Experiencing stress at work is normal, but what happens when that stress becomes overwhelming? When employees are under constant stress, burnout is just around the corner, and attrition can soon follow. According to a report from Visier, 89% of employees stated they were experiencing burnout. And offering more vacation time to allow them to decompress doesn’t always work as less than 50% supported the idea that taking time off helped to mitigate burnout. Burned-out employees aren’t afraid to leave their positions either, with 70% of respondents agreeing they would leave their company to alleviate their stress.
There are many strategies that HR teams can implement to help push back against burnout and keep their valuable employees. However, one of the most important employee wellness strategies calls for managers to play a leading role in the process.
Recognize the Warning Signs
One of the best ways to keep away burnout is to train managers to identify the warning signs. Employees feeling overburdened will start to show changes in their behavior that managers should make sure to watch out for.
Decreased productivity is one of the main signs that an employee is struggling. If they are suddenly missing deadlines or producing lower-quality work, it is likely they are experiencing too much stress.
Absences and tardiness are also early signs that burnout could potentially occur. This is especially the case if the employee has never previously had a pattern of arriving late or frequently taking days off from work.
Their communication style may shift as well. Contributions in team meetings or office interactions can lessen where they were previously engaged employees.
Addressing the Workload
Once the early warning signs of stress or burnout have been identified, managers must also learn how to mitigate this issue. According to the same report from Visier, the number one reason why employees felt burned out was because of an increase in their daily workload. With that in mind, it would be helpful for managers to be trained in approaching this occurrence.
Teach managers to regularly evaluate the distribution of work among their employees to ensure no one person is bogged down by an excess of tasks. It can also help to delegate tasks by aligning them with each employee’s strengths.
Managers and employees will also benefit from having realistic deadlines. By allowing employees to share their work process and how long their tasks take, managers can then create deadlines that are achievable, encouraging minimal levels of stress.
Collaborating With Managers
After managers are trained to address these issues, they may sometimes still need the assistance of HR. Collaborating with HR empowers managers to navigate situations that require more sensitivity while maintaining support for the employee.
For example, a manager identifies their employee is struggling with mental health and would like to accommodate them. By collaborating with HR, the manager will then be better equipped to address the problem and provide the employee with company resources.
Workplace conflict is another example that would require managers and HR to work together. HR can offer managers an unbiased mediator to help managers restore team cohesion.
By working together, managers and HR can navigate sensitive situations with care and build a culture of trust and support.
A Healthier Workplace
Burnout is a growing challenge that impacts both employee well-being and company success. To effectively combat burnout, HR teams must empower managers to take a proactive role in recognizing and addressing employee stress. By training managers to identify early warning signs, address workload issues, and collaborate with HR, managers can then be equipped with an effective and comprehensive approach to support employees.
