A significant portion of India’s workforce, nearly 78%, experiences work burnout, with symptoms ranging from emotional to physical exhaustion, as per the latest study conducted by the UK Workforce Institute.
India also topped the survey conducted by McKinsey in 2023, with 59% of the employees surveyed reporting symptoms of burnout. (WHO) The World Health Organisation has now recognised burnout as a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
A Quality of life at work and stress test was conducted by YourDOST in 2023 based on specific parameters like Emotional Wellness Among Employees Perception of Wellness & Support Received within the organisation.
The study revealed that 60% of the surveyed employees suffer from high and extreme stress, which can lead to burnout in the long term.
What is employee burnout?
Employee burnout is when employees feel emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. This is accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes towards oneself and others. Research further states that the scale of mental disorders in India accounts for nearly 15% of the global mental health burden. These numbers result in burnout and affect the organisation and the employee’s well-being.
While this is just the tip of the iceberg, corporations face deeper constraints due to employee burnout. Some of these include high turnover and the loss of talent that could otherwise be used to grow the business.
“It is like a flame: It is done when the wick is burnt out.”
In 2022, McKinsey Health Institute surveyed nearly 15,000 employees and 1,000 human-resource (HR) decision-makers in 15 countries. India was on this list, and the findings were genuinely startling. It was estimated that “toxic workplace behaviour” was, by a large margin, the biggest predictor of burnout symptoms and “intent to leave.”
What causes employee burnout?
- Feeling Undervalued: Employees experiencing burnout often feel they need to be more appreciated for their contributions, which diminishes their engagement and satisfaction.
- Overwork: Excessive workloads can cause overwhelmingness, potentially causing errors and increased stress.
- Lack of Managerial Support: Supportive management is crucial. Without it, employees may feel neglected and less motivated, impacting their performance and morale.
- No Career Progression: The absence of clear career advancement opportunities can lead employees to seek growth outside the company and will reflect in the financial impact of burnout
- Unclear Communication: Uncertainty about expectations due to poor management communication can create stress and frustration, leading to burnout.
- Excessive collaboration: Decision-makers can be deal-makers and deal-breakers, like two sides to a coin. Adopting agile principles, setting up pods with high energy/high-achieving players in a team instead of scattering them across groups.
The Test conducted at YourDOST revealed that 12.3% of the employees feel that they are less acknowledged by their team or the company for their efforts. 14.7% of the employees feel that they do not have a well-balanced life, and 20.5% of the employees feel like they are always being judged, implying the lack of a safe space in the workplace.
All these factors can gradually lead to burnout, causing lower productivity and increased turnover for the company.
Why is employee burnout terrible for companies?
Employee burnout can significantly impact a company’s financial health, reducing productivity, leading to high employee turnover and difficulties attracting new talent. A Study states that employees frequently experiencing burnout are 63% more likely to take time off and twice as likely to consider leaving their jobs.
Reduced Productivity: Burnout can lead to low motivation, energy, and concentration, leading to missed deadlines, poorer quality of work, and lower productivity. This decrease in performance can result in lost revenue and profitability due to missed opportunities.
Increased Turnover: Burnout often drives employees to resign, costing the company valuable expertise and incurring additional expenses for recruiting, hiring, and training replacements. High turnover can become a costly issue, especially in prevalent sectors.
How does Employee Well-Being Help?
Employee well-being fundamentally involves the physical, mental, and emotional health of everyone in the workplace. It extends beyond profit considerations, affirming that employees are crucial to any company’s success and building trust by encouraging and adopting a culture that promotes employee assistance. Employees who strongly agree that they get the right recognition for their work are up to 84% more likely to thrive. Now that’s a win-win situation!
Another survey conducted by YourDOST revealed that when employees feel acknowledged by their managers, they (68%) are more likely to believe that the organisation cares about their personal growth and hence put in more effort, resulting in increased overall productivity, which reduces the chances of burnout.
How can companies improve on this:
- Promoting Work-Life Balance: Wellness programs and flexible work regimes can improve employees’ work-life balance. Randstad surveyed 94% of employees and found that work-life balance is crucial, highlighting the importance of programs that encourage self-care and stress management.
- Burnout recovery strategies: Ideating strategies is an excellent place to start. Train managers to recognise signs of burnout, provide support, address toxic behaviours quickly and establish respectful, inclusive policies.
- Attracting and Retaining Talent: Wellness benefits are essential for attracting and retaining top talent. IFEBP reports that more than half of employers see a decrease in absenteeism due to wellness initiatives, and 63% note financial growth and sustainability. Furthermore, 67% of employees observe higher job satisfaction.
- Building Team Cohesion: Group activities enhance team dynamics, with 73% of employees reporting better relationships with colleagues due to engaging in wellness programs (SHRM). Additionally, this enhances corporate productivity.
- Boosting Morale: Wellness programs demonstrate to employees that they are valued beyond their work output, enhancing morale and the overall workplace atmosphere.
- Supporting Financial Wellness: Financial wellness should be a core part of company programs, emphasising the need for support in monetary planning and stress reduction caused by prevalent financial issues.
- Enhancing Creativity: The University of Warwick found that workplace happiness leads to a 12% spike in productivity, underscoring wellness programs’ creative and innovative benefits.
- Building Resilience: Programs that foster emotional resilience help reduce burnout and support mental health, which is crucial for long-term employee well-being.
Inculcating employee assistance counselling: Normalising seeking help is the first step towards acknowledging employees’ mental health and well-being. This begins with introducing employee assistance benefits, ensuring a 360-degree holistic approach to the employee’s mental health. In a different study, 41% of Indian employees cite a lack of separation between work and personal life, which may be stress-inducing and harmful to well-being. The relevance of implementing wellness programs is crucial for modern organisations during such cases. These programs foster a supportive and forward-thinking environment vital to achieving sustained employee and company success.
As leaders, ensuring the emotional well-being of your employees sets you apart from the crowd. BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE. If you are looking for ways to get started, you are at the right place. Click here to learn more about our business offerings.
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