Ben, the automotive charity, aims to raise awareness and provide general information to the industry about stress and burnout in the workplace. Leila Moss, Communications & Campaigns Manager, offers guidance on how to spot the signs and support those employees in need of it.
Most of us will have experienced stress in the workplace, but, if it continues for prolonged periods without intervention, stress can become a bigger problem. So it’s important to be mindful of the key stress signs and then assess whether they become more acute, leading to burnout.
Burnout is a state of chronic stress (physical, emotional or mental exhaustion); it’s more than just working too hard. Burnout can lead to mental health conditions, so it’s important to spot the signs early. Researchers say burnout can be broken down into three parts:
Exhaustion, or chronic fatigue, can lead people to be more emotional and less resilient. This could take the form of:
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- ? Physical exhaustion
- ? Insomnia
- ? Becoming easily upset or emotional
- ? Forgetfulness or loss of concentration
- ? Depression
- ? Increased sickness due to lowered immunity
- ? Change in appetite
Cynicism can mean that people feel alienated from their work and people they work with. They may:
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- ? Withdraw from their responsibilities
- ? Isolate themselves from colleagues
- ? Become pessimistic
Inefficacy may mean that someone doesn’t believe in their ability to do their job properly. You may see:
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- ? An inability to ‘switch off’ from work
- ? Lack of belief in ability and competence
- ? Poor performance and lack ofproductivity
- ? Increased irritability
How can you help?
As a manager and/or employer, it’s part of your role to support employees during stressful times. Here are some suggestions on how to tackle stress and burnout in the workplace:
- If the workload is too heavy, share theburden. Your employees will respect you if you get involved to help out. Is there anyone else in the team who can help during a particularly busy period or can you recruit some extra resource?
- ? Make yourself available, listen and offer your help, advice and support if needed.
- ? Be understanding and compassionate to the concerns and stresses of your employees.
- ? Allow employees some time out from more stressful tasks and ensure they have time to do tasks they excel in and enjoy.
- ? Encourage employees to have regular breaks to exercise or to just have some time away from their desks – and lead by example.
Stress and burnout has increased, so let employees know that they shouldn’t be replying to emails after a certain time of day or at weekends. Try to lead by example, because if you’re sending emails late at night or at weekends then your team may think they also need to.
Offer flexible working during stressful times, even if just for a short period of time. For example, if an employee has a long commute and a lot of work on, you could consider letting them work from home occasionally to give them more time back and reduce their daily stress.
