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March 13, 2013

Watch out for signs that employees are ‘running on empty’

Nearly a third of HR directors in the UK believe employee burnout is common within their organisation, according to new research.

Recruitment firm Robert Half UK asked 200 HR directors to identify three factors that contribute most to employee burnout. Two thirds cited ‘workload’ as the primary reason for employee burnout, although this figure rises to 75 per cent for large firms and 73 per cent for public-sector companies.

More than half (56 per cent) highlighted ‘overtime/long working hours’ as the second biggest reason, followed by ‘unachievable expectations’ (35 per cent), ‘economic pressures’ (32 per cent), and ‘inability to balance personal and professional commitments’ (27 per cent).
 
Phil Sheridan, managing director at Robert Half UK, said: “Employee burnout can affect almost any professional – from top boss to rank and file employee. Many employees who have been tackling increased workloads while putting in long hours are beginning to lose their motivation at work and this is particularly challenging for accounting teams as they prepare for fiscal year-end.”
 
When asked if any initiatives had been implemented to prevent employee burnout, HR directors said they are promoting a teamwork-based environment (50 per cent), reviewing/restructuring job functions and tasks (45 per cent), encouraging team–building activities (34 per cent), providing flexible working options (34 per cent), and encouraging employees to take time off (31 per cent).  One in five businesses plan to hire additional temporary staff to help manage burnout.

In research carried out in January last year, nearly one in three (29 per cent) UK HR directors cited work-life balance as the primary motivation for employees leaving their company. Consequently, Robert Half UK argues that employee burnout and work-life balance should be primary considerations in organisations’ staff-retention strategies.
 
Added Sheridan: “In today’s economy, many businesses are managing heavier workloads with fewer staff, so hiring temporary or interim professionals is proving an effective and efficient way to alleviate pressure, especially as accounting and finance departments prepare for fiscal year-end.

“This allows companies to manage workload peaks and troughs without incurring fixed labour costs, while ensuring specialist technical skills are available as and when needed. Companies that adopt this approach have been able to cope better with the unexpected, prevent employee burnout, and avoid reduced morale and increased costs.”
 
According to Robert Half UK, the following warning signs that employees may be ‘running on empty’ include:

  • frequently being late for work;
  • lower productivity;
  • frequent disagreements with managers, or colleagues;
  • disconnection from work;
  • increased sick leave; and
  • negativity and emotional outbursts.

What makes us susceptible to burnout?

In this episode  of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.

We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.

stress

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