Heavy workloads and staffing shortages are among the top factors keeping employee burnout levels elevated.
That’s according to a new survey of 1,000 workers by Eagle Hill Consulting LLC.
About 49% of American employees say they are burned out from their jobs, which is about the same as earlier in 2022.About 53% of younger workers and 54% of women — two groups critical to employers’ recruitment efforts in a difficult hiring environment — say they feel burned out.
As experts have noted, burnout is a key contributor to elevated quit rates that are leading to costly turnover for employers — trapping them in a vicious cycle of staff shortages, expensive recruitment efforts, disengaged workers and resignations.
The survey suggests the hiring challenges facing business owners and managers are impacting their employees, as well.Nearly half of respondents said their personal workload is causing burnout.Another 45% said staffing shortages at their business are a factor.
The survey found 86% of workers said they are covering workloads for unfilled positions, while 42% said they are helping new hires learn to do their jobs.
Eagle Hill’s survey did include some positive signs for employers when it comes to burnout.
The 49% of employees who reported feeling burned out is lower than the 58% who felt that way two years ago — although that period coincided with much pandemic-fueled turbulence.
“It’s encouraging to see that worker stress is dipping, but the high burnout levels remain troubling,” said [Melissa Jezior](bizjournals/search/results?q=Melissa Jezior) , president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting.”Employers need workers at the top of their game, and they need employees to stay on the job in this tight labor market.
When employees are exhausted, stressed or feel like they can’t perform, they’re likely to walk out the door.”
Tips to prevent burnout
But there are steps employers can take to combat burnout.
The survey found several steps employees said would be helpful, including:
– 72% who said a four-day workweek would help.Some businesses are taking that leap — [and here are some of their best practices.]
– 69% said increased flexibility would help, including about 61% who said working from home would help.
Here are some [best practices for making a hybrid workplace effective.]
– About 64% said a decreased workload, as well as 55% who said reduced administrative burdens.
– About 61% said better health and wellness could help burnout.Here are some [expert insights on that front.]
– About 53% also said better on-site amenities would help.
“Employers are wise to really understand the specific burnout levels and triggers among their workforce, along with the actions they can take to address the problem,” Jezior said.
Jezior said initiating a conversation with employees on the issue is the place to start.
The survey found 62% of respondents said they were comfortable telling their managers about burnout.Experts have said a lack of willingness to openly discuss burnout has been a barrier in addressing the issue over the past two years, so the fact that a majority of those surveyed are willing to talk about the issue is a positive sign.
[Heather Fuselier](bizjournals/search/results?q=Heather Fuselier) , an employee wellbeing consultant and coach, recently told The Playbook the signs of burnout are easy to spot once they are happening , but it’s harder to create an environment that proactively works to avoid burnout.
“Many managers do not understand the difference between stress and burnout, or know how to respond when they realize that one of their team members needs help,” Fuselier said.“The best approach is one that combines proactive communication, structure for remote workers’ connection and collaboration, and a sincere appreciation and support of employee self care and well-being.”
The future of the Great Resignation
One troublesome sign for employers? The Great Resignation is likely to linger, according to the survey, which found 36% of workers surveyed planned to leave their jobs in the next 12 months, up slightly from 34% who said the same thing in April 2022.
That is even higher among younger workers, with 46% of those ages 18 to 34 saying they planned to leave their jobs in the next year.
It was lowest among workers 55 and older, of which 23% said they planned to do the same.
The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found overall job openings rose to about 11.2 million, companies have largely not increased their layoffs of employees, despite big headlines from tech companies and signs that the heavily venture-driven industry is softening.The quit rate dropped slightly to about 2.7%, or about 4 million workers, still far above historic averages, and layoffs remained at about 0.9% — the same rate it has held at for several months now.
Burnout and quiet quitting
But ongoing burnout has also given rise, at least in part, to the now viral social media concept of “quiet quitting” in which workers only do the minimum their job, or their salary, requires,
A new Gallup poll found 32% of workers were engaged while the number who are actively “disengaged” has increased to 18%, or a ratio of 1.8 to 1 — the lowest in nearly a decade.It follows a trend that began in 2021 and coincided with the Great Resignation.The remainder of the workforce lies somewhere in between.
But “quiet quitting” is not just for the rank-and-file worker.
Only one in three managers are actively engaged, the Gallup poll showed.Overall, Gallup estimated half of the workforce might fall into the category of “quiet quitting.”
Here are a few tips on how to combat quiet quitting..
