The Unseen Causes Of Employee Burnout (Fix Them Today!)
A recent study found that job burnout is at an all-time high, sitting at 66% amongst employees across the country. This poses a sizable problem for leaders and business owners; burnt-out employees aren’t productive and tend to leave the companies they work for. You end up in a constant turnover loop of hiring and onboarding because everyone who works for you gets burned out.
First of all, that’s a sign that you’re not doing something right. No good leader should work their staff into the ground - it’s not a productive way to run a business. Secondly, burnout can often be caused by unseen things that you’d never even think of. It may seem like you’re running a decent ship and offering nice work schedules, but other elements of the job can make an employee burn out.
Today, we’re going to look at a few of these unseen causes so you can fix them and improve employee retention while boosting company morale.
A Lack Of PTO Clarity
Paid time off (PTO) is a mandatory benefit for all employees. They’re entitled to a certain number of days off every year, of which they’ll still be paid. Believe it or not, but a lack of clarity over PTO is one of the leading causes of employee burnout. Workers need to know how many days leave they have left, how they can book it off, etc.
It all comes down to improving PTO transparency and empowering your employees to take full control of their time off. This can manifest as a better system for logging paid time off, along with relaxed rules over when people can take time away. Stop implementing strict rules like only one employee is allowed off at once - it forces people to work for longer without taking breaks, not to mention everyone gets stressed out about “competing” to get time off at certain times.
No Feeling Of Appreciation From Higher Ups
Employees can feel burned out when they lack appreciation from those in charge. It’s incredibly difficult to keep going to work and giving 100% when there’s zero recognition from the people above you.
As a result, people become less productive and feel like they’re at the end of their tether. That’s usually when they quit, and you’re stuck with a crazily high turnover rate. All you have to do is show a little bit of appreciation for the people who work hard for your company every day. They’ll put more effort in and the mental stress eases, so they’re less likely to burn out.
Confusion Over Expectations
Similarly, employees will burn out if you’re unclear about what’s expected of them. They see no future at the company; no possibility of promotions or bonuses. Having no expectations makes them feel like they’re clocking in and banging their head against the wall for a few hours a day.
Improve workplace productivity by setting clear expectations for everyone. Let your employees know what you expect from them and outline what they can achieve at your business. Line up some bonuses, promote from within, and show your workers that they can expect great things if they stick around.
Most leaders assume that burnout only comes from overworking employees, but that’s not the case. If anything, it’s just as likely to come from stress or anxiety that’s caused by the unseen things mentioned in this post. Fix them, and you’ll fix your employee burnout problem for good.
