Business owners regularly fall foul of the same mistake. They’re caught up in the heat of the moment trying to push their company forwards and forget about their poor employees. Effectively, the workers get worked too hard and they burn out.
This is a huge problem for multiple reasons. Burnt-out employees will lead to the following business issues:
- A lack of daily productivity
- More time off
- Employees leaving the business leads to a higher turnover rate
- A high turnover rate leads to higher expenditure
- High expenses can cause a loss in profit margins
Perhaps more importantly, burnt-out employees become physically and mentally stressed. It’s not a good way to treat human beings, even if you do it by accident. This post will be dedicated to avoiding it, so you never cause employee burnout in your business.
Here are some ideas you should adopt:
Provide regular breaks during the day
All workers deserve a break for lunch during the day. You could make this a long one-hour break to help them refresh, or make it a short 30-minute one. If you opt for the second idea, it’s smart to let employees take another 30-minute break – or two 15-minute breaks – during the day.
This sounds like you’re missing out on productive work time, but it’s not true at all. Scientific research shows that taking breaks at work will make employees more productive. They get to recharge their batteries for a moment before jumping back in. So, while it feels like having lots of breaks can disrupt the workplace, it actually makes it a more productive place. They’ll get more done during the time they’re working while avoiding a burnt-out feeling.
Give employees paid time off
Similarly, you should allow workers to take extended breaks from work when necessary. Sometimes, having a day off on Monday and Friday can help an employee mentally and physically recharge. Or, they need a whole week away from work – and that’s totally fine.
This is why paid time off is so essential. Workers know they’ll still be paid when having a break, encouraging them to take a step back and rest. It prevents them from working every single day for months as they don’t want time off or they lose money. You’re giving them a chance to step away for a moment and spend a few days relaxing. They’ll appreciate this too, which encourages them to stick around for longer so you don’t end up with a high turnover rate.
Manage workloads
The biggest cause of employee burnout is an unrealistic workload. You’re seeing this in the news lately with animation studios in Hollywood. It’s a great case study for burnout as these studios are being overworked and held to ridiculous deadlines, causing loads of employees to quit and burn out.
As an owner, you should set realistic targets for employees, so they aren’t worked to the bone to meet goals. There should never be a mad rush to get things done if you plan in advance and distribute the workload accordingly.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your business must always be working at 110%. You want to drive employees to work hard as you think this benefits your company. In reality, it leads to burnout which is a detriment to your business. Use these ideas to avoid causing employee burnout and you’ll see some true business benefits.
