Employee burnout is a common phenomenon, but it is one that companies tend to treat as a talent management or personal issue rather than a broader organizational challenge. That’s a mistake.
Employee Burnout Is a Problem with the Company, Not the Person
Executives tend to think of employee burnout as an individual issue rather than a broader organizational challenge. That’s a mistake. The psychological and physical problems of burned-out employees, which cost an estimated $125 billion to $190 billion a year in healthcare spending in the US, are just the most obvious impacts. The true cost to business can be far greater, thanks to low productivity across organizations, high turnover and the loss of the most capable talent. Leaders need to own up to their role in creating the workplace stress that leads to burnout — heavy workloads, job insecurity, and frustrating work routines that include too many meetings and far too little time for creative work. Once leaders confront the problem at an organizational level, and address the three most common organizational culprits of burnout as discussed in this article, they can reduce burnout and raise productivity.