Burnout is, unfortunately, all too common in the modern workplace. When too much pressure is put on employees, they become drained. That’s not good for anyone — the employees themselves, the entire department nor the company as a whole. How can you, as an employer, recognize the signs of burnout to step in and change things before it gets worse?
Let’s take a look at five common signs of burnout, so you know when to intervene.
1. Consistent exhaustion.
When too much is put on an employee’s plate, he or she simply doesn’t have enough time in the day to complete all that’s required of them. And if that happens consistently day in and day out, it starts to pile up and become completely unmanageable. It’s a quick path to burnout! If you notice an employee seems fatigued on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to check in with them to see how they’re feeling about their workload.
2. Increased cynicism and/or irritability.
Some employees have sarcastic personalities, yes. But if an employee has become cynical or extra irritable when they weren’t before, something could be amiss. If you start to hear nothing but negativity from an employee, it’s probably something more than just a tough day on the job.
3. More mistakes.
Have you noticed an employee slipping up more than usual? Forgetting things? Failing to complete tasks that they used to breeze through? This kind of thing could be the result of burnout. What you don’t want to do is berate or punish the employee for these mistakes — talk to them to find out what’s going on. If some of their work can be delegated to another employee to help them get back on their feet, it’s more than worth it.
4. Disengagement from work.
When an employee is starting to feel burned out, he or she won’t approach their work with the same energy and fervor that they once did. If you see that an employee has become disengaged from their personal tasks and their team of coworkers, you could have burnout. Again, talking to the employee to find out what’s going on is the best course of action.
5. Frequent sick-leave.
Employees who are burned out tend to take more sick days or vacation days to avoid their work. If you’ve noticed a sudden uptick in days off from a certain employee, you might want to look into it. Of course, an employee could be taking leave for personal or family reasons, and you don’t want to pry. Checking in with them to make sure everything is okay is the way to approach it.
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