How to prevent burnout in the workplace: tips that experts recommend

Last updated: 28 March 2024

Burnout isn't a new problem, but many businesses are starting to understand just how prevalent and serious of an issue it is. The past few years have introduced multiple new stressors that affect workers – from the pandemic to new technologies reshaping whole industries to inflation-based economic concerns. The general workforce is dealing with a lot and, unsurprisingly, struggling.

Determining how to avoid burnout in the workplace is good for both your business and your employees.

What is burnout?

Burnout is what happens to the body and mind when someone experiences chronic stress. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has laid out three main symptoms that characterise burnout:

• Feelings of exhaustion or energy depletion
• Elevated feelings of negativity or mental distance from the job
• Less efficiency at work

WHO declared burnout an "occupational phenomenon" in 2019 – even before the pandemic started. For many workers, things have only got harder in the years since.

What's going on with the workforce?

In a survey by the American Heart Association, 82% of employees reported feeling burnt out at least some of the time, and 25% said they feel burnt out all the time. But it isn't just long hours affecting employee burnout. Gallup details five top causes:

• Unfair treatment at work
• Unmanageable workload
• Unclear communication from managers
• Lack of manager support
• Unreasonable time pressure

These issues affect employee satisfaction and performance. According to the TELUS Mental Health Index, 60% of workers say they're not working at their optimal level.

Why are stress and burnout such big problems?

To put it bluntly: Stress can lead to various health concerns that can reduce quality of life and even increase the risk of death.

According to Columbia University, chronic stress can lead to health issues ranging from increased blood pressure and inflammation in the body to a weakened immune system. Research from WHO has found a link between working more than 55 hours a week and an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. And the American Psychological Association (APA) reports that the long-term stress experienced since the start of the pandemic has caused an uptick in chronic illnesses and mental health diagnoses.

And working more doesn't always correlate to better results for businesses. A report from Slack revealed that 40% of workers regularly work after hours because they feel pressured to do so, but workers who log off promptly at the end of the working day earn 20% higher productivity scores.

What organisations can do to prevent burnout

Providing wellness benefits and encouraging employees to practice self-care matters, but businesses can go further in creating a culture that reduces burnout in the workplace. Here are 5 ways to get started:

Here are 3 ways to get started:

Enhance leadership practices

Equipping your leaders with the right training, skills and resources to support their direct reports is an important step in avoiding workplace burnout.

Invest in training

Businesses often promote people to management based on how well they performed in previous roles. The Chartered Management Institute has found that 82% of UK workers entering leadership roles receive no formal management training, which can lead to an unsupportive work environment. Your managers will serve their reports more effectively with proper training.

Emphasise clear communication

In a recent Gallup poll, only 44% of employees said they know what's expected of them at work. Provide workers with clear information about their responsibilities and how their performance will be measured. Let them know how their work contributes to the organisation's goals, so they understand the value they bring to the company.

Monitor workloads

You don't want any employee tasked with more work than one person can reasonably handle. Encourage managers to pay close attention to how much work each employee is asked to take on and to step in before anyone is overburdened.

Encourage engagement and feedback

The same Gallup poll revealed that only 33% of employees in the US are engaged, and only 26% feel like their opinions matter at work. To increase resilience and establish psychological safety in the workplace, prioritise employee engagement. Encourage employees to share their opinions, and make it clear that they won't be punished for honesty. Actively solicit feedback and implement changes based on what you hear.

Create opportunities for meaningful connection

According to Gallup, workplace isolation can also contribute to employee burnout. CDC research shows that social connection can reduce many of the health issues associated with stress.

For employees who work together in an office, consider how to enable active collaboration. This might include planning office activities that help employees get to know one another and setting up communal writing spaces (like a whiteboard for ideas).

For teams where some or all employees work from home, enabling collaboration can be more complex. Make use of digital conferencing capabilities and tools designed to create an online community, like a business Slack. Try to allow room for communication in these spaces that isn't all about work; having Slack channels devoted to shared interests, for instance, can help employees connect on a more personal level.

In addition, connection can (and should) go beyond day-to-day work. Consider facilitating or encouraging peer-driven groups for employees. And plan activities like happy hours or work retreats where employees can get to know each other outside the office. If your workforce is spread out, consider building travel costs into the budget to bring people together periodically. If that's not plausible, aim to organise digital events where people can connect personally as well as professionally.

Introduce flexible working options

The pandemic drove a huge sea change in workers' expectations for flexible work options. Two out of five workers now consider working from home (WFH) non-negotiable, according to Randstad's Workmonitor report. Trusting employees to get work done from the location that works best for them – whether that's the office, their sofa at home, or their favourite coffee shop can improve their quality of life and help reduce their stress levels.

In addition to WFH, consider allowing flexibility around when people work. Randstad found that 41% of people consider flexible hours a priority when considering jobs. Plus, Harvard research suggests that more workplace flexibility can lower employees' risk of cardiovascular disease.

Work-life balance isn't just a buzzword; respondents in Randstad's research ranked it as high a priority as pay. WFH and flexible hours give employees space to manage their other life responsibilities and interests, which can go a long way towards reducing stress.

Encourage and respect boundaries

For all the benefits of WFH, it can make it harder for people to draw clear lines between their work and personal lives. Pew Research reports that 55% of workers respond to work emails outside their normal hours. Slack's report revealed that 50% of workers don't take any breaks – making them 1.7 times as likely to experience burnout and 13% less productive than those who do.

Employees need to feel empowered to protect the time they need for themselves and their families. Most people recognise this – 95% of respondents in an APA report said it's important to work for an organisation that respects the boundaries between work and non-work time. But employees won't feel comfortable drawing and maintaining boundaries unless their employer supports them. Work on creating a culture where work-life balance and boundaries are respected as a priority – not just in word, but also in deed.

Provide and encourage employees to use PTO

One of the most important ways to avoid burnout is to take time off. Weekends and the occasional national bank holiday help, but they aren't enough on their own. Employees should be encouraged to take proper holidays that give them time to rest, recharge and spend quality time with loved ones.

Pew Research Center shows that 62% of employees place high priority on paid time off (PTO). But having PTO available isn't good enough. Employees need to know that using their PTO is not only accepted but also encouraged. Otherwise, Pew found, about half of workers won't use it all out of a concern that it could hurt their career.

Aim to create a culture where holidays are expected rather than resented. Urge managers and HR to monitor whether employees are using their holiday time, and actively encourage anyone who isn't taking enough to start using their holiday benefit.





The final case for preventing burnout




Preventing burnout goes beyond reducing employee stress. It requires systemic changes, from improving leadership communication to fostering continual team connections. Although individuals can invest in self-care, it is really up to companies to build burnout-prevention tactics into their organisations.