Employer burnout strategies

EMPLOYEE burnout is a serious challenge facing companies of all sizes in South Africa. As businesses navigate a competitive environment and difficult economic conditions, they are often pressured to “do more with less”.

- WARREN BONHEIM

Unfortunately, this often leaves employees bearing the brunt through increased workloads and rising stress levels.

Challenging balance

Finding the right balance between employee well-being and the demands of success is a significant challenge. Burnout and stress lead to exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm and diminished performance. It impacts work productivity and takes a toll on employees’ emotional and physical health. Employees experiencing burnout are more likely to seek positions that offer better work-life balance. Often, managers only learn about burnout when it’s too late. This can happen for several reasons. Some employees fear that speaking up will have repercussions such as being perceived as incompetent, weak or unable to handle stress. Others blame themselves for not keeping up, while some are so driven to succeed that they don’t even realise they are heading towards burnout.