Unveiling the Workplace Burnout: "It's Not Me, It's You" -Addressing the Root Causes

By Moon Harper

Dec 05, 2023 04:03 AM EST

Workplace Burnout — (Photo : Unsplash/Luis Villasmil )

While many see burnout as a personal issue solvable with yoga or breathing exercises, mounting evidence suggests that using individual "band-aid" solutions in a fast-paced work setting may harm your health. With the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizing burnout, managing it now rests more on organizations than individuals.

Burnout As an Occupational Phenomenon

Burnout is now recognized in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. It's part of the chapter on factors influencing health status, dealing with reasons people seek health services that aren't considered illnesses. In ICD-11, burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress, characterized by energy depletion, increased mental distance from one's job, and reduced professional efficacy, specifically applicable to the work context.

The WHO is working on possible workplace mental well-being guidelines, which many organizations are uncertain about addressing since it's not considered a medical condition. As a result, the focus is more on the impact on employee well-being and the significant costs involved rather than on employer liability.

The Burnout Toll

A Stanford University study shows occupational stress gives rise to healthcare expenses amounting to $190 billion annually, roughly 8% of the country's budget. It contributes to approximately 120,000 deaths annually. Following a recent WHO study, 615 million people worldwide suffer from depression and anxiety, costing the global workforce about $1 trillion in lost productivity annually. Burnout is widespread in nursing and medicine, driven by compassion and passion. Suicide rates are considerably higher than the general population-40% for men and 130% for women.

It's Not Me, It's You

Christina Maslach, a social psychologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is an expert on burnout and feels that the approach to the issue is flawed. She is one of the leading Developments of the Areas of Worklife Survey and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) coauthor. Maslach worries that the WHO will now include burnout in IDC11 as a disease. In her opinion, this strategy concentrates more on the individual than organizational problems. In her opinion, treating burnout as a disease might result in assigning blame and terminating employees rather than admitting that the employing organization is to blame.

To Maslach's point, a Gallup survey of 7,500 full-time workers revealed the following five factors as the primary causes of burnout:

Unfairness in the workplace
Overwhelming workload
Absence of clear roles
Lack of support and communication from their manager
Excessive time constraints

As mentioned above, the list makes it evident that leadership should begin their preventative strategies much earlier to avoid burnout, as the core causes of the condition do not lie with the individual.

How To Address Burnout?

To address workplace burnout as a systemic issue rather than an individual problem, companies can implement the following strategies:

Promote Work-Life Balance

Encourage reasonable working hours and discourage a culture of constant overtime.
Promote a healthy work-life balance to set positive examples for employees.

Set Clear Expectations

Provide employees with clear job expectations and responsibilities to reduce ambiguity.
Ensure that workloads are manageable and realistic.

Create a Supportive Culture

Foster a supportive and inclusive workplace culture where employees feel comfortable seeking help.
Encourage open communication and provide resources for mental health support.

Training and Resources

Offer training programs on stress management, resilience, and coping mechanisms.
Provide resources, such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), to support mental health.

Prevent Overloading

Monitor workloads to prevent excessive stress and burnout.
Encourage breaks and vacations to allow employees to recharge.

Through organizational burnout management, businesses can foster a more positive work environment that promotes employee engagement, well-being, and general satisfaction. This method acknowledges that workplace factors frequently lead to burnout, which calls for teamwork to prevent and manage. As much as yoga, mindfulness classes, and resilience training are excellent resources for enhancing mental well-being and stress reduction, leaders must address workplace burnout, not employees'.