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How to help your employees deal with Workplace Burnout
In the lively andever-changing world of the Creative Sector, workplace burnout can happen to anyone.
For those that do suffer from burnout, help is needed. Research shows that it normally takes anywhere from a few months to a year to fully recover from burnout, with the longest cases taking up to 3 years [1]. Often there are tight work deadlines to be met and this length of recovery time isn’t feasible.
Ultimately, in line with the definition of workplace burnout, the goal is to help employees avoid chronic stress, aid them in managing their workload, and look out for their overall wellbeing.
Current concerns
In the film and TV sector there are often health and safety concerns and excessively long working hours that make finding a healthy work/life balance very challenging.
In fact, research that combined three different global sources found that in comparison to the general workforce, creative talent are likelier to be dissatisfied with their work-life balance and feel burned out [2].
Furthermore, in The LookingGlass Report (2018) 9,000 employees were interviewed across the TV and Film sector and almost 9 in 10 respondents had experienced mental health problems while working in the industry [3].
When asked about the most important elements that contribute to positive wellbeing, respondents mentioned boundaries, mental health and a sense of stability [2]. It is therefore important for these areas to be considered when helping employees.
The effectiveness of counselling and coaching support
A growing trend in the Creative Sector is offering wellbeing support to all. In Film and TV production,support sessions can be completed virtually, this flexibility ensures the support is confidential and accessible within a production schedule.
Counselling and Coaching support help individuals to support their own wellbeing and navigate the workplace stressors. When an employer advertises a role as including wellbeing support it immediately shows potential employees that the hiring company care about their workforce. In the Film and TV sector where demand for crew is at anall-time high offering incentives helps to attract and retain the best talent.
Professional wellbeing support provides an employee with the opportunity to speak to a qualified counsellor orcoach, who will listen to their concerns and support them to find solutions to any issues they may have whether related to managing the stress of their role, or providing support for problems outside of work that will invariably impact work.
Helping the employee
In some industries it isn’t possible to have time off to rest. When this happens, taking extra care in supporting them is important. The likelihood is that those in such industries will have been aware of their commitments from the outset.
For freelancers it is common to need to work to a set contract length. While they will be aware of their responsibilities, they are still vulnerable to burnout. So while they won’t have time off, their workload and general wellbeing should be monitored by their line manager.
Similarly, if an employee has had time off but returns, it is important for them to receive strong support.The workload that contributed to their burnout shouldn’t immediately be given straight back to them. Instead, their workload should be looked at in detail and a staggered return to work plan should be initiated.
Creating mental health resources can also be very helpful. This provides staff with a place to go if they do need support with their mental health. Furthermore, the addition of therapy can work in tandem with the creation of mental health resources.
Looking back at potential causes
Just as a business would do following any large project, an important part of planning for the future is to review business processes and analyse potential causes of problems.
Ways of circumventing problems can include lessening workload, setting more realistic targets, offering more social support and avoiding micromanagement. Regardless of the industry, regular performance reviews, one-to-one conversations, and evaluating workloads on a frequent basis can all help an employee.
Usually, just minor change sare needed, rather than systemic. But these minor changes can result in improved practices for employees, whilst lessening the chances of workplace burnout.
Conclusion
The importance of workplace burnout cannot be understated. When an employee does become burnt out, having knowledge of this topic can assist them in managing their wellbeing.
By having the provisions discussed above in place, employees should be in a position to have a positive work-life balance, which can aid their overall wellbeing and performance at work.
Sources
[1] Bernier, D. (1998). A study of coping: Successful recovery from severe burnout and other reactions to severe work-related stress. Work& Stress. 12 (1): p50–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02678379808256848.
[2] Kemp, A. (2022). Creatives More Likely to Experience Workplace Burnout. Available: https://www.shrm.org/executive/resources/articles/pages/creatives-burn-out-quickly-.aspx. Last accessed: 19th March 2023.
[3] The Film and TV Charity. (2020). The Looking Glass: Mental health in the UK film, TV and cinema industry. Available: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lums/work-foundation/TheLookingGlassFinalReport-13Feb19.pdf. Last accessed: 8th March 2023.
