The Must-Read Book on Burnout

When employees are overworked, there is a snowball effect wherein poor performance resulting from a high workload causes additional stress for employees, further intensifying their burnout. Employees who report always having too much to do are more than twice as likely as others to experience work-related burnout. This can lead to chronic stress and is highly detrimental to mental health.

Micromanagement often leads to burnout. Employees will likely feel unfulfilled and burnt out when a role lacks autonomy, novelty, variety, and structured flow. A Swedish study cited in The Burnout Epidemic found that employees with more influence and control over their work reported less depression, fewer absences, and fewer symptoms of almost all negative health indicators.

Community fosters a sense of belonging. Considering how much time we spend at work, feeling comfortable and supported in that environment is important. Practicing gratitude and sharing appreciation for one another, for example, in thank-you meetings, are ways to build a positive company culture and strong community, resulting in enhanced performance and reduced burnout.

Employees require incentives to perform at their best. Many roles require employees to go above and beyond, stretching themselves thin at the cost of their mental and physical health. Some fields, such as healthcare or policing, have demanding hours and allow little time for rest. In these types of roles, employee appreciation and adequate compensation are especially crucial to sustain employees’ wellbeing.

A lack of fairness, or organizational justice, is generally a structural issue. Bias, favouritism, unfair policies, unfair compensation, and poor treatment by managers and/or coworkers all hinder the employee experience and foster a culture of unfairness. Having effective complaint mechanisms in place, promptly responding to all employee inquiries and a corporate strategy around fairness are conducive to a healthy work environment where employees are less likely to burn out.

Before the 2008 recession, one in five people were overqualified for their role. That figure has since increased to one in four. This is significant because overqualified employees report higher rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout than their appropriately qualified counterparts. Over-qualification and a resultant negative job attitude are bad for morale and performance and often result in burnout. Organizations should hire the right fits for their openings, meaning that the employee’s and company’s goals and expectations are aligned.