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Festive breaks are meant to be a time of recovery. They do not work out that way for all of us. For some, it means a desperate sprint to complete work projects before mass catering for fractious extended families. It is little wonder that some surveys propose burnout is exacerbated by holidays such as the upcoming Christmas break.
Burnout is characterised by fatigue and disengagement. It is a particular problem in professional workplaces. Here, workers often end up working long hours on demanding projects for ungrateful clients and senior managers. Financial rewards may heavily outweigh job satisfaction.
Levels of worker stress have dipped from pandemic-era highs, according to research by Gallup. But the percentage of US employees who say they feel burned out very often or always still stood at more than one in four earlier this year.
Four out of five senior risk professionals fear burnout is likely to be a key problem for their company in 2024, according to a report by consultancy International SOS.
In the UK, annual sickness absence rates are at their highest levels in more than a decade, at an average of 7.8 days per employee, says the Chartered set up of Personnel and Development. Stress remains a key factor in both short- and long-term absenteeism, according to CIPD research.
Gallup estimates that low employee engagement costs the global economy $8.8tn annually. In some workplaces, it can enhance the risk of staff using machinery in dangerous ways.
Corporates are conscious of the problem. Training business Mind Gym estimates they spent $50bn worldwide in the past year on employee wellbeing programmes, including access to meditation apps or helplines. Such schemes, while well-intended, can stumble if they tackle symptoms rather than causes. Policies can also ignore individual circumstances.
To resolve this, line managers need the right “soft skills”, says Ben Willmott of the CIPD. Managers who set achievable goals and jointly resolve problems can help their team avoid prolonged stress exposure, he adds.
Managers who regularly ask simple questions appreciate “are you OK?” help staff feel supported, says Dr Katherine O’Reilly, medical director at International SOS.
Wellbeing programmes have become big business. But the best cure for burnout is the commonsense concern of managers for staff who may be overburdened and desperate. It starts with scheduling emails for the new year, instead of sending them on Boxing Day.
The Lex team is interested in hearing more from readers. Please tell us what you think the cure is for workplace burnout in the comments section below.
