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What are the common causes of Workplace Burnout?

Workplace burnout is a serious problem for employees and employers alike. Being able to treat burnout is important and can help to aid the overall wellbeing of employees.

A crucial part of treating burnout is to know about the causes behind workplace burnout. There are 6 common causes of workplace burnout. We will now be looking into these various causes and analysing them further.

Background

Before going into the causes, we will remind you that overall, workplace burnout results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

But as this is a rather general definition, it is important to drill down further into the specific causes, as this can allow us to target specific areas.

1. Lack of control

One of the most important ways of keeping on top of our work is to have clear knowledge on what we need to do, when it needs to be done by, and having the means to do so.

But unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Perhaps poor training means there is a knowledge gap,deadlines are unclear, or the resources needed are not available.

Alternatively, they might be micromanaged to the extent where they feel they have no creativity, are always being watched by someone senior, and have no say in their job.

This may contribute to an overall lack of control. This is a difficult feeling to have and can contribute to feelings of workplace burnout.

2. Increased workload

An increase in workload is an incredibly common factor in the development of workplace burnout. This is sadly something many of us can sympathise with.

Having your manager suddenly give you more work to do can cause a lot of stress. Worse yet, this may happen on a regular basis, causing numerous problems.

Especially for those that have been in a role for a long time, they will often find that over their tenure, more and more work gets added.

When a person’s workload is too high, they will often end up working longer hours, feel more stressed, become more irritable, and become very tired. This is a combination that easily contributes towards workplace burnout.

3. Lack of social support

Social support is a crucial aspect of not just the workplace, but life in general. If a person lacks social support, they will often feel isolated and lonely.

The importance of the social element of work cannot be understated. Research has showed that social support at work can lead to higher quality relationships, positive affective reactions, increased individual performance, and can buffer the negative effects of stressful demands [1].

Not having anyone to ask questions to and not having conversations with others can make it difficult.When looking at our experiences at work, even the office small talk can help us!

4. Difficult workplace dynamics

Given how much time we spend with our colleagues, the workplace, its people, the atmosphere and general culture are all important elements.

When people have friends at work, have their ideas accepted and have strong relationships with their line manager – this all assists with an employee’s work.

However, if there are challenging workplace dynamics, it can lower mood quickly. An employee may feel like they are being micromanaged, bullied or harassed by someone, or feel constantly undermined. These are common triggers for stress.

While the occasional week of a negative working environment is bearable, over time, it becomes incredibly difficult to deal with. Having to hear negative statement time and time again becomes tedious, and is enough to make anyone exhausted.

5. Unrealistic goals

Another common problem at work is having unrealistic goals. When an employee is given goals or targets to achieve, they should be achievable and realistic, with clear instructions.

However, if someone is essentially “thrown to the wolves” and given no guidance, it can become very stressful. They will typically struggle to complete their work and may need to spend substantial time in trying to contact others to assist them.

It will typically result in the employee feeling like they need to work longer hours to try and meet the goals. This will inevitably cause stress, and can hasten the process of workplace burnout.

6. Work-life imbalance

Arguably the main cause of workplace burnout is an imbalance in work and life. There is a common saying that suggests we should “work to live”, rather than “live to work.” But sometimes, this isn’t the case.

In the film and tv industry it is notoriously difficult to find a work life balance when the hours are long and often include time spent away from home. Providing effective mental health support and wellbeing strategies can help negate the inherent risks that come with working in the sector.

If an employee is overwhelmed with the demands of the role and does not have support from their line manager they may spend their time working even longer than the required hours. This is clearly not healthy, and will often cause problems in their personal life.

Then there is also the case that even if a person’s workload can be completed, it might be such hard work that at the end of the day, they are left shattered and unable to find the energy to engage in hobbies in their time off. Instead, they may spend their free time recuperating from their work.

This is a very important area to consider, as if a person has a long-term pattern of a poor work-life balance, they are likely to suffer from workplace burnout quickly.

Conclusion

By knowing about the causes of workplace burnout, it is possible to put actions in place to prevent it from happening. Finding balance can be encouraged by ensuring employees are protected from unreasonable demands, supported to complete their work  and boundaries are respected.

It isn’t a case that all of these factors have to be present in order for workplace burnout to be caused.Instead, a few of the factors listed will commonly be enough. Moreover, this isn’t an exhaustive list of causes, with other factors potentially involved.

Most importantly, having this knowledge will result in the employer being prepared to assist employees, and create a healthier working environment for all.

Sources

[1]       Jolly, P. M., Kong, D. T., & Kim, K. Y. (2020). Social support at work: An integrative review. The JOB Annual Review and Conceptual Development Issue. 42 (2): p229-251. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2485.

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