Addressing Employee Burnout | Essays (university) Sociology

Addressing Employee Burnout

Employee burnout is a condition of persistent physical and mental tiredness brought

on by long-term exposure to stressful work environments and high-stress levels. It is more

common than ever, having a negative effect on employees’ physical and mental health,

decreasing job satisfaction, and decreasing productivity (Schaufeli et al., 2018).

Understanding the elements contributing to burnout and looking into practical ways to

prevent and lessen its effects are becoming increasingly important, given its negative

implications on individuals and organizations.

Organizations encounter various difficulties due to employee burnout, including

elevated absenteeism, increased turnover rates, and decreased employee engagement

(Schaufeli et al., 2009). Burnout affects employees’ drive and enthusiasm for their jobs,

which lowers productivity and the quality of their work. Burnout can also negatively impact

an employee’s mental health, causing them to experience more stress, worry, and even

depression. Burnout has a detrimental effect on the organization as a whole as well as on

individuals. This has the effect of lowering team morale, lowering organizational

commitment, and raising healthcare costs related to employee well-being.

Organizations have launched several initiatives to understand employee burnout’s

underlying causes better and develop remedies due to their recognition of the importance and

necessity of doing so. However, a thorough comprehension of the causes of burnout and the

best preventative measures still needs to be developed. This paper investigates the complex

nature of burnout and suggests evidence-based approaches to successfully handle and prevent

burnout in the workplace to close this knowledge gap. Organizations can implement focused

interventions that advance worker well-being, boost job satisfaction, and build a productive

work environment by pinpointing the causes of burnout and understanding its effects.

Literature Review

Ahmed and Ramzan (2013) investigated the relationship between job stress and job

performance among bank employees in the banking sector of Pakistan. The researchers

identified various sources of stress faced by bankers, including excessive workload, role

doubt, role conflict, concern for people, contribution, lack of feedback, keeping up with rapid

technological changes, being in an inventive role, career development, organizational

structure and climate, and recent episodic events. According to Ahmed and Ramzan (2013), a

significant negative correlation exists between job stress and performance. This means that

job stress has a detrimental effect on the performance of individuals in the banking sector.

Based on these findings, the study suggests that organizations should create a healthy,

cooperative, and friendly teamwork environment to improve employee performance.

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Addressing Employee Burnout Employee burnout is a condition of persistent physical and mental tiredness brought on by long-term exposure to stressful work environments and high-stress levels. It is more common than ever, having a negative effect on employees’ physical and mental health, decreasing job satisfaction, and decreasing productivity (Schaufeli et al., 2018). Understanding the elements contributing to burnout and looking into practical ways to prevent and lessen its effects are becoming increasingly important, given its negative implications on individuals and organizations. Organizations encounter various difficulties due to employee burnout, including elevated absenteeism, increased turnover rates, and decreased employee engagement (Schaufeli et al., 2009). Burnout affects employees’ drive and enthusiasm for their jobs, which lowers productivity and the quality of their work. Burnout can also negatively impact an employee’s mental health, causing them to experience more stress, worry, and even depression. Burnout has a detrimental effect on the organization as a whole as well as on individuals. This has the effect of lowering team morale, lowering organizational commitment, and raising healthcare costs related to employee well-being. Organizations have launched several initiatives to understand employee burnout’s underlying causes better and develop remedies due to their recognition of the importance and necessity of doing so. However, a thorough comprehension of the causes of burnout and the best preventative measures still needs to be developed. This paper investigates the complex nature of burnout and suggests evidence-based approaches to successfully handle and prevent burnout in the workplace to close this knowledge gap. Organizations can implement focused interventions that advance worker well-being, boost job satisfaction, and build a productive work environment by pinpointing the causes of burnout and understanding its effects. Literature Review Ahmed and Ramzan (2013) investigated the relationship between job stress and job performance among bank employees in the banking sector of Pakistan. The researchers identified various sources of stress faced by bankers, including excessive workload, role doubt, role conflict, concern for people, contribution, lack of feedback, keeping up with rapid technological changes, being in an inventive role, career development, organizational structure and climate, and recent episodic events. According to Ahmed and Ramzan (2013), a significant negative correlation exists between job stress and performance. This means that job stress has a detrimental effect on the performance of individuals in the banking sector. Based on these findings, the study suggests that organizations should create a healthy, cooperative, and friendly teamwork environment to improve employee performance.

Siu et al. (2014) conducted two studies in Hong Kong that focused on stress management using a positive psychology approach. The first study targeted healthcare workers to reduce burnout and enhance work well-being, including job satisfaction, physical and psychological symptoms, and positive emotions. The study employed a one-group pretest-posttest design and involved 1,034 healthcare employees who attended a 2 - day training course in 17 separate classes. The results, analyzed using paired t-tests, consistently showed improved work-related well-being and reduced burnout after the training. The second study investigated whether the observed improvements were specifically attributable to the intervention. It utilized a quasi-experimental design with a control group and a pretest- posttest design. In addition to focusing on work-related well-being, this study aimed to improve participants’ recovery experiences. The experimental group comprised 50 teachers, while the control group had 48 teachers. The results indicated that teachers in the experimental group scored significantly higher in recovery experiences, particularly mastery than those in the control group.

Schaufeli and Bakker (2004), burnout and engagement are negatively related but have different predictors and consequences. Approximately 10% to 25% of their variances are shared. Job demands primarily predict burnout but are also influenced by a lack of job resources. On the other hand, engagement is exclusively predicted by available job resources. This study provides insights into the differential predictors and consequences of burnout and engagement, which will help me understand my research problem. It highlights the importance of job demands and resources in influencing employee well-being and emphasizes the need for tailored intervention strategies. Understanding these relationships can inform organizations in designing effective interventions to reduce burnout and enhance employee engagement. Vassos et al. (2017) explore the relationship between job demands, job resources, burnout, and engagement among disability support workers (DSWs). According to Vassos et al. (2017), there is a significant three-way interaction between workload, control, and colleague support for emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment (both related to burnout), and vigor (related to work engagement). From the results, it can be inferred that the study establishes correlations between the variables rather than asserting causation. The study identifies associations between job demands, job resources, burnout, and engagement but does not claim that changes in one variable directly cause changes in another. Vassos et al. (2017) contribute to an increased understanding of my research problem by proving that workload, job control, and colleague support collectively influence burnout and work engagement among DSWs. The findings suggest that organizations seeking to address employee burnout should take a comprehensive approach considering the interplay between these factors. Another study by Lambert et al. (2017) aimed to extend our understanding of burnout beyond Western police officers and investigate how various factors relate to the three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of accomplishment. The authors found that job involvement and job satisfaction were associated with lower levels of all three dimensions of burnout. Job stress was linked to emotional and reduced accomplishment burnout. In addition, a high affective commitment was associated with a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, while continuance commitment was linked to higher levels of emotional and depersonalization burnout. Regarding causality, the study does not explicitly promote a causation interpretation. Instead, it explores the associations between the studied variables and burnout dimensions. The findings provide valuable insights into the factors that contribute to employee burnout among Indian police officers and highlight the importance of addressing job stress and commitment levels while enhancing job involvement, job satisfaction, and affective commitment. This study, therefore, contributes to a better understanding of employee burnout and can inform strategies for addressing burnout in police organizations. The causes of employee burnout have been the subject of numerous studies. Overwhelming workloads and deadline pressure have repeatedly been identified as important factors (Persellin et al., 2019). Employees are much more likely to experience burnout when faced with a heavy workload and inadequate resources or assistance. Additionally, a lack of influence over decisions made at work, a lack of autonomy, and a lack of appreciation and reward have all been linked to higher levels of burnout (Bridgeman et al., 2018). Other contributors include interpersonal friction, role uncertainty, and competing expectations from work and home. Preventive approaches are essential in treating employee burnout, according to Fida et al. (2018). Preventing burnout requires actively promoting work-life balance. Companies should encourage employees to take breaks and vacations, provide flexible work schedules, and foster a culture that supports and encourages individual well-being (Omondi, 2016).

Another critical task management aspect is realistic goal-setting, equitable workload distribution, and providing staff with the required support and resources. Additionally, creating an environment at work that values social support, honest communication, and cooperative partnerships can prevent burnout (Eliacin et al., 2018). References Ahmed, A., & Ramzan, Dr. M. (2013). Effects of Job Stress on Employees Job Performance A Study on Banking Sector of Pakistan. IOSR Journal of Business and Management , 11 (6), 61–68. https://doi.org/10.9790/487x- 1166168 Bastida, M., Neira, I., & Lacalle-Calderon, M. (2022). Employee’s subjective-well-being and job discretion: Designing gendered happy jobs. European Research on Management and Business Economics , 28 (2), 100189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2021. Bridgeman, P. J., Bridgeman, M. B., & Barone, J. (2018). Burnout syndrome among healthcare professionals. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy , 75 (3), 147–

https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp Eliacin, J., Flanagan, M., Monroe-DeVita, M., Wasmuth, S., Salyers, M. P., & Rollins, A. L. (2018). Social capital and burnout among mental healthcare providers. Journal of Mental Health , 27 (5), 388–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2017. Fida, R., Laschinger, H. K. S., & Leiter, M. P. (2018). The protective role of self-efficacy against workplace incivility and burnout in nursing. Health Care Management Review , 43 (1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1097/hmr. Lambert, E. G., Qureshi, H., Frank, J., Klahm, C., & Smith, B. (2017). Job Stress, Job Involvement, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment and Their Associations with Job Burnout Among Indian Police Officers: a Research Note. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology , 33 (2), 85–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896- 017 - 9236 - y Omondi, A. A. (2016, December 1). Flexible Work Schedules- a Critical Review of Literature. Erepository.uonbi.ac.ke. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/ Persellin, J. S., Schmidt, J. J., Vandervelde, S. D., & Wilkins, M. S. (2019). Auditor Perceptions of Audit Workloads, Audit Quality, and Job Satisfaction. Accounting Horizons , 33 (4), 95–117. https://doi.org/10.2308/acch- 52488 Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, Job resources, and Their Relationship with Burnout and engagement: a multi-sample Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 25 (3), 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job. Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Van Rhenen, W. (2009). How changes in job demands and resources predict burnout, work engagement, and sickness absenteeism. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 30 (7), 893–917. https://doi.org/10.1002/job. Schaufeli, W., Maslach, C., & Marek, T. (2018). Professional burnout : recent developments in theory and research. Taylor & Francis. Siu, O. L., Cooper, C. L., & Phillips, D. R. (2014). Intervention studies on enhancing work well-being, reducing burnout, and improving recovery experiences among Hong Kong health care workers and teachers. International Journal of Stress Management , 21 (1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1037/a

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