Beat Burnout Before It Begins: Essential Tips for Employers and Managers

Danielle Copplin, Director - Scope Psychology Services Australia

Burnout only occurs in the workplace—it is an “occupational phenomenon”. Burnout also occurs at a higher rate in Australia (61%) than the rest of the world (48%). Good thing they introduced our right to disconnect in April.

Burnout was first described in the 1970s and it hasn’t changed much since then. Symptoms of burnout include:

•   Feelings of exhaustion and very low energy
•   Feelings of negativity towards work
•   Feeling incapable of completing professional tasks

It looks like depression, but the symptoms are isolated to work.

What causes burnout?

Burnout happens when an employee:

1. Does not believe they are capable of completing the responsibilities of their role. This happens when employees do not have adequate training, resources or supervision.
2. Does not feel recognised for completing the responsibilities of their role. This happens when appropriate support structures and performance measures are not in place.
3. Is given with recognition, but not noticing it. This is common for employees who have different communication and social preferences. Neurodivergent employees may experience burnout for this reason.

Outcomes of Burnout

Burnout can have some pretty serious consequences in the workplace. You may see: reduced performance; reduced productivity and job satisfaction; increased leave requests; requests for extended leave; and increased turnover.

The consequences? You need to rely on other employees, recruit, and turn your attention to fixing culture and improving leadership strategies.

An Easier Alternative

It would be so much easier to have a crystal ball; see the future. Spot the early warning signs of burnout before they get out of hand. And yes, you guessed it, you can.

How? Tell your employees about FREE burnout prevention calls at Scope Psychology Services Australia. It’s simple. Employees book a call, complete a brief questionnaire, and talk to a psychologist about burnout and mental health.

Additional Strategies

Of course, this is not all the responsibility of the employee, so you should also:

• Encourage work-life balance

  Help your employees schedule leave as soon as they return from current leave, and respect the right to disconnect 

• Give personalised recognition.

  Ask your employee how they want to be rewarded. Don’t assume it’s the same as everyone else

• Don’t be afraid to manage performance.

  Believe it or not, humans love feedback, structure and measurement. It makes us feel safe and capable. Talk about what’s going well and what needs to be improved. Then, collaboratively make a plan for improvement (don’t expect the employee to solve the issue all on their own)

Need more guidance?

Employment and management can be challenging. Meeting the needs of individual employees and supporting their mental health can be easy. Share this poster with your team and help them to access effective external services.

You can also contact Scope Psychology to improve internal strategies that support employee mental health. Learn more about burnout, neurodivergence at work, and other mental health issues from our experienced psychologists.  Contact: e: danielle@scopepsych.com.au | w:  https://scopepsych.com.au/