Burnout In The Workplace

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Burnout In The Workplace

• Sandy Chan
• Public Administration 700
• December 7, 2006

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Agenda

• Definition of Burnout
• Background
• Myths
• Why Is Burnout Important?
• Causes
• Signs
• Implications

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Burnout

• Emotional exhaustion, apathy and reduced
  personal accomplishment resulting from prolonged
  stress, overwork or intense activity.

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Background

• Burnout coined in 1980 by
• Herbert J. Freudenberger
• Academic roots in human services
• Nursing/Medicine Education Eligibility Work
• Law Enforcement Social work
• Academia and private employers are paying more
  attention to it as globalization and technology
  are changing the workplace.

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Background

• Globalization
• Outsourcing, mergers, layoffs Same/more work to
  do by fewer people
• A service-based economy rather than a
  manufacturing-based one more work based on
  building relationships with others
• Technology
• E-mail, instant messaging, mobile communication
  devices allow for a much more demanding and
  fast-paced workplace

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Myths

• It is a problem and the responsibility of the
  individual, not the workplace
• Problems outside of work are interfering with job
  performance
• An attitude problem always complaining but not
  taking responsibility for ones own actions
• A sign of weakness, instability or misfit for the
  job

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Myths

• An inevitable--but manageable--part of working
  life
• Personal problems call for personal solutions
  get rest, get help or get out
• Theres not much an organization can do to solve
  it
• But these assumptions fail to take the problem
  into context

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Why Is Burnout Important?

• Burnout is costly to individuals and the
  workplace
• Reduced productivity due to poor morale
• Employee sickness
• Employee backlash in the form of sabotage or
  theft
• Potential loss of best employees those who care
  the most tend to burn out first

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Why Is Burnout Important?

• Workers compensation, law suits
• The spending of time and money for recruiting
  training
• Public relations problems lost business
• The future of the company/organization and society

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Wayne State University School of Medicine, 2003
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Causes

• Work overload
• Lack of control over work
• Insufficient Reward
• Breakdown of Community
• Absence of Fairness
• Conflicting Values

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Signs

• Anxiety
• Sleeplessness
• Sickness
• Irritability toward colleagues and family
• Cynicism
• Depersonalization
• Thoughts of leaving the job

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Implications

• Not an individual problem its a workplace
  problem
• Employees want work that is challenging and
  rewarding, but when the environment is conducive
  to burnout, employees will be able to put less
  and less energy into their work.
• Show appreciation for work done and reward
  accomplishments
• Allow employees flexibility and autonomy over
  their work

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Implications

• Ask for employee input about changes or
  disturbances before implementing them
• Mentality should be An ounce of prevention is a
  pound of cure instead of If it aint broke,
  dont fix it.
• Resolution will have to constantly evolve as the
  workplace evolves, so effective communication is
  key.

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