Employee burnout is a very real issue plaguing organizations across the United States. As professionals, it can be hard to “turn off” work, especially when most organizations operate in a fully or partially remote work environment. Individual or team burnout should be very apparent to you as a leader or manager. One sure sign of burnout is when you start to notice individual team members becoming less engaged with their work or the team. If you want to protect your employees’ well-being, then implement these suggested strategies to avoid burnout!
Signs of Employee Burnout
Employee burnout should be easy to spot. It may start to happen gradually or hit your team member all at once. Here are some examples of employee burnout:
- Behavioral changes, including increased irritability
- Low engagement or energy levels
- Frequently missing work for illness or personal days
- A decrease in productivity
- Not participating in group or team activities
- Disengagement in work
Now that you know the signs of employee burnout, here are a few recommendations to help your team members avoid burnout:
Be Clear with Expectations
A slippery slope that often leads to burnout is when your team members do not understand what’s expected of them. That’s why clear communication for each team member’s role and responsibilities is crucial for success. It’s your responsibility as a leader to clearly outline what each employee’s role entails, including performance and workload expectations. This is also a great opportunity to outline how much time an employee should be spending on certain aspects of their role to avoid overworking.
Continually Monitor Projects
It’s important to have a clear understanding of your team members’ current workloads. As projects move forward, responsibilities and tasks may shift, which can sometimes put a bigger burden on one employee than expected. That’s why we recommend a continual check-in with your team members to understand their current workload and if you need to reassign tasks to help them manage their current to-do list.
Offer Wellness Initiatives
To keep your team members healthy, offer wellness programs that prioritize their minds and bodies. Your organization can offer wellness programs like exercise stipends or mental health counseling services. These kinds of wellness initiatives can help your team cope with stressful times at your organization in a healthy way.
Lead by Example
If your team members are receiving emails from you all hours of the night, they are going to feel pressured to “always be online.” This can lead to severe burnout and working every hour of the day, which isn’t healthy for anyone. Set clear boundaries with your employees by establishing set work hours, and stick to them!
Work with Prescott HR
Is your organization experiencing employee burnout? We are here to help! Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization evaluate your current policies and incorporate new ones, as needed. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with precisely what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.