Burnout is a growing problem that affects all sectors, across the globe. Burnout is not an official medical mental health diagnosis, such as depression or anxiety, and is described in the International Classification of Diseases as an ‘occupational phenomenon.’ The symptoms are mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion caused by long-term stress in the workplace.
What causes burnout?
According to data from SD Worx, 43% of UK employees regularly work overtime, with 35% saying that they had difficulty letting go of work commitments when on leave. Just over a fifth of respondents (22%) said that they find it hard to switch off after work.
UK employees also feel pressured to be contactable at all times via digital means more than their European neighbours – 64% in the UK compared to 49% in Germany and 47% in Norway.
Often burnout is seen as being caused by one big thing, such as working long hours but new research shows that small moments of stress, which feel manageable at the time, can add up over time and cause burnout.
Living in the digital age means that our work lives often spill into our home lives. Work group WhatsApp, Teams, or Slack messages at 9pm may seem fairly harmless but seeing that message could cause stress or anxiety. The same goes for emails.
How charities can address burnout
When it comes to taking responsibility for managing mental health and wellbeing, the onus is often on the employee. Charities should invest more in mental health and wellbeing initiatives, as well as address the root causes of burnout. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes business sense too.
Pay fair wages
With the Cost-of-Living Crisis, salaries are simply not going as far as they used to and salaries are not increasing in line with inflation.
A big cause of stress is financial worries. Charities need to ensure that they are paying their employees a fair wage for their role. The CharityComms Salary and Organisational Culture Survey 2022 report showed that just under 25% of respondents hadn’t had a salary increase in the last 12 months. Worryingly almost 40% said that they don’t think that their salary will increase in the next 12 months.
One way to address this is to undergo a salary review and benchmark salaries, ensuring that you are paying at least the standard for the role.
Offer flexible working hours and hybrid working
A recent study by Lenovo and Cebr found that just over a third of employees in the UK feel that they do not have a good work/life balance. According to the CharityComms Salary and Organisational Culture Survey 2022 report, 72% of respondents feel that their job allows them to have a good work/life balance.
Whilst this is a more positive outlook than the Lenovo and Cebr study, there is still work to be done.
One of the ways that charities can support their employees in achieving a better work/life balance is to offer flexible hours so that they can work around other responsibilities, such as childcare or caring for a family member.
Hybrid working gives time back to employees that they can spend on self-care, such as going to the gym, going for a walk, spending time reading, or whatever it is they wish to do. Time that would otherwise be spent on travelling into an office.
With only 3% of respondents saying that they do not want to work from home, hybrid working is a key way to give staff more time back and ownership over how they spend that time.
Have Mental Health First Aiders
Some organisations feel that offering staff a subscription to a wellbeing app, as part of their employee benefits, will address the issue of wellbeing and mental health. It won’t.
Most offices have staff trained in first aid so that they can assist colleagues if they injure themselves or become physically unwell whilst they are in the office. An importance is placed on physical wellbeing but what about mental wellbeing?
Charities should invest in Mental Health First Aider training. Mental Health First Aiders are not only trained to spot the signs of people experiencing poor mental health but also given the confidence to start a conversation with their colleague and signpost them to appropriate support.
Bring in freelance support
One big cause of burnout is having to do the job of two or more people. If there are gaps in your team, whilst you’re recruiting, or there’s simply too much work, get in some freelance support.
Freelancers can help bring in extra capacity as well as help move things along, using their years of experience. Just ensure that you brief them properly and set out expectations from the start.
Sometimes employees feel that they can’t take their annual leave because there’s no one to fill in for their absence. Having freelance support can ensure that they take their annual leave and have the time they need away from the office and work pressures. It also means that they don’t come back to a huge backlog of work, where they would need to work overtime to get it done.
Helpful resources
Here are some helpful, free resources to help put mental health and wellbeing front and centre at your organisation:
- Wellbeing strategy template
- A wellbeing guide for comms professionals
- How to spot and stop burnout
- Wellness Action Plan
- How the Manual of Me can help build stronger teams
Want to reset, clarify your priorities, explore strengths, and plan your next steps? If so, why not join us for our wellbeing workshop, ‘Time to Reset,’ in September?
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