How can employers and managers combat burnout?
Spot the signs
Great managers and employers will always strive to fully understand and support the struggles of their colleagues. After all, it was Einstein who said, ‘any fool can know. The point is to understand,’
Understanding the signs of burnout and how this can affect your colleagues is essential when creating your action plan on how to support your people.
Familiarise yourself with all signs of burnout, here are a few examples:
- Exhaustion
- Your people are becoming cynical
- You notice colleagues disengaging with work
- You see a declining productivity or performance
- You notice increasing absentee rates
- You notice and meditate more conflicts
Prioritise consistent employee communication
Communication is key to any organisation and business. However, a major reason why people experience burnout is a lack of communication.
This could be down to not understanding the expectations and responsibilities of their role or feeling unsupported.
Create policies and procedures to encourage managers to communicate with their teams often and set clear and realistic communication expectations, including weekly meetings.
Establish regular wellbeing discussions with your people to check in and signpost mental health support such as an EAP.
Adopt an open-door policy where colleagues can discuss anything honestly.
Encourage colleagues to take time off
Talking time off is necessary for all colleagues. It allows the body and mind to rest and reset.
It is no surprise that overworking leads to burnout and if your colleagues are not taking the appropriate time to recover, they can suffer from exhaustion and eventually burnout.
If employees are determined to work rather than switch off, they could experience presenteeism, the act of being present at work but not actually working. Presenteeism is a productivity killer, discouraging sufficient headspace to rest and relax outside of work.
Encourage good mental health practices
Many companies now have EAPs (Employee Assistance Programmes) to support colleagues when they need mental clarity. Counsellors offer unique perspectives and assist colleagues in overcoming mental and emotional stresses.
Supplying an EAP to your organisation will give your people access to the ability to better understand themselves. They may also discuss ways in which to cope with someone unjudgmental and supportive.
Lead by Example
A study completed in 2020 reported that according to Australian adults, leadership is by far the most important skill for a manager to possess. As a manager or employer, you should be able to lead your people at all levels of the business. Physical and Mental wellbeing should be treated as such.
Encourage self-care and switching off from work after work hours and during the weekend by doing it yourself. Promote self-care in the same way, such as discussing gym activities or starting a monthly mental health check-ins.
