and may be worried about mentioning they aren’t coping for fear of seeming like they aren’t doing well in their role. Creating a workplace culture where people can speak up will help (more on this shortly) but there is plenty you can do from a structural point of view. 

    Keep an eye on project scheduling and progress. The occasional spike in the amount of work a person is expected to do is generally OK, but they should not be expected to sustain higher volumes of work on a regular or ongoing basis. If the workload is increasing for a good reason perhaps you can look at the colleague’s meeting or travel schedule and rearrange their calendar so they don’t need to attend every meeting or can conduct some over Zoom rather than spending hours on the train. 

    Create a positive, supportive workplace culture

    • Promote a culture where people can talk openly about things that are bothering or concerning them. 
    • Remove any stigma behind discussions around mental health and operate a zero-tolerance policy against bullying, bigotry, discrimination and poor behaviour. 
    • Offer employee assistance programs such as ethics reporting lines, advice and counselling services and online resources. 
    • Prioritise wellness. Ask your colleagues what constitutes a healthy work environment and make it happen. That might be breakout spaces for times when employees need somewhere to be alone. Perhaps they would appreciate a few more plants, the ability to work more flexibly, or a weekly delivery of seasonal fruit. Little things as well as big things can make all the difference. Plus, the simple act of asking your team what they want and need is a very positive gesture and shows you care and value them. 

    We hope these tips on how to avoid employee burnout have been useful and have given you some ideas on how to make your office and your workplace culture more positive. 

    Honouring your commitment to your staff and being able to play a role in making their lives better and/or easier has to be one of the most rewarding parts of being a good manager. Life is tough right now and that isn’t going to change for the foreseeable future, unfortunately. Keep well-being conversations flowing, encourage colleagues to make recommendations and let you know when and how you can do better. Always follow up on your promises and show that you are living the kind of life you promote to employees. That means not answering or sending emails outside work hours unless necessary, admitting to vulnerabilities and sharing when you are having a bad day.

    Good luck and let us know how you get on. 

  • How employers can help with the cost of living crisis

    How employers can help with the cost of living crisis

    According to research commissioned by employee experience platform Culture Amp, six out of ten employees in the UK believe that their employers should help with the rising cost of living. The findings show that women are considerably more worried about their financial situations than men with 84% stating that they are concerned about escalating costs compared to 57% of male respondents.

    The survey also revealed a higher level of concern among younger employees with eight out of ten 25-34-year-olds saying they are experiencing a strain on their finances compared with just two-thirds of over-55s. 

    The findings of this study are worrying and should concern employers who, alongside having a responsibility to promote a culture of safety and wellbeing in the workplace, also need to retain the best team to support their business. 

    Read on to discover some effective ways procurement and supply chain employers can help their team to weather the cost of living crisis. 

    Offer a salary increase

    An obvious way to support colleagues is to offer a pay rise. Not every company can afford to do this and employers may worry that this oversteps the boundary between the person’s work and their private life. But this could be an effective temporary or permanent way to safeguard your team and show you are committed to their wellbeing. 

    Improve access to, and knowledge about, the company pension scheme

    When times are hard, employees might be tempted to make cuts to long-term schemes like pension schemes. It is up to employers to communicate the value of long-term financial security and to enhance their understanding of how payments can work over time. This includes the option to reduce contributions when they’re feeling the pinch. 

    Promote a culture of openness

    It isn’t always easy to talk about personal issues at work. Team members may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about bringing their problems into a business environment. They might also worry about burdening others or getting special treatment. But, as we know, worries are only compounded if they aren’t discussed. 

    Make sure your employees know they can come to you, their line manager or HR if they are feeling under pressure or want to air a problem. Naturally, any conversations should be kept confidential and the employee should be given the choice of having the discussion kept off the record. 

    For businesses that are also feeling the strain of the cost of living crisis, keep in mind that you aren’t necessarily offering an economic lifeline. You are offering a safe space in which employees can communicate what’s on their minds and that they can feel listened to and understood. It can also help you adapt how you monitor and track their progress. If you know they are weighted down by concerns outside of the workplace you can offer some leeway if their performance is impacted in the short term. 

    Offer sessions in financial education

    Not all your employees will have a good grasp of how to manage their finances. Somewhat bafflingly, these skills aren’t taught in schools and many people aren’t offered advice from their family or peers. Ask your colleagues if they would benefit from informal training in managing their finances and then make the appropriate arrangements. This training could be conducted online or through reading resources or you could arrange interactive workshops or learning and development sessions where people can learn more about budgeting, choosing the right saving schemes, dealing with financial stresses and so forth. 

    There’s a wide range of companies offering these services so have a search around and check with your employees about what content they would find most useful. The chances are they will learn a lot from each other’s experiences as well as from the tutor themselves. 

    It will also show that you are invested in them and that you are here to help, and that is a huge comfort and reassurance for people. Especially when they are feeling vulnerable.