The world has had to adjust and readjust to countless changes over the last two years and the effects have been showing on people. But with extended periods of living in a void where the news is as unpredictable as our new world, a new kind of employee has been spotted. The employee who was previously agile, quick, and bright is starting to get snappier. They seem tired earlier than usual and are doing just about the bare minimum at work. Meet the burnt-out employee. 

In a recent study conducted about burnout and productivity, out of 75,000 employees, 23% reported feeling burnt out. This number is increasing at an alarming rate and has some very serious consequences. Consider this- the employee needs to be feeling connected to the company and the work to perform their best, but when they are not feeling good enough about their work, would they see a reason for doing well at their job? 

63% of the employees who feel burnt out have reported calling in sick and taking an increased number of days off-days; and even if they do not call in sick, their productivity is lowered by 13%. Now more than ever, when people are stuck in an unpredictable cycle of work from home and hybrid, the employer is responsible to let them know that they’re there for them. 

Give employees incentives

Let your employee know you care by giving them incentives. Incentives do not need to be restricted to monetary benefits only, as there are other small ways you can show them you are looking out for them. One easy way is making the time for a one-on-one with your team so that an open dialogue and connection is created between not just the higher-ups, but also the entire team. One could also try to show them that their work is valued by creating time off coupons, ones that can be used to have an extra lunch hour if they perform well, and so on. 

Creative incentives are especially great with younger employees who are in the most need of care. In a survey conducted by Indeed, Millennials and Gen-Z were the most burnt-out from the pandemic. 59% of the millennial population said that they were affected by the pandemic, with Gen Z reporting at 58% when their burnout was only 47% in 2020. There are plenty of creative ways that companies big and small alike can be responsive to the employee.  

Giving employees incentives helps boost performance at work by boosting group values and giving people a goal to work towards. Any organization that provides communication, rewards, support, and value to their employees’ incentives is bound to have increased productivity and results. 

Have a company counselor at hand 

Mental health and managing it have been extremely important lately. A lot of millennials and Gen-Z especially have been embracing mental health resources, and having someone to help at a company level will help them feel at ease. There are also smaller ways of being involved like introducing people to mindfulness apps, therapy-bots, feedback forms, and many more ways of letting one know that they’re being heard. 

Professional counselors help employees sort out any issues they may be running into at work and help them overcome any hurdles that might be proving to be a hindrance. Short term therapy helps clarify issues and questions that might be on the employees’ minds, help provide solutions, and monitor progress. This is why lately there’s been a trend wherein HR has been employing in-house psychologists; because a stress-free environment is just as important as a productive workplace. 

Make meetings interactive

Gone are the days when meetings were about only work and non-interactive. Having an active and engaging presence is an important skill to have as a senior, especially because it helps the employee feel connected to the purpose of the company. Aside from work meetings, seniors and employers can hold meetings to have interactive sessions about the media the employees are consuming, or perform activities suggested by the people. 

A survey conducted amongst 180 senior managers concluded that employees often found meetings with no direction, and no concrete work or message to be unproductive. 65% of the participants said that meetings that served no proper purpose stalled their productivity. To ensure that employees are feeling at their best and being purposeful with work, it is important to know what messages should be deployed via email, and which ones can be discussed in meetings. 

Be proactive and approachable 

Having the right manager is essential to have the team running, but it is also a worthy investment to look into managers who are especially proactive with their team. It especially helps if, in a corporate structure, the employee can talk and report freely to the manager which will help them tackle burnout at an early hour. Women have also reported feeling more burnt out than men by 7%, so it is important to have a manager who is approachable to as many people. 

Burnout has been widely discussed due to how it has become increasingly common for employees and it is time for the higher-ups at jobs to pay closer attention to the people so they can maintain company equilibrium effectively and keep the company morale up.

It is important to stress the need to take a break, especially when people are working from home. By delegating the right amount of time to tasks and taking time away from work, people will be able to deal with stressful situations in a more productive manner. It is important to remind employees of the importance of dealing with stress in a healthy manner.