Ian Richardson

When the phrase ‘burnout’ first came into use it was seen as something that happened to other people: super-ambitious high fliers working in industries where long hours were expected and meeting unachievable targets was a condition of employment. And people in such high-stress jobs undoubtedly do crash and burn: we’ve all seen reports of high profile suicides in the City or alcohol and drug fuelled excess leading to tragedy.

But burnout should be on everybody’s radar.

A recognised form of work-related stress, burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. You can spot the symptoms in most workplaces: the employee who is negative and cynical, the one whose performance has dropped and who lacks confidence, the one who is tired all the time, gets headaches and is irritable or slow. Both employers and individuals need to be able to spot symptoms for what they are - and know who to talk to and what to do to help.

Prevention is always better than cure, though, and root causes of burnout are not as well recognised as they might be. Too much work, too much responsibility, unachievable objectives certainly play a role, but so do less obvious factors. Poor relationships at work are hugely damaging, as is monotonous work, loss of autonomy or being under-used or under-appreciated. We are living in an era of zero-hours contracts and job insecurity, swingeing cuts, redundancies and constant change. Unless this is managed effectively we’ll have a burnout epidemic.

The associated negative behaviours – cynicism, irritability, presenteeism, alcohol or drug abuse - impact others, depress productivity and can skew the whole culture of a workplace. But there is plenty we can do:  encourage people to take breaks, work sensible hours and have sociable non-work-related interactions with colleagues. Create a culture of trust by treating people fairly and listening to their concerns. Think about what workers are capable of and make sure you are using their skills effectively. Appreciate the efforts people make as well as what they deliver. Above all, look out for each other and don’t just accept that stress, or burnout, is inevitable.

There are guidance documents available which can help you to try and tackle the risks of stress and burnout, such as BSI’s PAS 1010:2011 (Guidance on the management of psychosocial risks in the workplace) and you can get hold of a copy here: http://shop.bsigroup.com

Ian Richardson, board director, BSIF & standards publishing manager, BSI