Understanding and Addressing Burnout for Small Business Owners – Part I
As a small business owner, your employees are your most valuable asset. It would make sense that their well-being directly impacts your company’s success. One critical issue that can undermine both employee health and business performance is burnout.
Employee burnout is a pervasive issue in the workplace today that affects individuals across all industries and company sizes but is a concern especially for small business owners. A Deloitte survey found that 77% of professionals have experienced burnout at their current job.
Recognizing the signs of burnout and taking proactive steps to address it is essential for maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. In part I of this blog post, we'll explore what employee burnout looks like, its impact on individuals and businesses, and practical strategies for small business owners to help prevent and alleviate burnout among your team.
What is Burnout?
Employee burnout is not a clinical condition, but a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an occupational phenomenon driven by a chronic imbalance between job demands and job resources characterized by:
Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion and unable to cope.
Increased mental distance or feelings of cynicism.
Reduced professional efficacy, productivity, and sense of accomplishment.
Employees who are burnout are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room.
Why is Burnout so Important?
Businesses encounter several challenges with burnout employees. According to Gallup, employees who are burnout are 2.6 times more likely to leave. Burnout has also been demonstrated to be correlated with anxiety and depression, a potential predictor of broader mental health challenges. These challenges decrease employee creativity, motivation, innovation, and productivity. Once these challenges arise, it often leads to employee turnover, affecting team mood and performance, increasing subpar customer service, and damaging your business’ reputation.
What Causes Burnout in Small Businesses?
The cause of burnout varies from one person to the next. However, the following could contribute to an employee experiencing burnout:
Excessive workload due to limited staff or inadequate support or resources.
Long work hours and not feeling the freedom to take time off.
Consistent lack of recognition and compensation of efforts.
Unclear job expectations or constantly changing targets.
Lack of leadership support in decision making.
Toxic work environment brought on by bullying, discrimination, microaggressions, harassment, or unfairness.
Lack of challenging work.
Lack of mental health coping mechanisms.
Feeling or having little control over work.
What are the Possible Signs of Burnout?
It's crucial to be able to recognize the signs of burnout among you and your employees before you can address it. Some common indicators of burnout include:
Decreased Productivity: Employees may become less efficient in their work, struggling to meet deadlines, making more mistakes, inability to focus, or demonstrating difficulty completing tasks that were previously manageable.
Increased Absenteeism: According to Gallup, employees who are burnout are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room. Burnout can lead to increased absenteeism as employees may feel physically or emotionally drained and request increased time away from work to avoid the demands of work.
Withdrawal and Isolation: Burned-out employees may withdraw from social interactions and gatherings with colleagues, preferring to work alone or avoid workplace interactions altogether.
Emotional Exhaustion: Employees may exhibit signs of emotional exhaustion, such as irritability, moodiness, or apathy towards their work and colleagues.
Physical Symptoms: Burnout can manifest physically in an employee such as headaches, fatigue, insomnia, shortness of breath, or digestive issues, reflecting the toll that chronic stress has taken on the body.
Decreased Engagement: Burnout often leads to decreased engagement and enthusiasm for work making employees may feel disillusioned with their job. It can also be demonstrated in the constant worry and anxiety about work making employees feel they cannot take time off.
Conclusion
Employee burnout is a significant concern for small business owners that impacts both individual well-being and organizational retention. The first step to help prevent and alleviate burnout among teams is by understanding the causes of burnout and recognizing the signs. Next week small business owners will learn how to address burnout.
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